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Soft ... wispy ... rich in the pale neutrals of the Aegean region, the Mediterranean look is growing in popularity with busy homeowners who long for a look that merges elegance with relaxed beauty.
Who can quarrel with the luscious marbleized walls and flooring designs so reminiscent of airy Turkish grottos? The magical light and gauzy ease of Grecian-styled window coverings? Or the white-washed serenity that spells warm-climate lifestyle?
But you don't need to live in the Greek Islands or even in a warm climate to capture the essential elegance of Mediterranean-style decor. And this versatile designer style allows plenty of room for you to mix-and-match your grandma's lovely floral floor rug with the sleek steel-and-glass tables of the minimalist Mediterraneans.
Light and Easy!
Easy does it ... that's the mantra in the laid-back Islands, where the hot sun and sea-washed breezes just beg for bare feet on bare floors.
So begin by thinking "sparse." Up and off come the wall-to-walls, the fancy, fringed curtains and the heavy sofa coverings. Out go the wood wall shelves and the cluttered corner cabinets.
Open up your rooms wherever you can. Widen a window, knock out a wall and put in French Doors that bring the outside in! Add to the open-air feel by "planting" a ceiling-high tree in your living room corner, deep inside a lovely, natural terra cotta pot.
You'll love the Mediterranean look's pottery urns, glass-topped tables and wrapped, curled steel and ornamental iron that frames everything from the dining room table to the fireplace screen to the master bedroom's headboard!
Signature Styling with Colors
Don't be afraid of eggshell cotton seat covers and pale yellow curtains that hang from wooden rods and pool gently on the floor. That's the easy, breezy Mediterranean style.
Accessorize with sweet-scented candles, dried flowers, elegant vases and wall coverings in pale tones that look as delicious as they sound: sage green, sea blue, lemon, biscuit, lilac, apricot, watermelon. Don't be afraid to experiment. Use splashes of pale color on window frames, door jambs, chair rails.
Open up your racks and shelves to capture the Mediterranean essence. Glasses, cups and bowls are stacked in simple open wall-boxes, or cupboards without doors. Traditional wooden plate-racks can double as air-drying racks, and stash plates vertically, saving space and time.
In the kitchen, choose white for understatement: white cupboards with their doors removed ... white tile backsplashes and white tile flooring. Splash the color in unexpected places -- a windowsill, a doorway, a light switch. Stencil a lovely Mediterranean pattern of your choice along the wall borders.
Flora and Fauna
Don't forget the delectable fruits and vegetables that abound in the Mediterranean. Incorporate the seasonal pleasures in your decor. Try "faux fruit" from gift and decorating supply stores -- everything from thick, ripe olives on the branch, to the traditional figs and ruby-red tomatoes.
Fill light baskets with the fruit and vegetables, and experiment with dark apothecary bottles stuffed with bare tree branches and one or two bright, red geraniums!
When you need to shelve a wall, choose iron or steel, white or black, with plenty of curves and curls. Match the style to your floor-lamps and table lamps, and offset the ornamental metals with a gauzy lampshade in palest yellow.
Whatever you choose, choose what you love and will enjoy! Then reward yourself with a candle-lit bubble bath and a basket of figs, fresh from the Mediterranean region you love!
For more decorating tips please visit us at Helpful Home Ideas.
» left by maria jones from uk (200 days 15 hours ago.)
very helpful, thankyou Respond to this comment
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