Interior design styles – mediterranean magic

Comprising of textured walls and warm colour tones a Mediterranean decorating motif is family led, cosy and comfortable. It has the ability to embrace various styles of home, with each Mediterranean country offering variations on the style.

For example, French Provençal, Portuguese, Spanish and Greece, not forgetting influences from North Africa. Mediterranean décor conjures up the image of white washed houses, bright blue shutters and of course sunshine yellow and burnt orange colour schemes.

For French Provençal lavender and paler blues are teamed with soft creams, while Spanish and Portuguese typically include fiery reds and vibrant greens. Mediterranean is a decorating style which has quite literally stood the test of time and remains a popular way to bring the warmth and homeliness classically associated with Mediterranean homes into your house.

Usually farmhouse styles opt for home-made rather than shop brought, while in grander homes influences of family wealth are passed down the generations by means of large pieces of furniture and heirlooms of hand-worked lace and embroideries.

Even though some of the colour palettes are bright and vibrant Mediterranean décor retains a rustic charm that offers a simpler and relaxing way of life. In the large, grander homes comfort and style sit comfortably side-by-side with distinctive nods to the past being incorporated for aesthetic pleasure and family provenance. Read on to find out how to get the Mediterranean look in your home

Blue wooden window frame with lots of flowers outside

A living room with all furniture, cushions and walls orange

White and blue beach hut style living room, with exposed white ceiling beams

Get the Mediterranean Look

Yellow and white checked kitchen curtains and white dining table and chairs

Use burnt orange to evoke the feeling and look of warm Mediterranean sun filtering its way into your home. Alternatively brighten up a north facing room with pops of sunshine yellow paired with Mediterranean blue, cream or white. Include sunflowers, lavender and mosaic patterns to bring a touch of Mediterranean magic into kitchen, living room or bedrooms.

White bedding with a bucket of lavender on the foot of the bed

Cream, white and lavender bedroom with matching curtains and wallpaper

Blue and white swirling geometric patterned bedding

Lavender is a fabulous colour choice for bedrooms. It's naturally calming and easy on the eye, making the conditions 'just right' for a good night's sleep. Mosaic designs in mid-blue and white are also a great way to bring a Mediterranean feel to a bedroom, more especially when you use bright white for the walls and furniture and coordinated mid-blues for soft furnishings and accessories.

Cream armchair in a corner of a room, with exposed brick and uneven concrete walls

A gold and brown patterned rug on a wooden floor

Cool interiors are welcome relief from the searing Mediterranean heat, white or pale coloured walls help to keep rooms comfortably cool. They also give you a blank canvass on which to make your personal mark by your use of accessories, flooring and artwork. Most Mediterranean homes have tiled floors to help keep the home cool during the summer months, however, you'll find that most homes will use rugs in main living areas.

Rugs with ornate and intricate patterns are favoured in many styles of Mediterranean homes as they bring a touch of authenticity to the motif. You'll also find that as most Mediterranean homes use external shutters to help keep the rooms cool, they rarely don't use curtains in the same manner as we do.

Lightweight sheers and voiles are seen in living rooms and bedrooms sometimes for daytime privacy and to help keep flying bugs outside where they belong! Bringing Mediterranean magic into your home isn't difficult, moreover, it's a great choice of decorating themes if you're on a tight budget and yet still want a home with chic, liveable style.