The other day, climate change was at its best to calm the atmosphere and soothe the burning heat through summer rain. I thought of it as a gesture for my craving for a croissant and coffee, and before I made a decision, my sister showed up with a plan to escape our boring apartment, the newly opened French cafe in our city. Upon hearing it, my mood brightened as if a veil lifted, and I welcomed the opportunity to indulge in the sweet fragrant experience. So, we hopped in our vehicle and reached the place in a moment of time. After we ordered the desired offerings, our conversations began, one of which was about our apartment needing a redecoration. For months, I have been using my dining as a workstation, sitting on a couch with a broken leg and getting sick of walls that need plaster, paint and whatnot. But you see, the problem is that we want our small space to have room to accommodate people, not carry excess furniture that comes in way while walking and better management of indoors and outdoors. While we were having this conversation, our coffee and croissant arrived; I wanted to save the croissant for last (don’t judge me), so I added the desired sugar to my coffee, stirred it, and had the first sip. The caffeine opened my thought room like it does every time, and in that slightest moment, I noticed the interiors I was looking for, The Mediterranean decor.
As I reached home, I laid on my broken sofa and started going through the decorative web pages on the same. But the tips kept repeating, and nothing new showed up, forcing me to learn about the design thoroughly and split them into easy steps. This conversation between us will exactly have those, and on a note, invite your extrovert character as I am talkative.
7 Steps to The Mediterranean Decor.
1. Plan your exterior.
Remember when I said- better management of indoors and outdoors? Well, that’s where we are going to start. Mediterranean decor is about bridging exteriors with interiors, so you may want to give the space an airy atmosphere, comfort and a slight sense, so both differ in function. It might sound overwhelming, but believe me, it is easier. All you need to do is learn about opportunities. For example, I have a large window in my living room and next to the kitchen. Instead of diminishing its existence, I planned on adding a platform where we can dine. The best part is it can occupy members on both sides (exterior and interior). Additionally, I added a sitting area (on my balcony) just below a bamboo shade. It complements the raw style in addition to comfort to the one wanting to relax or do any work outside.
Similar to this, you may plan sitting, add glass doors to accommodate the open-ish sense and play along with ideas you come across. I always like to keep a Planner by my laptop whenever I am working. It helps me note down the ideas and track all additions needed.
Source: Paul Brant Williger (Article link that confirms the source)
Source: vtwonen by fonQ Link
Source: Lisa Romerein Photography, Architecture by OZ Architects Built By Desert Star Construction (Article Link That Confirms The Source)
You can also use a bamboo blinds to block excessive sunlight, and select one of your favourite colours from the colour palette below and use it as an accent.
Source: WildFlower Home Blog Link
2. Add texture to your interiors.
One of the things I noticed in the cafe earlier and the works of some renowned designers is their adoption of an Earthy feel to home interiors.
How do they do that?
First things first, start with raw textures, tiled flooring and the use of old wood and classic furniture. I’ll leave the furniture for one of the following points; believe me, it’s easier to understand, but for the former part, let’s be calculative, creative and economical; you don’t want to be Kanye West but also no lesser than him.
Source: Unknown Author, Deavita
Start with the flooring. You may want to use rugs instead of replacing the stone altogether. Jute is my favourite for minimalism, but you can always go creative with abstract patterned or Moroccan rugs.
Source: Alexandr Belkov Link
Further, Mediterranean interiors tend to have rustic wood to stand apart, and I find it one of the crucial elements; therefore, using them as shelves or wall decor is a great idea. However, if not possible, add high-quality textured wallpaper behind your entertainment set (living room) that can serve as an accent wall.
3. It’s time to paint walls.
The easiest step of all, and therefore it may also be the shortest. All you need to do is paint your walls in white or beige tones, and you are ready to proceed to the next step.
