Mediterranean Style Houses – Characteristics

Mediterranean Style Houses are classified as ultimate luxury home. Actually, they are full of refinement and necessary amount of historical features. Yet, what really comprises a Mediterranean house? When we speak of Mediterranean style houses, we will initially think of villas associated with Spain or Italy. Nonetheless, these types of homes have origin in as early as 1920s. In fact, these houses started during the times that tourism industry expands and resorts came popping in the United States.
Mediterranean style houses resemble a blend of Italian and Spanish architecture. The designs are basically for the summer season so the buildings are predominantly in warm weather locations.  Moreover, they are regarded as among the oldest architectural style being viewed as the style of the rich and famous. These are actually very popular in the United States. Anyway, how can we say that a house is of Mediterranean feature?

Significant Characteristics of Mediterranean Style Houses

These types of residences exude simplicity but at the same time offer elegant spaces. In fact, a Mediterranean house is a dream of someone who appreciates having a morning walk in the sand., It could also be watching the sunset glow over the water in the evening. If you desire for a residence that is not contemporary, a home with warm woods, bright walls, and indoor-outdoor living this is probably a good preference. Thus, a Mediterranean style is the best choice for a house design. In reality, it will never be going out of style.
Mediterranean homes have exteriors typically featuring roof in red tiles – usually like a terra cotta, as well as brick or stucco that’s often with white paint. The other features include stone details, carved doors, and raw iron and metalwork on windows, over balconies, and front doors. Generally, these houses are bright and dry. The house above is a perfect example of a residence that features the stated elements that play together beautifully.
Mediterranean style houses have three main styles namely:

• Italian Renaissance: This style is described as drawing inspiration from buildings during the Italian Renaissance. The style is marked by columns and rounded arches.
• Spanish Revival: This home is influenced by Spanish colonial architecture, which is usually with simple clean lines and a low-pitch roof.
• Modern Mediterranean: This style possesses traditional characteristics of Mediterranean homes with a modern twist. They evidently feature a focus on indoor-outdoor living, spaces, open floor plans, and bright rooms. This style also brings Spanish and Italian elements into play.

 

General Challenges of Mediterranean Style Houses

As there are advantages of living in warm locations, these residences have common challenges of their own. Factors like space, paint to use and type of building materials greatly influence the nature and resistance of these materials. For example, a spacious area in a warm, climate is not favorable for the wooden doors in white paint. The staining of wood doors and windows doesn’t wear very well because of the sun. Therefore, it is advisable to use lots of metals instead of wood.
Mediterranean homes have smaller, more intimate spaces, lower ceilings, and smaller windows. This leads to insufficient storage and poor lighting, thus the suggestion is to add windows and skylights to allow better lighting. Moreover, there should also be additional storage due to the absence of upper cabinets.

Design Considerations and Tips

A Mediterranean house will look better with the following tips and recommendations:

1. Interior decorating should apply the principle of symmetry to showcase the beauty of the style. The house will look at its best if for example, with pairs of chairs, pairs of sofas and pair of sconces as part of the overall design.
2. Using one shade of paint and opting for the same flooring type throughout the property to offer a unified appearance.
3. Striking tiles both inside and outside can inject personality. The use of interior archways rather than rectangular ones can add better character.
4. Considering the warm woods that often appear in a Mediterranean home, the use of the following will create the best look: dark wood and walnut furniture, quirky, smaller-scale antiques, neutral lightweight fabrics like linen, and strategic pops of color, especially the tiles.

With the tips given above, Mediterranean style houses create intimate spaces offering a cozy and relaxed environment.