Mediterranean style in the interior - a feeling of lightness, sea freshness. Each decor element is thought out, simple and functional. The genre does not provide for luxury, intricate furniture and pretentious accessories. The design of the premises has a marine theme associated with warm summer and sea freshness. Colors, shapes and decor - everything should remind of relaxation, the beauty of nature and the sea. Features of the style and design of the room are described in this article.
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Mediterranean style in the interior: history of appearance
The Mediterranean style of the interior is characterized by a state of peace and tranquility. At this time, the direction, along with modernity, occupies a leading position. Historically and geographically, the formation of the style was influenced by the cultures of countries such as Greece, Spain, Turkey, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco and northern Egypt, the Italian and French Riviera. The most recognizable accents were created by Greece, Italy, Spain and Morocco, when decorating a room, you must pay attention to them.
The formation of the style began in the days of the ancient strongest empires of Greece and Rome. Also, a significant contribution to the development of the direction was made by Spain, which has a significant trade influence in the Mediterranean region. Over time, the style was supplemented by other cultural elements, which was facilitated by the sea, covering several continents: Africa, Asia and Europe.
The active development of the sea direction took place after the end of the Second World War. Residents of small villages located near the sea began to massively seek work in large cities, while adding elements of country houses to the design of Mediterranean-style apartments.
At this time, although a large number of modern building materials and interior design trends have appeared, the Mediterranean style has retained its main distinctive features.
Helpful advice! The Mediterranean style is characterized by archaic simplicity. In the house, with the help of available tools, comfort is created with notes of love for creativity and tradition, with a bit of ingenuity. Furniture with a handmade effect will fit optimally into the interior in this style.
Mediterranean style: characteristics and features of the direction
This direction includes the following basic elements:
- bright and spacious rooms with large windows;
- plaster, paint, natural stone and wood are used as materials for interior decoration;
- Desaturated warm colors characteristic of the style, as well as all shades of blue and blue;
- no overloading with details;
- the use of marine themes in decor;
- the use of natural textiles: white airy tulle, canopies over the bed, throw pillows, low-pile rugs or homespun runners;
- floral ornament, patterns in the Arabian style or classic stripes;
- the use of exclusively functional furniture, it is advisable to leave the center of the room free;
- an abundance of light in the room.
As a decor, open shelves are often used, on which hand-painted ceramic elements with floral ornaments are placed. The style is characterized by decoration with details that create a feeling of the proximity of the sea: shells and shells, pebbles. It is also desirable to use a large amount of vegetation.
It is best to use a minimum amount of flooring for the floor. Terracotta tiles are the most suitable material. It can be decorated with a frieze or panel. Marble mosaics with pieces of Mediterranean decor will add an interesting accent to your floor. Wooden floors are acceptable, but the texture of the wood should not stand out too much from the rest of the interior.
Curtains are rarely used, but you can hang blinds from natural materials or fabric Roman shades.
Helpful advice! Lamps with forging elements, equipped with striped and cream shades or shades of frosted glass in white or cream shades, look harmoniously in the Mediterranean style.
Mediterranean style in the interior: photo, main types of direction
You can create an atmosphere of freshness of the sea and the feeling of the breath of a warm summer in your home by decorating the interior of the room in a Mediterranean style. This direction combines the best characteristics taken from the styles of states located on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. Therefore, there are such main varieties of the Mediterranean direction: Italian, Spanish, Greek and Moroccan.
It is not typical for the Mediterranean style to use a significant number of ornaments and patterns. The design should be discreet and functional. For the Greek direction, the use of pure white lace, cream or ivory is characteristic - for the Italian variety. Lace is used as pillowcases or covers for decorative pillows, as well as a tablecloth or a runner on a dresser.
For the Italian direction, a combination of several textures on one wall at the same time is acceptable, for example, tiles in the form of a mosaic, decorative plaster or wall painting.The panel on the wall can smoothly transition into the floor. For painting walls, the technique of applying layers of several related colors is often used. This creates the effect of a certain play of sunlight.
The Greek version of the style prefers white walls as a base. A special dyeing technique is used, which creates the effect of burning out in the sun, the feeling of the influence of wind or sea breeze. Plaster with roughness and unevenness will add simplicity to the interior, as well as save time, money and effort. Brick can be used in small quantities.
Italian style in the interior: distinctive features of the genre
The Italian variety of the Mediterranean style is characterized by a harmonious combination of the following colors: sunny yellow, golden, orange, beige, all shades of green and olive, even rich ones, as well as the entire range of brown. Masonry made of smoothed stones is ideal - they will resemble the seabed.
You can complement the design of an Italian-style house with hand-painted surfaces or patterned plaster. A specially created roughness will only emphasize the original design. Very often, all these details are used in one room: mosaic is adjacent to painting, which in turn is replaced by patterns on tiles, complemented by plastered surfaces with patterns.
The main rule is to remember that such combinations cannot be piled up too much, because the peculiarity of the Mediterranean design is naturalness and airiness. Italian-style furniture should be functional and comfortable. Mostly wood or forged metal is used as a material for its manufacture. The use of massive elements is also allowed, but without pretentious design.
