Color:

The colors are a very important part of the Mediterranean style. The look should be soothing, with rich and warm colors hues. The style pulls from the sun, sea and natural foliage that are native to the region. Spicy reds, yellows, terra cotta colors, ocean blues and muted greens really bring the Mediterranean style together. You should feel as though you’re on a sandy beach or in the Italian Countryside.

Tile:

The main theme of Mediterranean is natural looking materials. Tile is a very important choice in this style of kitchen. Not only will you see a lot of tiled floors in Mediterranean kitchens, you will almost always see a tile backsplash. Travertine is a popular choice, with the natural stone fitting perfectly with the style. Hand painted tiles are a perfect accent to add, really accentuating the old world vibe we talked about. Adding ledge stone or any other type of natural stone accent is also another great way to add some pop with your tile. While doing some of this stone work can e time consuming, we offer a variety of “Natural stone tile” that is much easier to install, like brick tile, ledge stone panels, or mesh back tile.

Typically, Mediterranean kitchens will create some sort of focal point with their tile. It is typical to do it over the stove area. Use different patterns of the same tile, or different tiles to accent, it’s up to you. They are still usually in the same natural hues or they are of the hand painted variety.

Flooring:

Flooring in a Mediterranean kitchen is usually always a hardwood or tile. The hardwood can be dark and rich, or lighter and more rustic or reclaimed looking. It all depends on the exact style you’re going for. You can a more modern Mediterranean kitchen or go more old world. Tiles are typically a tan, brown, cream or reddish color, keeping in line with the neutrals of the style.

Cabinets:

In Mediterranean kitchen design, cabinets are often constructed from high-quality woods like cherry or character maple. They can be left in their natural state, stained or painted to add a colorful element to the design. You will often see pops of turquoise, green, or various other colors.

We also see the antique white cabinets often in Mediterranean kitchen design. This keeps the room light, bright and airy. Dark cabinets also work well in the space. What we do find is that almost all of the cabinets in a Mediterranean kitchen have detailing in the door. You will virtually never see a slab or shaker door in this style of kitchen. This brings the more hand-carved look into the space. You’re not looking for sleek in your cabinet door with this kitchen style. You will also see glazes or distressed finishes on these types of cabinets.

Architectural Features:

There are a few main architectural features in Mediterranean kitchen design. The first is the presence of arches. You will find beautiful arches over fireplaces, in walls, or in a hearth design. Hearths over top of the stove area are a very popular design choice as well.

Beams are another big architectural player in Mediterranean kitchens. Dark, light, rustic, thick, thin, it doesn’t really matter. You will find them in the majority of these kitchens. And for good reason, they are beautiful! Textured Walls add a very old world feel to a Mediterranean kitchen. Most old kitchens in this area of the world had plaster or stone walls, so this brings back the original feel. Detailed ceilings can be found is the majority of Mediterranean kitchens as well. It could be trey ceilings, tiled ceilings, beams, painted ceilings, the choices are endless. This adds some serious detail and drama to the space!

Lighting:

In a Mediterranean kitchen, you need dramatic lighting. You will always find chandeliers and lots of  wrought iron. You will often see pot racks double as lighting, as shown above. The bigger, the better!

As you can see, Mediterranean kitchens have a very unique sense of style. It is the epitome of old and new, class and relaxation. For more examples of beautiful Mediterranean kitchens, check out this blog! If this is your dream style, we hope we’ve laid out the road map for you to achieve it! What is your favorite part of Mediterranean style kitchens? Let us know in the comments below!

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Builders Surplus is a full service renovation company with locations in Louisville, Kentucky, and Newport, Kentucky, which also serves Cincinnati, Ohio. We are the leading provider of Ledge Stone, wall tile and backsplash tile in Louisville, Newport, and Cincinnati. We specialize in interior design, kitchen design, bathroom remodel, building materials, and home improvement. Interior Design and measurements come as a free service to our clients. We sell building materials ranging in every price point, from unfinished kitchen cabinets to top of the line Wellborn cabinets. In addition to interior design, we also offer installation services. If you have any questions or would like to set up a free design consultation with one of our interior designers, we would encourage you to do so. We love sharing our knowledge with clients & potential home renovators. We write about interior design, home decor, decorating ideas, and home improvement. We hope you’ll check back in for our next article! Happy Renovation!

Written By: Allie Bloyd

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