6 Design Cues for the Modern-Mediterranean Home

If you’re torn between the timeworn appeal of Old World design and the fresh edge of modern décor, consider the Mod-Mediterranean look. Offering the best of both worlds, when the style is done successfully, it can give the home a personality that's both current and traditional at once.

The guiding principle of Mod-Mediterranean design is to keep it clean and simple on a backdrop of neutral colors with just a few details and colors that stand out. “The Mod-Mediterranean style uses natural elements such as stone, heavy woods and metals in a modern adaptation with cleaner lines, less details and embellishments. The aesthetic is not fussy. It’s simple yet interesting,” says interior designer Rene Wirth of Anne Rue Interiors. Wirth specializes in the Mod-Mediterranean style throughout Florida, where it continues to gain traction.

[caption id="attachment_2036" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Modern-Mediterranean Game Room by Ann Rue Interiors[/caption]

“Mod-Mediterranean is finding contemporary themes in old ideas. Homeowners want to hold onto the warmth of Mediterranean design, but younger generations are looking to clean it up, adding in more glass and less ornamentation,” says interior designer Marc Thee of Marc-Michaels Interior Design, Inc. Thee, a leading authority on Mod-Mediterranean and Transitional styles, was a recent guest speaker on design at the 2013 International Builders' Show in Las Vegas. Working from Winter Park, Florida, Thee has a large portfolio of work honoring Mediterranean architecture yet acknowledging his clients' desire for something new.

I recently interviewed both designers to pick their brains about the critical design elements that cue the Mod-Mediterranean look. We came up with six guiding principles:

1. Use Rustic Materials in Modern Presentations:

Think of rustic materials as building the foundation of Mod-Mediterranean décor. Use natural elements, such as stone, wood and metal, in modern ways.

Wirth suggests stone floors in contemporary tile shapes such as 30” by 18” or linear sticks laid out in a modern pattern.

[caption id="attachment_2042" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Modern-Mediterranean style bathroom by Anne Rue Interiors[/caption]

Light fixtures offer another opportunity to mix it up. “Lighting fixtures in a combination of materials such as wood, metal, glass and burlap work well. For example: a rope and metal chandelier. Think about grouping pendant lights together in different sizes, colors and finishes as a single fixture.”

2. Eliminate Embellished, Fussy Details:

[caption id="attachment_2043" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Modern-Mediterranean ceiling design using traditional/rustic material of wood in a contemporary grid pattern in a home designed and built by Orlando Custom Builder Jorge Ulibarri[/caption]

In a Mod-Mediterranean home, the look above draws the eye to sleek wood beams mixed with glass tiles mixing rustic and modern materials without the distraction of crown moldings. The idea of clean and simple follows through each room. You’ll notice the absence of heavy moldings. “Frameless or flat-panel cabinetry works well with the look. A kitchen island with square edges instead of embellished edges also cues the Mod-Mediterranean look,” says Wirth.

3. Use Solid Surface, Single Color Countertops:

[caption id="attachment_878" align="aligncenter" width="560"] Single color solid surface is a key design cue in the Mod-Mediterranean kitchen. The kitchen is devoid of patterns that come from granite[/caption]

The busy patterns of granite give way to solid, single color surfaces for a contemporary edge. The kitchen countertop is a defining element of the Mod-Mediterranean style. “Use rustic materials such as concrete or a solid surface such as quartz in a solid color with clean lines. It’s all in how you mix the elements to temper that Old World feel with modern,” says Wirth.  This is often called "monolithic" design and is a great way to give a traditional space a contemporary update.

[caption id="attachment_879" align="aligncenter" width="560"] Single color solid surface countertop in white quartz with contrasting sleek dark wood cabinets cue the Mod-Mediterranean look in this kitchen.[/caption]

 

4. Combine A Neutral Palette With Color Pops:

[caption id="attachment_2044" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Formal dining room in a home designed and built by Orlando Custom Builder Jorge Ulibarri[/caption]

In furniture and fabrics, the style draws from solid neutral colors with color pops and few patterns. “Introduce one or two colors with pillows, artwork or rugs. If your eye mostly sees neutral, then the look can appear very modern and Mediterranean,” says Wirth.

5. Use Furniture that Looks Evolved:

 

Create a room that looks collected over time. Mix up “matchy-matchy” furniture by incorporating pieces crafted from a variety of materials. “Ideally, the room should appear evolved. You don’t want all the furniture in the room to come from the same collection. Populate the room with furniture made of different materials and colors such as an upholstered bed with a wood dresser and painted wood nightstands,” Wirth says.

"Don’t get discouraged if the home is leaning too contemporary or too Mediterranean from an architectural stand-point. The beauty of this blend comes by mixing the two. If you have a Mediterranean style home, keep your upholstery decisions clean. Keep your artwork modern and use clean-lined pendants and sconces," says Thee.

6. Wrap Surfaces with Rustic or Modern Materials:

[caption id="attachment_2039" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Monolithic desk made of single color solid surface, quartz that wraps from floor to wall in home designed and built by Orlando Custom Builder Jorge Ulibarri[/caption]

The monolithic look of a wrapped surface is a great way to use natural, rustic materials in a modern way. The kitchen countertop provides a great opportunity. “White Carrara marble wrapped from the floor around countertop with square edges injects a modern element,” suggests Wirth. Another way to create that seamless sweep of material is to wrap the floor, wall and ceiling in wood planks. Think of opportunities to wrap a surface using natural materials to punctuate the Mod-Mediterranean look.

[caption id="attachment_2040" align="aligncenter" width="400"] New American Home for 2013 IBS with monolithic wall wrapped in wood planks[/caption]

“The big trend is the use of monolithic materials when executing finishes. In a Mediterranean application, this might be wood planks, stacked stone or flamed stone because of the warmth they embody," Thee says.

There are many incarnations of the Mod-Mediterranean style influenced by regional preferences and geography. Other related styles include the "warm-modern," "transitional," and" mountain-modern." to name a few. Whatever label, you choose to place on your architecture and decor, just remember to keep it clean and unembellished yet rich and rustic for your own version of the Mod-Mediterranean style.