A Guide to Mediterranean Interior Design

From the exotic coast of Spain to magnificent Italian cities, the Mediterranean is brimming with design inspiration. Thoughtful, evocative colour choices can transport your home either to mystic Greek islands or to the sophisticated French Riviera.

Explore ways to incorporate Mediterranean warmth into your home.

What is the Mediterranean design style?

The Mediterranean is a place of contrasting colours and invigorating hues. Whether you favour modern Mediterranean interior design or prefer something more traditional, this location provides inspiration for all tastes.

The unique Mediterranean style has had many enduring influences. Global trade routes, which connect the region to Asia and Africa, have inspired many aspects of Mediterranean interior design. But perhaps the most palpable source of inspiration is that of its namesake: the Mediterranean Sea.

Rooted in stunning coastal locations, the countries surrounding the Mediterranean boast hot summers with dappled evening light and glistening waters. The eclecticism of the region creates a beguiling aesthetic that inspires countless Mediterranean house interior designs. Its warm, bold style is simple to incorporate into any home.

Arch and Floor: Bassoon

Panelling: Nether Red

Table: Jack Black

Mediterranean colours: a touch of sunshine yellow

Let the Mediterranean sunlight linger all year long by featuring yellow in your home. Joyful, warming yellows sit comfortably in both contemporary and classic settings. Choose vibrant hues such as Giallo on walls, woodwork and ceiling in the same colour for an uplifting feel.

Alternatively, an earthy yellow like Bassoon teams well with the muted Nether Red. Contrast blue tiles with Indian Yellow and the vibrant Hopper on skirting boards. Freshen the scheme with Flint on the ceilings, used here alongside wood beams.

To bring year-round sunshine to your walls, explore our complete yellow paint palette.

Ceiling, Walls and Cupboard: Giallo

Left Wall: Bone China Blue – Faint

Oceanic hues: Blue Mediterranean tones

Dip your toe into the Mediterranean home design trend by choosing blues that are fresh and cool. Use green-blues such as Mid Azure in courtyard gardens, pairing with terracotta pots and Jack Black to ground the scheme.

Discover more ways to style your garden with expert advice from our Creative Director, Ruth Mottershead.

Mazarine has an irresistible depth without being too green or violet, ideal for use in dining rooms. Authentic ceramic pieces team well with this vivid blue.

Browse our blue paint shades for more serene, oceanic hues.

Mediterranean style exterior wall painted in vibrant blue ‘Smalt’ with wooden shelving and various plants displayed.

Wall: Smalt, Chair: French Grey – Mid

Mediterranean style dining space painted in shades of blue, ‘Mazarine, ‘Marine Blue’ and ‘Air Force Blue’ with coordinating artisan pottery.

Back Wall: Mazarine, Floor: Marine Blue, Curved stool: Air Force Blue

Verdant shades: Rich Green Shades

Evoke the vineyards of Italy and Greece with resonant greens. The green hues found in the Mediterranean have an incredible depth of colour. These shades are heightened by the contrasting, cloudless skies.

Add gravitas to your outdoor spaces with Invisible Green. Pair with terracotta pots and large-leaved plants for a relaxed, Mediterranean feel. Inside, create an inviting scheme with a combination of Garden, Scullery and Pea Green. Or take inspiration from Italian Old Master paintings, by painting walls in the sumptuous Jewel Beetle.

Embrace nature within your scheme with our green paint colours.

Wall: Jewel Beetle

Dresser: Chocolate Colour

Ceiling: Pique

Ceiling: Pea Green

Walls and Larder Cupboards: Garden

Inside Cupboard: Dock Blue

Far Walls and Door: Scullery

Earth tones: Deep red paint colours

Look to the rich earth of the Mediterranean with deep reds. For a Mediterranean colour palette, incorporate natural materials and earthy tones within your scheme. Tuscan Red is a chalky shade which replicates the colour of Italian terracotta tiles. Here it is painted on panelled walls and contrasted with French Grey, for a serene finish.

For an energetic combination, pair Drummond with the fresh Apple and deep Dock Blue in open-plan kitchens. For a darker shade, consider Pompeian Ash, which is inspired by the Villa Negroni in Rome. Break up the intense colour palette with a splash of Heat, a burnt orange with warmth, depth and optimism.

Evoke the warmth of the Mediterranean with rich terracotta hues from our palette of red paint colours.

Bedroom painted in earthy Mediterranean shades “Tuscan Red’ on the lower wall and ‘French Grey’ on the upper wall.

Lower Wall: Tuscan Red, Upper Wall: French Grey, Ceiling: French Grey – Pale

Kitchen painted in earthy Mediterranean shades, ‘Apple’ on the wall and ‘Drummond’ on the lower units.

Wall: Apple, Wall Unit and Tiles: Bone China Blue – Deep, Lower Units: Drummond, Floor: Dock Blue

Mediterranean interior decor: finishing touches

For an authentic finish, accessorise with distinctive Mediterranean ornaments and furnishings made from natural materials. From geometric soft furnishings to rustic, hand-painted ceramic jugs and vases, there are many ways to enhance your scheme.

Introduce ornate, artisan tiles to bathrooms and kitchens, and terracotta floor tiles in hallways, utility rooms and boot rooms. Emulate the peaceful living style of the region by decluttering your home. Open the window and let in natural light to enhance your Mediterranean colour choices.

Wall: Pompeian Grey

Dado Stripe: Heat

Bring Mediterranean warmth to your home. Order your free colour card to start planning your scheme. Or explore our inspiration gallery for room by room ideas.

To embrace the Mediterranean lifestyle, explore our inspiration for creating an outdoor kitchen and alfresco dining space.