When exploring different styles of interior design for your Singapore home or apartment, it’s important to bring into context Singapore’s weather- that is, it’s essentially summer all year round. Therefore, what better design is there to introduce to your home than the Mediterranean? Relaxed and rustic while evoking the sunny and vibrant southern coast of Europe, the Mediterranean design can be the perfect fit for anyone who enjoys a casual look for their home.
The Mediterranean style refers to the southern coasts of Italy, Greece, and Spain. Known for its pristine turquoise waters, sunny beaches, and brightly coloured flowers, the Mediterranean region is reflected in many elements of this design. While certain accessories and colours vary from country to country, each style heavily features the outdoors, rustic furniture, textured walls, and hardwood or stone floors.
Similar to the Tuscan design, the Italian Mediterranean style is light and relaxed, reflecting the different colours and textures of the Italian landscape. Ornate, cast iron furniture pieces are popular in the Italian style. This style also makes use of earthy colours such as dark reds, orange, and yellows, and includes dark hardwood or stone floors. A popular wall texture in the Italian style is weathered brown stucco, providing the home with a rustic and earthy look.
The Greek Mediterranean style tends to make greater use of white, with white stucco walls and white hardwood floors being a popular choice for this design. Typically bright colours such as azure act as an accent to the white, giving the home a beach-like feel. Wrought iron furniture as well as columns, and arches are common in homes with a Greek Mediterranean style and make the home feel like a patio. Textures and fabrics with Greek motifs and patterns give an even deeper history to this Mediterranean style, and the use of modern furniture provides a modern twist to this historic look.
The Spanish Mediterranean style is similar to Spanish interior design in that it uses Moroccan furniture, rich and lively colours, and mosaic murals that liven up the home. Earthy tones like bright blue, dark red, and rustic yellow feature heavily in the design of these mosaics. Mosaics can be used as tabletops, flooring, arches, and much more; with a Spanish Mediterranean design, there’s nothing you can’t use a mosaic for! Common wall colours are rich purples and blues, and terra-cotta tile floors are an incredibly popular choice for this design. Like the other two Mediterranean styles, every element of the Spanish style evokes a rustic and casual atmosphere for your home.
Popular European furniture pieces for a Mediterranean design are oversized pine armoires. Because 18th and 19th century homes didn’t have closets, these armoires became incredibly popular and are a lasting piece in the Mediterranean design. These large furniture pieces emphasize the casual and shared nature of the Mediterranean, so consider using one of these armoires as an entertainment centre to embrace this Mediterranean sense of community. In the Mediterranean, the kitchen is a place for neighbours and friends to gather, so many homes using large dinner tables that can fit as many as twelve people.
Mediterranean Accessories
Rough-hewn iron is an incredibly popular material for accessories such as doors or furniture. Lighting pieces and chandeliers are also commonly made of rough-hewn iron, and a wrought-iron fireplace screen is a common element in the Mediterranean design. Pieces such as burnished bronze urns or filigree light fixtures will provide you with a Mediterranean look bordering on the Moroccan, so consider adorning your home with one or more of these pieces to add some flair to the place.
The use of flowers- both simulated and real- is incredibly common in the Mediterranean design, so consider decorating your home with vibrantly coloured flowers in a mosaic vase. Water is also commonly featured, making courtyard fountains and ceramic wall fountains an excellent choice for any homeowner looking for something a little extra.
Mediterranean Walls and Flooring
Stucco walls and terra-cotta tile or stone floors are the most common elements of the Mediterranean design, fully imbuing your home with that rustic and earthy feel. Stucco walls can be achieved with wallpaper or by applying plaster, depending on your budget and what kind of a look you’re going for. You can even simulate the look of a plastered wall with a textured finish by using a tinted drywall compound combined with coloured beeswax.
If you’re looking to add visual depth to the walls, you can hand-rub layers of paint and glaze onto plaster or sand-textured walls. This gives your home an interesting and unique look while fully conforming to the Mediterranean design. And as previously stated, there’s nothing you can’t turn into a mosaic, so consider using a stencilled mosaic border on your walls or floors to simulate the look of tile.
Whether you’re interested in something practical like Mid-Century Modern Design or something elegant like a French Country Interior Design, Home Guide can help. We’re an experienced home interior design company in Singapore that can give your apartment the Mediterranean style you’ve always wanted. Take a look at our portfolio to see some of the interesting and beautiful designs we’ve done, and contact us today for all of your Singapore interior design needs!
