Mediterranean-Style Home Decorating

Colors

• Use of color is an integral part of Mediterranean-style home decorating. To get the look, you should use colors found in nature: sea greens, sky blues, creamy sunshine yellows, muted sandy oranges and light browns and deep terracotta like baked earth. All these colors can be found in abundance in Mediterranean homes, often accented by white woodwork. Although the amount of options may seem daunting, just pick one or two compatible colors for each room.

Floors

• Traditional Mediterranean homes tend to be tiled throughout, with either heavy terracotta flagstones or simple mosaic work. Terracotta tiles are easy to find at most flooring or tile shops, and you can even get terracotta-colored linoleum tiles, which are great if you're on a tight budget. Mosaic flooring is an unrealistic goal for most, but it would give your home an air of Mediterranean authenticity if you could pull it off. If you'd prefer to stick to carpeting, go with muted earth tones.

Furniture

• Dark, mainly wooden, pieces of furniture are a staple of Mediterranean-style rooms. Most furniture in this style is simple and traditional, but you can get some beautiful elaborate pieces, such as hand-carved armoires or dressers with heavy, wrought-iron accents, or marble-topped tables or counters. If you'd rather go with the homey, rustic look, choose functional pieces such as coffee tables, dining tables and chairs, and bookcases in rich, dark wood colors.

Accessories

• Accessories and art are the finishing touches that really bring a room together. Place some pots and vases in terracotta and other earthy tones on your flat surfaces, or oversized vases on the floor. Hang some large wall tapestries, preferably from wall-mounted wrought-iron hangers. Put up some oil paintings of Mediterranean landscapes--or framed prints, if you can't find originals--or hang paintings depicting scenes from Greek or Roman mythology.