Coastal architecture often incorporates the natural features of its surroundings, producing unique design styles that blend nature with local building techniques. Mediterranean interiors are a perfect example of such design styles, showcasing how the sea has been used to inspire spaces that embrace indoor-outdoor living while using natural materials. Keep reading to understand what exactly Mediterranean interior design is, its evolution and key features, and explore tips on how to incorporate the Mediterranean interior style in your residential spaces.
What is Mediterranean Interior Design?
The term ‘Mediterranean style’ is used to describe the architecture and interior design typology commonly observed in the regions surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, mainly in Spain, Italy, Morocco and Greece. Featuring brightly lit spaces, natural materials, earthy colour palettes and textured finishes, the Mediterranean interior style embraces living in harmony with its coastal surroundings. Although known across Europe for being able to provide comfort in hot climates, the style has also become popular in India and other countries due to its sustainable, clutter-free and minimalist interior design approach.
Evolution of Mediterranean Architecture and Interior Design
Mediterranean house design characteristics have evolved significantly as passive design strategies against the warm and humid climate found in coastal regions around the Mediterranean Sea. These characteristics include open floor layouts, high ceilings and large windows that allow the free flow of air, along with the use of natural materials like stone and terracotta to help keep the indoor spaces cool.
The architectural styles in countries like France, Italy, Spain, Morocco, Turkey and Greece have also influenced the visual characteristics of Mediterranean-style houses, such as arches, French doors and Moroccan tiles. Each of these countries has evolved regional variations across the centuries, producing unique design blends that feature local building materials, craftsmanship and interior decor items.
Key Features of Mediterranean Interior Decor
Mediterranean-style interior design typically has the following characteristics:
Blending the Indoor and Outdoor
Interior spaces in Mediterranean-style mansions are designed to maximise natural light and cross ventilation by using large windows and French doors. Semi-open spaces such as interior courtyards, porticos and verandahs are also common, offering panoramic views of the sea while creating seamless boundaries between the outdoors and indoors.
Interior Architectural Details in Mediterranean Interior Design
Mediterranean homes typically feature open floor plans and high ceilings (generally vaulted) that make the interior spaces feel visually larger. Exposed wooden beams are used to emphasise these ceilings and create a rustic warmth, while semi-circular arched doorways, rounded windows and curved alcoves (niches) are used to soften the rigid lines of walls.
Natural Materials
Locally available natural materials and local craftsmanship are commonly utilised in Mediterranean home design, embracing sustainable building practices. These include ornately carved hardwood furniture (cabinets, desks, drawers, etc.), rattan and cane furniture (sofas, chairs and outdoor seating), cotton, jute and linen fabrics (for curtains, rugs, furniture and other upholstery) and wrought iron elements (grilles, railings and decorative pieces). However, the number of interior items is generally restricted to a minimum.
Textured Finishes
Textural variations are used in Mediterranean style home interior designs to add depth, character and visual interest without being extravagant. Walls are finished with stucco or textured plaster and sometimes left exposed to showcase natural stone textures. Handmade terracotta, Spanish or Moroccan tiles, often used in combination with natural stone flooring, are laid in diverse patterns to produce floors that reflect local craftsmanship and enhance visual character.
Subtle and Earthy Colour Palettes
Mediterranean home decor generally features white and soft beige tones as the main backdrop, serving as reminders of the sandy beaches. Other earthy colours—like terracotta, brown and yellow ochre—and shades of blue and green (inspired by the colour of the sea) are often used as highlights or to create subtle pops of colour in beach house construction. However, the Mediterranean colour palette varies significantly across different regions.
Regional Variations of Mediterranean Interiors
Over the years, each region surrounding the Mediterranean Sea has developed its own design variations, each of which has particularly distinct colour palettes. Some of the prominent types of the Mediterranean interior design style are:
- Greek Mediterranean Style: Minimalist decor and stark contrasts created with whitewashed walls against doors, windows and roofs in bright shades of blue (such as turquoise, cobalt blue, cerulean blue and greenish blue).
- Moroccan Mediterranean Interior Design: Rich fabrics and intricate tile patterns in vibrant tones of blue, red, orange and green.
- Spanish Mediterranean Interior Design: Intricately carved and dark-coloured wooden elements contrasted with rich patterns and bright colour schemes including terracotta and turquoise blue.
- French Riviera Mediterranean Interiors: Neutral colour palettes (beige, brown, white) along with soft highlights showcasing the sea’s colours (sandy brown, olive green and sea blue).
- Italian Mediterranean Style: Warm earthy tones of terracotta, yellow and orange contrasted with dark-coloured stone walls and intricate, heavy wooden furniture.
Tips to Incorporate the Mediterranean Interior Style in Your Home
You can adopt the tips below to create your residential interior design in Mediterranean style:
Embrace Minimalism and Wabi Sabi
Restrict the number of interior decor elements to a minimum to adopt modern Mediterranean interior design principles. This will help create spaces that optimise functionality, allow easy movements and enable clutter-free living. Embrace the principles of Wabi Sabi (which celebrates the beauty in imperfections and encourages simple living) and allow materials and products to age naturally, creating unique textural and visual patterns with time.
Mix Modern and Mediterranean Colours
Although earthy and coastal colours are typically used in Mediterranean interiors, you can combine other colours that reflect local character and showcase your individual personality. You can use trending colours—like sage green and pastel blue—that blend well with modern styles while still following the Mediterranean colour palette. Utilise principles of colour psychology to create visually balanced colour schemes.
Layer Different Textures and Materials
Explore varying textures and materials to create interesting contrasts. For example, you can add an exposed stone wall in every room (to act as a feature wall) and contrast this with white or beige stucco walls. Use locally available fabrics with rich textures and patterns (such as cotton, linen and jute) along with cane or bamboo furniture and lots of indoor plants to introduce softness against these rigid wall textures. Such textural contrasts add visual interest without compromising the essence of the Mediterranean style.
Include Sustainable and Recycled Mediterranean Interior Design Products
Use locally available products and materials to ensure sustainability. Athangudi tiles (as a replacement for the Moroccan tiles commonly used in modern Mediterranean decor), reclaimed wood furniture and storage cabinets, lime plaster surfaces and terracotta decor items are some such products that you can use. Apart from promoting the principles of climate-responsive architecture, such products can also reduce the overall cost of the project.
Getting the Best Mediterranean House Built
Since it is an international style, Mediterranean interior design requires adequate architectural knowledge and skills to be adopted effectively in the Indian landscape. Brick & Bolt, a top design-build company in India, employs a team of experienced architects who are experts in this field and customise each detail to perfection. The team also collaborates with the leading interior designers in the country to create homes and commercial spaces that showcase elegance and individual personality while being functional and beautiful. With extensive QASCON checks conducted, premium quality is also maintained in all the projects. Reach out to Brick & Bolt today to get the best Mediterranean house design for your dream project!
Apoorva H P Achar