When creating the interior of an apartment in Italian style, it is very important to provide the room with sufficient sunlight. Even in a Mediterranean-style bathroom, it is necessary to make a large window that can let in a lot of natural light into the room.
Greek style in the interior: design features
In contrast to the Italian trend, the Greek variety of the Mediterranean style includes both warm and cold colors, including all shades of blue and light blue. The main colors of the style are yellow, lemon, beige, green, emerald and white. Although cold shades are used in the design, the decoration of the rooms always turns out to be sunny, as if wrapped in the breath of the summer sea.
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History of origin and design features. Practical advice in creating the design of houses, apartments and individual rooms.
The Greek direction is characterized by the alternation of several colors. The most popular is the combination of white and blue, as they symbolize the flag of Greece. It is permissible to use small inserts of red and pink shades in the form of textile elements, ceramics and decor.
Since Greece is known for a high level of development of handicrafts and various crafts, handicrafts in interior decoration in the traditions of Greece will look very organic and beautiful.
The Mediterranean style of the Greek direction is characterized by orderliness, functionality, harmonious combination of different colors. This design is neither pedantic, but also not cocky.It is necessary to find a middle ground.
It is very important in the design of an apartment in a Mediterranean style to create space and an abundance of light: both natural and artificial. The design options can be seen in the photo of interiors in the Greek style.
Helpful advice! Sometimes designers in the Greek direction use black, but it never dominates others. Black decorative elements or edging of images against the background of a light wall look spectacular.
Moroccan style in the interior: oriental motives in the design of premises
The Moroccan style is characterized by a peculiar interweaving of Arab, Mediterranean and African motives. The architecture of a private house in Moroccan style is a polyhedron with a stucco façade and high ceilings.
There are Arabic influences in the arch-shaped window and doorways, smooth white walls and oriental-style pottery. Also, the use of ceramic tiles with Arabic motifs in the kitchen and even in the bathroom is typical for the Moroccan Mediterranean style trend. In addition, it can be seen in sleeping quarters.
You can complement the interior of the house in the Mediterranean style of the oriental direction with European sofas with light leather covering and decorative pillows with oriental prints. It is possible to use carpets and homespun paths made in the style of the East.
Spanish style in the interior: design features
The interior in the Spanish style is characterized by a harmonious combination of aristocracy and certain notes of brutality in design. The main colors of the trend are terracotta, dark brown, white, light beige. Bright accents of blue, green and red are possible.
Ceramic tiles and mosaics with ethnic Spanish patterns are used for decoration. Also for the Spanish variety of the Mediterranean style, the following materials are used:
- a natural stone;
- clay;
- massive wooden beams.
Handmade lace, various decorative elements with rough forged details, as well as textiles with national Spanish embroidery are used as decor.
The most common are the collections of ceramic tiles in the Mediterranean style with a Spanish flavor: Vives Alarcon, Monasterio, Alcantara, Aranjuez, Aranda; Novabell Monterrey; Cerdomus Kyrah.
Mediterranean style in the interior of the apartment or at home: arrangement options
This style is used to decorate entire houses and apartments, as well as individual rooms. It is necessary to consider interesting and original designs of houses in the Mediterranean style.
Living room in Mediterranean style: features of the arrangement of the room
A living room decorated in a Mediterranean style requires a large and spacious room with huge windows. It is the living room that should become the hallmark of the house and match the chosen concept as much as possible.
To create a Mediterranean atmosphere, you must adhere to the following rules:
- the ceiling and walls are recommended to be made in white, and one of the walls must be decorated with vertical stripes of a bright blue shade - this will visually raise the ceiling of the room;
- it is better to make the floor wooden, like the deck of a ship, and on top you should lay a striped carpet with a short pile;
- beige fabric sofas and soft armchairs are used as furniture, which can be supplemented with decorative blue, yellow or blue shelves;
- a cream-colored wooden coffee table will favorably complement the ensemble of chairs and a sofa;
- the decor in the form of wide-necked vases, decorated with corals, shells or starfish, will effectively emphasize the marine theme.
Live plants will favorably decorate the Mediterranean living room design. For decoration, it is enough to put one large or several small palms in wicker pots. On the white walls you can hang oil paintings depicting the southern shores of Greece, Spain and Italy. Drawings of yachts look harmonious against the background of a calm sea, sandy beaches, bushes or low trees with small houses in the background.
Photos of the living room in the Italian style (Greek or Spanish style) will help create an atmosphere of freshness, airiness, a feeling of lightness and sea breeze in the room.
Helpful advice! A must-see feature of the Mediterranean-style living room is a large number of seats. A set of bog oak or pine looks especially stylish. The set can be supplemented with shelves and a coffee table.
