Designing a Nursery

Mediterranean is a classic style, especially for the kitchen. After all, what two things do you imagine when thinking of Italy—food and style, right? Mediterranean decorating should transcend a calendar of Italy and Italian print, though. Start with a fresh color palette and build your décor from there.

Foundation Color Scheme

The sea and terra-cotta pottery are commonly associated with the Mediterranean, and this can come through in the foundational color scheme. Straight terra cotta and turquoise might be a bit strong for an interior room, though. Instead, tone down the hues to peach and aqua. Warm peach is a good color for your walls and should serve as your foundational hue. Use aqua for trim, accent pieces, and even the ceiling.

Accent Coloration

While aqua will serve as your primary accent color, you'll still want to maintain an overall color palette. Include a couple light neutrals, such as wicker and cream. These colors should be featured in your countertops and, potentially, your cabinetry. You'll also need a dark color to add depth to your palette. A rich chocolate or coffee brown is especially fetching. Feature this in woodwork, furniture, and décor.

Better Homes and Gardens suggests adding extra spice to your painting with old-look finishes. Stucco and Venetian plaster are traditional in Mediterranean décor, but you don't actually have to have your walls textured. The effects can be recreated with paint. You can also make your cabinetry appear timeworn with distressed finishes in the paint job. Talk to companies such as Stetson Painting for more information about getting this done.

Fixtures

Staying with the theme of Old World charm, the fixtures and hardware should also look antique. Naturally, you can look for actual antiques. However, another option is to choose ornate fixtures and hardware in copper with a distressed finish. The copper is a nice medium in your color palette, somewhere between peach and chocolate. With an aged patina, the fixtures make your kitchen seem well-used through generations—even if it's newly remodeled.

Tile Work

Another hallmark of Mediterranean décor is glazed tile. Look for tiles in your target colors—especially aqua and coffee. You could either choose tiles that feature traditional Italian designs or opt for a mosaic. You could install a fully tiled countertop or simply feature the tiles in your kitchen backsplash. Along those same lines, consider adding decorative tiles and glazed pottery to your kitchen. You get the same effect and add cohesion to the overall décor.

Evoke Old World charm with your updated Mediterranean-style kitchen.