How to create a modern Mediterranean home
A Mediterranean-inspired home blends natural materials, earthy tones, and rustic textures to create a warm, inviting atmosphere. From cozy, warm rustic kitchens to earthy boho interiors and sun-soaked outdoor spaces, the Mediterranean style offers a beautiful way to create harmony between indoors and out. In this guide, we’ll explore how to transform your space with natural materials, calming colors, and signature Mediterranean charm – step by step.
The kitchen, storage, and bathroom featured are designed and crafted by Nordiska Kök for the stunning finca in Mallorca.
Modern Mediterranean home featuring an open-plan wooden kitchen in warm, earthy tones, designed by Nordiska Kök.
In the Mediterranean-inspired home, outdoor living spaces are an essential part of everyday life.
Key features of a modern Mediterranean home
A modern Mediterranean home combines the timeless warmth of traditional Mediterranean design with clean lines, minimalism, and contemporary comfort. It celebrates nature, light, and texture—while refining rustic elements into a more streamlined, elegant aesthetic. Here are three key features:
Bright and open spaces: Large windows and open floor plans maximize natural light and create an airy, welcoming atmosphere.
Earthy colour palette: Soft, muted tones like plastered lime whites, sandy beiges, and terracotta reds evoke the coastal Mediterranean landscape and add a rustic elegance characteristic of Mediterranean homes.
Indoor-outdoor flow: Seamless transitions between indoor living spaces and outdoor patios, gardens, or courtyards create harmony with nature.
Featuring Daino Reale marble, the kitchen island adds subtle elegance to the Mediterranean-style kitchen.
The outdoor patio feels like a natural extension of the home.
Stone and marble are not only beautiful but naturally cool—making them a natural choice in Mediterranean homes.
Key features of a Mediterranean kitchen
The modern Mediterranean kitchen, blends the rustic charm of traditional southern European kitchens with clean, contemporary design. It's all about warmth, natural textures, and simplicity—combined with open, airy layouts and elegant, natural materials. Here are three key features:
Natural, elegant materials: Natural materials like stone, marble, and wood create an earthy feel with a rustic elegance.
Open shelving: Store beautiful bowls, glassware, and utensils on open shelves for both practicality and beauty. Open shelving also contribute to the airy, open atmosphere.
Color palette: Use a neutral base palette with accents of soft terracotta, warm earthy tones for a coastal ambiance with Mediterranean warmth.
Mediterranean kitchen in open-plan layout with warm wood tones, natural materials, and a soft, modern feel—blending rustic charm with contemporary elegance.
Key features of a modern Mediterranean interior
To achieve a modern Mediterranean look through furniture and ambience, focus on creating a relaxed, elegant atmosphere with natural textures and clean, architectural lines. Here are three key features:
Textiles and materials: Key materials include linen, cotton, and wool in soft, neutral tones like ivory, sand, or taupe. These are often layered through curtains, cushions, rugs, and throws to add comfort and texture.
Furniture: Think linen-upholstered sofas, wooden dining tables, curved chairs, and open shelving. Decorative elements are minimal but curated—favouring handcrafted pieces that add character and charm.
Clean architectural lines: Clean lines help balance rustic textures with a modern sense of structure.
A beautiful wooden dining table paired with textile-upholstered chairs.
Mediterranean-style storage with a modern edge, featuring warm wood tones and clean architectural lines.
In a boho Mediterranean bedroom, natural materials such as linen and cotton blend with warm wood tones and soft, muted earthy colours—creating a calm and grounded atmosphere.
Rustic charm is beautifully balanced by modern accents.
A spa-like bathroom featuring light oak and warm marble, inspired by the tactile materials and tranquil spirit of the Mediterranean landscape.
Key features of a Mediterranean garden
To create a Mediterranean-style garden, focus on combining drought-tolerant plants, natural materials, and a relaxed, sun-warmed atmosphere. It’s all about evoking the charm of southern Europe’s coastal landscapes. Here are three key features:
Drought-tolerant planting: Plants like lavender, rosemary, succulents, and olive trees are characteristic of the Mediterranean garden style—not only beautiful, but also well-suited to hot, dry conditions.
Shade and shelter: Pergolas and shaded patios are central—offering protection from the sun and creating inviting outdoor living spaces.
Materials and textures: Gravel, terracotta, stone, and rustic wood create an organic, earthy aesthetic. These materials age beautifully and reflect the warm tones and textures of the Mediterranean landscape.
A Mediterranean garden patio bathed in sunlight—where terracotta, stone, warm wood, and plaster walls come together in a beautiful, harmonious whole.
Earthy boho Mediterranean living room with large windows and an open, airy layout—blurring the boundary between indoors and nature.
Mediterranean pool framed by palms and sunset views—an idyllic setting for relaxation with nature as backdrop.
Bedroom in earthy tones—muted colors, wood and white walls interact harmoniously to create a serene atmosphere.
Beautiful terracotta pots with succulents—a common feature in Mediterranean gardens.
Daino Reale marble, with its beautiful veining, adds depth and character to the kitchen.
A shaded patio that offers protection from the sun is essential in the Mediterranean garden.
Large windows bring in natural light, and blurs the line between indoors an out.
The contrast between natural wood and plastered walls brings out a rustic, authentic character.
Clean architectural lines are a defining feature of the modern Mediterranean home—bringing structure, simplicity, and contemporary style to the warm, rustic setting.
Sun-drenched ochre wall paired with a cactus bed—capturing the warmth and texture of a Mediterranean garden in full light.
Kitchen: Nordiska Kök
Photo: Hugo Gyllensten
Interior architect: Malin Plank Eduards
What is Mediterranean interior design?
Mediterranean interior design is a warm, timeless style inspired by homes in coastal regions such as Italy, Greece, and Spain. It blends natural materials, earthy colours, and relaxed elegance to evoke the warmth and ease of Mediterranean coastal living.
What is modern Mediterranean interior design?
Modern Mediterranean interior design is a contemporary take on traditional Mediterranean aesthetics, blending the warmth and charm of coastal styles with clean, minimalist lines, architectural design, and modern functionality.
What are the typical colours used in Mediterranean-style homes?
Mediterranean-style homes feature a warm, earthy colour palette inspired by the natural landscapes of southern Europe. Common base tones include whitewashed walls, sand beige, terracotta, and soft ochre. These are often paired with accent colours like olive green, cobalt blue, sea-inspired turquoise, and muted reds. The overall look is calm, rustic, and timeless—designed to reflect the sun, sea, and earthy textures of the Mediterranean coast.
What is significant for a Mediterranean-style garden?
A Mediterranean-style garden is significant for its balance of beauty, simplicity, and function—designed to thrive in warm, dry climates while evoking the relaxed elegance of southern Europe. Its defining features blend nature, architecture, and lifestyle.
How can I incorporate Mediterranean design into my home?
You can incorporate Mediterranean style into your home by using earthy colors like terracotta, white, and soft blues. Furniture pieces such as wooden dining tables, wrought iron bedframes, and ceramic items can create a rustic yet elegant vibe. Be sure to bring in natural elements like stone flooring, marble countertops, and terracotta tiles, which are common in Mediterranean homes.
At Nordiska Kök, we can help you design a Mediterranean-style kitchen tailored to your needs and preferences. Our bespoke kitchens are crafted in Sweden at our own carpentry studio just outside Gothenburg and delivered across Europe. Learn more about the process of creating a kitchen with Nordiska Kök.