Design options Mediterranean style bedrooms
The Mediterranean style is characterized by the use of a large number of summer elements, so using shades of blue and light blue will not make the bedroom cold and uncomfortable. Proper arrangement of the premises creates a pleasant environment saturated with sunlight, the breath of warm summer and the freshness of the sea. To do this, you must follow these rules:
- wall decoration is recommended in beige tones, while the surface should be rough or decorated with patterns with smooth lines;
- the ceiling should be a few shades lighter;
- it is easy to eliminate noise while walking if you cover the floor with cork wood, in addition, it is pleasant to step on such a surface with bare feet;
- you can put a small blue or white-blue rug on the floor;
- wooden doors painted in light blue look spectacular;
- A canopy over a large bed will give airiness to the room; a light translucent white fabric is best suited for it;
- you can attach the canopy to a metal blue frame;
- it is advisable to cover the bed with a blue and white bedspread and complement the decor with lemon, olive or yellow pillows.
Instead of a large cabinet for a Mediterranean-style interior in a country house, it is recommended to purchase a low wooden chest of drawers and bedside tables blue or cream shade. You can decorate the walls with printed photographs in frames in a nautical style or paintings with seascapes, as well as with images of small sailing ships.
Helpful advice! In a traditional Mediterranean bedroom, furniture should be kept to a minimum. Therefore, it is necessary that it contains only the most necessary pieces of furniture: a bed, a bedside table, a wardrobe.
Mediterranean style kitchen: finishing features
The Mediterranean style in the design of the kitchen looks especially beautiful and stylish. Thanks to the nautical style, an ordinary kitchen space turns into a warm, cozy and welcoming place that only evokes positive emotions from the hosts and guests of the house.
The Mediterranean style in the interior of the kitchen not only implies associations with the sea and relaxation, but also should remind of the Mediterranean cuisine and its characteristic products: olives, fresh vegetables and fruits, fish and seafood, olive oil.Room decoration should awaken the appetite and evoke positive emotions. Photos of a Mediterranean-style kitchen make it possible to verify this.
It is important to choose high-quality and practical materials for finishing the kitchen. They may look simple, but they are easy to care for. In this case, the materials may have minor defects in the form of scratches, chips, cracks. They will only give the interior the spirit of antiquity, which is especially important for this trend.
The following tricks will help to give the Mediterranean mood to the kitchen:
- it is better to use tiles of blue, white, blue and gold colors for decoration;
- the tiles with prints in the form of flowers look harmoniously in the Italian interior of the kitchen, and the use of ceramics with Arabic patterns will give the room an oriental charm;
- the white ceiling, complemented by transverse blue beams, looks beautiful and original;
- brown tiles with wood imitation are ideal as flooring;
- a Mediterranean-style kitchen looks great with a white kitchen set with a dining table equipped with a natural wood lid and blue legs;
- it is also better to choose wooden chairs, while it is desirable that they be olive green;
- large windows can be supplemented with light tulle.
For the decoration of the room, you can use ceramic dishes and vases, decorated with ornaments that are relevant for direction. This room design is very popular. This is evidenced by numerous photos of the interior of the Mediterranean-style kitchen.
Helpful advice! You can save on flooring by laying linoleum with a pattern in the form of a stone or wood.
Mediterranean style bathroom: the fresh breath of the Riviera
The Italian version of the Mediterranean style is very popular in the design of the bathroom. To create it in your room, you must follow these tips:
- finish walls and floors with beige tiles with brown friezes;
- one of the walls can be treated with natural stone;
- it is recommended to make the ceiling brown, while it should be lighter by several tones than the walls;
- a window in the form of an arch with a border in brown shades looks beautiful;
- outside the bathtub is decorated with mosaics to match the walls and ceiling;
- a rectangular mirror near the washbasin will complement the Mediterranean design, while the frame should be made to match the frieze on the wall and window edging;
- wooden lacquered chest of drawers for storing beige bathroom accessories will fit perfectly into this design;
- Olive ceramic containers for toothbrushes and liquid soap will perfectly complement the decor.
You can decorate the room with indoor plants. A palm tree or variegated barberry is perfect for a bathroom. Since a large amount of natural and artificial light is provided for a Mediterranean-style room, the flowers will not suffer from a lack of it.
Helpful advice! Artificial lighting in the bathroom is usually ceiling-mounted. However, it is necessary to place the lamps in such a way that the light falls only in the necessary areas: above the sink, bathroom and near the mirror. The rest of the room should be in semi-darkness and coolness.
Photos of Mediterranean-style houses only confirm the fact that the destination prefers a quiet environment with hints of sunny summer and fresh sea.This style is an ideal solution for people who are indifferent to pretentiousness and riot of colors. Calmness, comfort, harmony, warmth and aesthetics are the main elements of the Mediterranean style furnishings in architecture.
Although the style seems very simple, it is better to use the services of a professional designer to create it at home. The specialist knows all the subtleties of design and can easily create the appropriate atmosphere.
Those people who have long fallen in love with this style in the interior can try to implement the Mediterranean style in landscape design. Such design is gaining more and more popularity lately. The Mediterranean-style garden will become a favorite place to relax and an inexhaustible source of inspiration and home comfort.