The Mediterranean style is sunny, warm and relaxed — which is why it has much in common with the classic country style. A Mediterranean interior is an ideal solution for both custom country houses and any private homes.
Geographically and historically, the Mediterranean style took shape from the cultures of the countries on the Mediterranean Sea: Greece, Turkey, Tunisia, Algeria, the north of Egypt and Morocco, the Italian and French Riviera, Spain and others. What unites all this beauty is the abundance of sun, the sea and magnificent vegetation — nature itself sets the colour and determines the use of specific materials and accessories.
The main idea of the Mediterranean interior is accessibility and utility, so there should be no deliberate luxury or chic. The key to creating the style is everyday simplicity. The Mediterranean style is relatively inexpensive to implement and loves practical comfort. Of course, the Mediterranean is the territory of many countries and peoples, but the concept of the style is set by ideas drawn from Italy and Greece.
In a Mediterranean-style room, chairs with woven cane seats look entirely at home — both as a dining set and as single pieces. A coffee or console table with a majolica tile top will lend the interior a special colourful charm — it will bring extra bright glints of light into the room.
The ideal furniture in the Mediterranean style is sturdy, durable and handmade from natural materials. The most popular is bog oak furniture, but at the same time pieces made of cheaper softwood species — spruce and pine — are also quite widespread. Such furniture is treated with solutions that give it warm tones — honey, cognac — which allows the interior to gain refinement. Alongside unupholstered wooden furniture, Italian homes just as often feature suites with wrought or lacquered metal frames, legs or supports.
A typical feature of Mediterranean interiors is open shelves resembling bakery racks. Such shelves displayatively hold hand-painted ceramics with bright yellow and yellow-green lemons and cobalt-blue and purple grape branches on their sides. This demonstrativeness is equally characteristic of both Greek and Italian interiors.
MEDITERRANEAN INTERIOR — Greek style
The Greek interior favours cool colours. These are white, lemon yellow, sunny yellow, all shades of blue (from light blue to rich blues), blue-green, bluish-green and emerald, and — as an accent — rich red-pink.
Picture sun-bleached villas among thickets of pink bougainvillea and a turquoise sea — and there you have the Greek palette. It is not so very multicoloured and consists rather of shades of the primary colours of the south. Together they create a sense of light, air and an influx of strength, guaranteeing summer in the rooms all year round — though the rooms must receive plenty of natural daylight.
Blue-and-white stripes are a foolproof decorative device for a Greek interior: they will tie your interior together and set the marine theme. Stripes can appear on fabrics — bedspreads or towels reminiscent of the Greek flag — or, for example, migrate to flower pots, which are not so very hard to paint. But painting stripes on the walls, as in Genoese churches, is entirely unnecessary — this device works well as an addition. The main colour solution is a simple alternation of white and blue: for example, a blue window frame on a white wall, and a set of simple kitchen chairs, some of them painted blue, others white.
Do put beautiful blue-glass bottles on a shelf or a windowsill next to old white jugs with chipped enamel — you can no longer drink from them, but you can put flowers in them, and this will enhance the Mediterranean effect.
MEDITERRANEAN INTERIOR — Italian style
The Italian palette abounds in warm shades. These are cream, ochre yellow, deep sunny yellow, ocher, terracotta, brick, olive and bottle green.
Colours full of sun, as if taken from nature itself, give the Italian interior a rich, warm and enchanting sound. Fields of golden wheat and sunflowers, the dark green of cypress trees, vineyards, lemon and olive groves — these are the components of the Italian landscape. These same colours, combining into a harmonious palette of warm soft shades, form the “face” of the house. They all suit both rustic interiors and more refined solutions.
If the Italian approach is closer to your heart, then everything related to the Greek version can be done with objects in yellow, brick and olive colours.
The Mediterranean countries are full of sun, with abundant vegetation and sea — that is why the Mediterranean style strikes us with its brightness. The walls are painted in bright colours, and the floor is laid with a pattern of marble or coloured ceramic tile. The colour scheme is brown, golden orange and blue-green. This interior style has a certain roughness: in the unevenness of the walls one can see the texture of hand finishing and painting.
Windows in a Mediterranean house are large, to let the sun into the rooms. In Italian homes, wrought furniture sits side by side with painted wooden furniture. Overload and pathos are alien to the Mediterranean style — both Greek and Italian.
MEDITERRANEAN STYLE — walls
First of all, these are matte, textured surfaces with a handcrafted effect. Of course, the most natural material is decorative stucco — a mixture of the finest particles of marble, lime, gypsum and water — which gives walls a slightly rough, “handmade” look. Originally, stucco was used to cover the exterior walls of houses. Coastal residents usually used white paint, rightly counting on it to reflect the rays of the scorching sun and, incidentally, to contrast favourably with the dark tiled roofs. Over time, however, stucco moved indoors as well, becoming an indispensable element of Mediterranean interiors.
In an Italian home, several textures can coexist on a single wall at once: mosaic tile, decorative plaster, wall painting, murals, fresco imitation. Terrazzo mosaic laid as an elegant panel on the wall can flow smoothly onto the floor.
