The Old World Charm of a Mediterranean-Styled Home
It’s not uncommon for people to visit various parts of the world and come to admire the architectural history of the beautiful homes they encounter halfway across the world. Many who visit the Spanish and Italian countrysides do just that, then decide they would like a similarly designed home for themselves. Mediterranean-styled homes are a wonderful blend of Spanish, Italian, Greek, and Moorish architecture. Fortunately, it is possible to bring this old world charm into a 21st century home.
The Exterior
A stucco or plaster wall exterior with a red tile roof is ubiquitous in regions with large numbers of Mediterranean-styled homes. Large windows to catch cooling breezes are also typical of this home’s style, as well as rounded open arches encompassing doorways into the home. The roofline is mainly shallow, perhaps even flat in some areas, with generous roof overhangs that provide additional shade during the warmer months. A courtyard, ideally a private one, is often part of a Mediterranean-influenced home, as well as a veranda on the second floor. Exterior colors are typically either a sun-washed white or a lighter terracotta color that blends beautifully with a red tile roof.
The Interior
Inside a Mediterranean-styled home the arched doorways continue, along with simulated plaster walls. Mosaic tile is often used in both kitchens and bathroom areas, and some homeowners may decide to add stenciled mosaic borders to some of their flooring. Burnished bronze and wrought-iron are both very popular interior choices with this style of home, with the burnished bronze often reflected in filigree light fixtures and the wrought-iron highlighted in fireplace screens and stair railings. Other Mediterranean interior colors center around a natural palette found both in the sky and the sea, including both warm and cool colors. A multitude of blue shades ranging from the deep blue of the sea to a soft green-blue, almost the color of turquoise is very popular for the interior of Mediterranean homes. Warm colors that blend well with the cooler colors are also key, and include yellow, peach, ochre, brick red and terracotta.
If you would like to know more about Mediterranean-styled home designs, please contact us!