We create the atmosphere of a southern resort at home. We tell you what the Mediterranean style is, what are its main features and implement it in different rooms.

In our country, the Mediterranean style in the interior is unfairly rare. After all, if you properly adapt it to the peculiarities of the climate of the middle zone, it will bring the warmth of the southern sun and the atmosphere of European resorts into the house. In this article we will analyze the features of this direction and show by examples how to apply them to the design of a house or apartment.

Interior design in Mediterranean style

Features

The Mediterranean style belongs to national trends along with Scandinavian, Arabic, Japanese, etc. The design features were formed under the influence of the history, culture and climate of southern European countries located on the territory of Ancient Egypt, the former Roman Empire and Hellas. First of all, these are Italy, Greece, Spain, France, Cyprus, Morocco. The peculiarities of housing design were mainly influenced by the hot climate, the abundance of sun and the proximity of the sea. The houses were built with this in mind, the decoration and furniture were selected according to the same principle.

It can be said that the foundations of the style originated in the times of ancient states and gradually evolved: enriched with new techniques, architectural solutions, more modern materials. An important stage in the history of the development of this style is the period after the Second World War, when large cities began to be actively populated. The villagers brought traditional elements of the Junjo-European country to the apartments, and so this style ceased to be the prerogative of exclusively village houses. Therefore, today it exists in two variations: for rural and urban life. Consider the main style markers

“Cool” materials

Unlike most areas where the focus is on natural wood, stone prevails in the houses of the southern regions. Concrete, tiles, plaster on the walls are also actively used. Wallpaper is practically not found, warm wooden floor too. This choice is dictated by the fact that it is hot or at least very warm in the Mediterranean most of the year, so it is important to cool the house from the inside. Stone walls and floors are the norm for Italian or Greek houses. But in the Nordic countries, such a finish is considered too cold. The way out is to choose imitations, make additional thermal insulation and use underfloor heating.

Light palette

Another sure method of dealing with heat is light shades. In Mediterranean homes, they are used everywhere: in decoration, furniture, decor, inside buildings and outside. Just like in dark clothes under the scorching sun, it will be stuffy and hot to be in such an interior. Therefore, the color scheme is based on neutral light colors:

To additionally “cool” the room, they are most often supplemented with cold tones: gray, blue, blue, gray-green.

Moderate minimalism

Many people associate country interiors with an abundance of decor and small details, but residents of the Mediterranean regions prefer moderation in the home environment. And it’s easy to explain the stunning views from the window themselves overshadow any artificial decorations, so there’s no point in distracting attention from them. Only the necessary furniture, as much free space as possible and a little colorful decor will be enough to organically link the interior of a house or apartment and the surrounding nature.

Active invoices

In order for the light palette in combination with the ascetic atmosphere not to look boring, the simplicity of the design is compensated by rich natural textures. Wooden furniture, relief plaster, decorative beams on the ceiling, painted shutters on the windows, various stone surfaces, concrete and metal make the interior voluminous and interesting. An additional effect is created by indoor plants in clay pots, textiles made of natural fabrics, as well as natural decor.

House or apartment

The Mediterranean style in the interior of the house and apartment will look different.

In the first case, in addition to the interior itself, external elements are also important: the cladding of the building, building materials, the house territory and the general landscape of the site. If you do not live in the hot southern region of the country, it is better to use materials suitable for your climate for construction and in this situation focus on interior decoration.

It is good if there are elements characteristic of this direction on the site:

In the interior of the apartment, the Mediterranean style, as a rule, exists only in the form of adaptation. To create the mood of European resort housing, focus on the main aspects of this direction: the appropriate palette, natural textures, especially wood and stone (in this case, high-quality imitations are quite appropriate), simple but solid furniture, open layout and lots of natural light. Complement all this with atmospheric details: accent patterned tiles, textiles made of natural fabrics, ethnic and natural decor, paintings with thematic plots, greenery. Products made of straw, untreated wood and ceramics will enhance the effect.

Ideas for different rooms

Let’s take a closer look at how to design different rooms in a Mediterranean style.

Kitchen

Mediterranean-style cuisine is the smell of fresh pastries, national dishes and aromatic herbs. Here, first of all, it is important to create an appropriate atmosphere through smells, tactile sensations and appropriate associations. The main products of Mediterranean cuisine are fish and seafood, olives and olive oil, fresh vegetables and fruits, pasta, lemons, wine. Be inspired by this set, choosing a palette and decor.

What should be in the interior:

Living room

Southern countries are primarily associated with the unhurried rhythm of life, daily siesta and the philosophy of dolce vita.

Therefore, the living room in such a house or apartment is as relaxing as possible, resembling a lounge area in a resort hotel. The central place in the room is occupied by a soft group: a sofa, armchairs, poufs and pillows. They are complemented with cozy carpets and a coffee table. If the space allows, you can add a hammock or a hanging chair to the traditional seating will turn out to be original and very colorful.

For wall decoration, textured decorative plaster or paint is used. Wallpaper in the apartment can be used, but they should be plain and as similar as possible to a regular aligned wall. The living room is the best place to experiment with color. The neutral light palette can be diluted with blue and light blue accents, interspersed with green, terracotta or brown. Be sure to complement all this with an interesting thematic decor, and live indoor plants will help refresh the interior, you can put a couple of planters or organize a whole home jungle in the spirit of boho.

Mediterranean style in the bedroom interior

Thinking over the interior of the bedroom, be inspired by the soothing pictures of Italian and Greek villas, relaxing on the beach and the fresh sea breeze. 

As in other rooms, here the palette will be based on light shades, primarily delicate and light white. It is complemented by cozy beige-brown tones, you can also add shades of blue, terracotta or ochre.

There should be a minimum of furniture: a sleeping place and the necessary storage systems. The bed is the central element of the furniture. Often choose a model with a canopy or an accent headboard. Large furniture should be light, as inconspicuous as possible. Textiles play an important role. Choose bed linen, canopies and curtains made of light natural fabrics that will sway beautifully in the wind without weighing down the interior. Paintings (landscapes or calm abstraction), several potted plants, candles, beautiful ceramic or clay vases are suitable for decoration.

Bathroom

The bathroom in the Mediterranean style is most often decorated in two versions, depending on which countries are closer to you in spirit.

Italian and French style light plastered walls and large-format tiles of muted natural shades on the floor. There may be ornaments, but there are few of them. Natural light is important, so in a country house it is advisable to make a window with shutters in the bathroom. In a city apartment, this is compensated by good artificial lighting.

Moroccan version of the paint and tiles of saturated shades, with active contrasting patterns: abstraction on a floral theme, Arabic script, other oriental motifs, complex multicolored geometry. You can often find walls painted in dark pink, terracotta, blue or green. The plumbing is free-standing, with fittings for copper or brass. All this is complemented by accent lamps and a mirror in a massive frame.

To enhance the feeling of relaxing by the sea, add spa elements to the bathroom: a rain shower, wooden furniture and decor, a couple of live plants that suit such a microclimate, scented candles and tactile pleasant textiles.

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