When painting walls in the Mediterranean style, you can use a technique of applying several layers of paint in colours related within the spectrum — golden ocher and terracotta, for example. This complicates the perception of the room, makes it more interesting and creates an effect of playing sunlight.
In the Greek interior the foundation is white walls. Wooden panels painted in a certain way look as if wind, sun and sea had tested the coating for strength.
The rough texture of plaster will give the interior natural simplicity and create the necessary handcrafted charm. If your walls are uneven, in this case it will be a plus and will let you save some time, effort and money.
For the Mediterranean interior style, brick is appropriate, but in small quantities — for a fireplace or a wall around the kitchen.
MEDITERRANEAN STYLE — floors
When laying a floor in this style, it is advisable to use a minimal number of floor coverings. That is how the Mediterranean style has historically evolved, and at the same time you will gain visual integrity of the room.
Tile is the favourite material: it is used most often and throughout the entire room — unglazed, in warm terracotta tones. Majolica imitations, a decorative frieze or a panel — all will be appropriate when creating a Mediterranean interior.
A stylistic accent on the floor can be a marble mosaic with Mediterranean decor elements. Naturally, with such a choice of floors one should remember to install underfloor heating, as the room may not be in the warmest climatic zone.
Mats of reed, sisal or seaweed are durable and also very popular in Mediterranean-style rooms. They bring a special mood into the interior — closeness to nature, calm and serenity.
Wooden floors are acceptable, but with particular care and skill. The wood texture of the covering should not be too active or dominate the other elements of the interior.
Of the economical floor coverings, laminate and linoleum can be used. Linoleum should preferably be of good quality, so that the texture of wood, ceramic tile or stone on it looks plausible — this is essential for a Mediterranean interior.
MEDITERRANEAN STYLE — furniture
Of course, not all features of a Mediterranean dwelling can be realized in our northern latitudes, but setting the right “general line” is quite within your power. After all, the main thing in this interior style is not even a specific set of elements, but the mood — that state of serenity and calm which the measured noise of the sea and the constant gentle sun give to southerners. Moreover, remember that simple things look organic in a Mediterranean interior — practical comfort is created with everyday means, not with expensive accessories bought in boutiques.
That is why handmade furniture fits the Mediterranean interior perfectly. For example, a low, squat sofa, a table of pine or bog oak in warm shades. In Italian homes, furniture with a wrought or lacquered iron frame and matching legs is also extremely popular. In the south, textile elements, majolica, marble, and rattan or reed weaving are actively combined with iron.
MEDITERRANEAN STYLE — textiles and accessories
In the Mediterranean interior, textiles serve a more utilitarian than aesthetic purpose. Natural fabrics — linen and cotton — are used for cushions, bedspreads and mattresses.
Curtains are a great rarity, as exterior shutters or awnings were historically used. You can use blinds of natural materials (burlap, bamboo, wood) or Roman shades of natural fabrics.
The Mediterranean style does not abound in ornament; everything is very calm and functional. The lace is cottage-made, crocheted or embroidered with tambour stitch. Pure white for the Greek interior, cream or ivory for the Italian. Lace is usually used for pillowcases and cushion covers, tablecloths, or runners on sideboards and dressers.
Remember that it is the little things and accessories that create the Mediterranean look. The main idea should be stated clearly: sea, sun, abundant vegetation, the siesta state — all this splendour is created with everyday means and is common to all interpretations.
On open shelves you can place hand-painted ceramics with plant motifs in the same colour scheme that is inherent in the whole interior.
Decorating with seashells, small shells and pebbles will create a sense of closeness to the sea. Elegant copper lamps, all kinds of lace doilies, figurines and small vases are appropriate. You can hang paintings of sailing ships and sea views on the walls — a powerful element for creating the Mediterranean style.
A large amount of vegetation, preferably of the Mediterranean region, will bring the feeling of an abundant, lush garden and thereby create the right mood.
Do not strive to reproduce the historical Mediterranean styles exactly; try using a mix — an adaptation of the southern style to northern latitudes. You can introduce elements of France or Morocco, or of the other Mediterranean countries, into the interiors. The lack of sun can be compensated with abundant artificial lighting, otherwise the snow-white Italian walls will be gloomy grey in bad weather.
If you have access to real ship treasures — ship’s wheels, rigging, brass instruments and clocks — boldly decorate your blue-and-white interior with them. If not, find a couple of pages with pictures of sailing ships, put them in frames and hang them on the wall. Be careful with posters: sometimes they look too cheap and glossy.
After a summer trip to the sea, delight your Mediterranean interior with a foreign gift. It can be patterned Turkish ceramics — even a few tiles are enough: they can be interestingly combined with solid-colour blue or white tiles, or simply used as coasters. Tin Moroccan lanterns, Greek painted tableware, Provençal sachets or olive oil in beautiful bottles from Italy will also do; and in the end, cypress frames, jars of Crimean rosemary or simply mother-of-pearl shells are just as good when it comes to the right details.
