Using Contemporary Mediterranean Style in Decor

Using Contemporary Mediterranean Style in Decor

Last update: 02 November, 2018

More and more people are using the contemporary Mediterranean style in their decor because of how fresh and bright it is. It makes us think of vacations, the beach, and the sun. You can decorate your home in this way even if you don’t live on the coast.

Who wouldn’t love to live on a farm in an Italian, Greek, or southern Spanish town? With their beaches, sunsets, and full days of sun, what’s not to love? In this article, we’ll tell you more about the Mediterranean decor trend.

What is contemporary Mediterranean style decor?

We’re easily seduced by how natural, simple, and fresh contemporary Mediterranean style decor is. We love it because it reminds us of carefree vacations and warm summers. The contemporary Mediterranean style is undoubtedly one of the most popular styles in Europe. However, your home doesn’t have to overlook the sea to incorporate this style. Take a look at some of the keys parts of this type of decor.

1. Rustic materials

Mediterranean architecture is very connected to the earth. It integrates seamlessly into the landscape. The houses are usually very simplistic without much flair. They’re usually very functional. The homes are rustic and are usually composed of different quadrangular areas which the architect adds depending on the needs of the homeowner. For example, a room for a baby, a stable for an animal, a desk to work at home, etc. Everything has a clear purpose.

contemporary mediterranean style kitchen

You’ll most frequently find materials such as stone, wood, clay, and adobe in Mediterranean style homes. The walls are usually white and there shouldn’t be many objects sitting around the house that would get in the way of traffic. The architect usually orients the house to face the south in order to take advantage of sunlight, although windows are usually small.

On the flat ceilings, you’ll most likely see exposed wooden beams that stand out from the rest of the white ceiling. Some designers also choose to place arcs that separate different rooms, for example separating the kitchen from the dining room.

Floors are usually tiled in ceramic or are wooden. Moroccan tiles are also popular, but they must always have an earthy tone with white or beige colors to match the rest of the home.

2. Colors

Internal and external wall colors should always hark back to the earth. Think about colors like white, tan, green, and blue. White gives luminosity, freshness, spaciousness, and serenity to any room.

Earth tones are warm and perfect for furniture or details in decor, such as paintings or pillows. In addition, blue calls back to the Mediterranean Sea and the sky. Green reminds us of the mountains full of vegetation that protects the coasts.

3. Furniture

If you want to fully embrace the contemporary Mediterranean style in your decor, you need to have wooden furniture in order to “break” with the white walls. Simplicity is synonymous with beauty. You don’t have to be a minimalist to appreciate simplicity.

Other options when it comes to furniture are wicker and rattan, two materials that people have used for hundreds of years to create household objects, specifically in agricultural areas of the world. Farmers who grew olive trees, for example, also made their furniture out of what they had available to them at the time. The Mediterranean style goes back to the tradition of using natural materials that you have in your environment.

4. Accessories

Wicker lamps, rustic rugs, indoor plants, ceramic vases, linen or cotton cushions, and even tree trunks or dried branches are perfect for a contemporary Mediterranean setting.

The most important thing to think about with this type of decor is allowing yourself to be inspired by nature so that we have a truly authentic touch to our rooms. Bread boxes or wicker baskets on a dining table are perfect examples of how to bring nature into your home.

mediterranean style balcony

Decorate the exterior

The contemporary meditMediterraneane is truly beautiful. Don’t think that you have to live in Italy, the south of France, Greece, or Spain to incorporate it into your own home. If you have a home with outdoor space, you can consider decorating it with blue and white tones, as if you were in Mykonos. Seek inspiration from water flowing continuously outside your window. Take a minute to look at beautiful pergolas to protect you from the sun.

And of course, you can’t forget about the hammocks or outdoor sofas where you can lay for several hours of the day in the sun. You don’t need a pool to enjoy the warmth that the sun has to offer! The best part of all of this is that when you look around, you’ll think that you’re in Andalusia, Ibiza, Sicily, or on a Greek island. Living with contemporary Mediterranean decor at home is like always being on vacation!


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  • Pérez-Ordóñez, A. (2010). Arquitectura tardo-andalusí y morisca. Identidad Andaluza · Historia, Cultura y Actualidad Andaluza.