Mediterranean Coastal

From the limewashed villages of the Cyclades to the coastal towns of Puglia and the Costa Brava, Mediterranean design responds to the sun. Whitewash bounces light, terracotta cools underfoot, and shaded courtyards extend living outdoors for nine months of the year.

Soft, hand-formed surfaces. Walls curve gently, openings arch, floors are tile or stone, and nothing is glossy. The architecture frames the climate: thick walls, deep openings, shaded loggias, and a relationship between inside and outside that is constantly negotiated through shutters and screens.

Use lime plaster, terracotta, olive wood, linen, rattan, and wrought iron. The palette is whitewash and sand, accented by Aegean blue, terracotta, and olive. Avoid sharp contemporary lighting, polished stone, and any finish that looks machine-made.

The look reads beautifully in non-coastal homes if you commit to the materials. Limewash a single feature wall, install an arched mirror or doorway, and bring in one piece of olive wood. Pair with modern minimalism for an editorial coastal feel, or with boho for something warmer and more collected.