Source: @milliesou / Instagram Link
4. Let’s go furniture shopping.
For Mediterranean decor, wooden furniture is unarguably a chosen fragment. And before we discuss the different types, let’s set the rules straight. We aim for a sweet combination of 70-30; 70 per cent is modern furniture that may have exposed wood, and 30 per cent is rattan-styled furniture.
Starting with the exteriors, you may need to consider artisan furniture with a raw finished table. If it’s a small area, accommodate it with a pair of chairs and a rustic stool.
Source: 1stDibs Link
On the interiors, we will play modern and rustic. The first thing to choose is a modern-style sofa, or you may stick with your current sitting, and if possible, change the fabric that has a colour similar to the wall, so it looks like an absorbed entity. Complement it with two chairs that may either look rustic or carry a modern design with exposed wood. In the centre of the sitting, lay the rug of your choice- it may even be a black and white striped rug or anything traditional, but complement it with a glass, wood or a minimalist marble table of irregular shape.
Source: FabHub (Source confirmed in the image itself)
Next, you need to look for rustic cabinets or irregular shelves that we will decorate later.
Follow the minimalist approach in your bedroom and kitchen. However, try to keep the design similar to the living.
Source: Justin Chung Studio Link
Apart from this, the small dining corner looks fantastic in the living room.
Source: dbodhi Link
5. Say no to maximal lights for Mediterranean decor.
Limiting the use of light only becomes necessary as, during the day, you allow your space to entertain natural light and because the Mediterranean decor is about retaining minimalism, we will add lights cleverly.
For that, we will use either wrought iron lights, bamboo chandeliers or modern lights that may reflect only on the walls and light the space. However, you may also want to add a table lamp that corresponds perfectly to some of the corners. Find inspiration from the pictures attached below.
Source: Acumen Collection Link
6. Don’t forget the plants.
Do you know what goes great with natural light? Plants.
Comfort comes both physically and visually. While the former remains clear after incorporating furniture, the latter comes only with elements like plants. The Mediterranean decor is carried out nicely with plants around the home in concrete or any earthen pot that may also complement the nature of this interior style or a corner specifically.
Source: Via Pinterest / Sourced by Interiors Online Link
I recommend using palms as they are the go-to for every house because they need little to no maintenance, and to up your game, you may even use a money plant which grows well under mid to heavy sunlight.
7. Elevate the experience with these last touches.
Now that you have almost everything static and arranged, we need to add a few elements to conclude the mediterranean decor.
First, let’s start with the kitchen; I suppose you have a minimal layout, but adding contrast to the platform works every time, and one of the things for accomplishing the same is patterned tiles. You can also arrange wooden boards on the platform and finish the decoration with chrome elements. But before leaving, remember you can use shelves to accommodate some of the cutleries, and decor objects of your choice, make it a little uneven, and now we move to the living room.
Source: Amber Interior Design Link
Here, we will add macrame or wall rugs, throw cushions, and blanket throws, and accessorize to lift the mood. If you have an appreciably large area, you can also use an irregular mirror and a cabinet near plants. Lastly, add a fragrant of your choice and walk towards the bedroom.
Source: Michael Schickinger and Annabell Kutucu Link
What do we do here? I think of a chair in one of the corners near a bookshelf or stool (if you want one) and a ladder-style shelf to add texture.
In the end, we want to make sure that the windows throughout the home have boho curtains, so it helps you manage sunlight exposure in your perfectly crafted mediterranean decor space.
Also read:
- Selecting The Right Designer Furniture For Your Smart Home
- Luxury Furniture Ideas | Devise A Royal Experience While Staying Home!
- What to keep in mind before buying a Corner sofa?
Isn’t Mediterranean Decor Easy?
That’s it from my side! Follow this step-by-step guide to help your interiors stand apart through the Mediterranean decor and to further collect inspiration for the process, Simplykalaa curated a wonderful guide on interior design trends that you may want to check out.
Let me know if you have more tips on the same, and I will see you next time. Coffee and croissant well utilized.
