Product Description

Vibrant, informal and, above all, refreshingly simple, Mediterranean style is synonymous with easy living. From Tangiers to Tuscany, an imaginative sense of colour and pattern prevails, allied to a sensitive use of natural materials and local traditions. Floors are natural wood or terracotta tiled; ceilings have exposed beams; and the natural imperfections of brick and plaster walls might be highlighted through the lightest of distemper washes. This is a world suffused with warmth, where the dividing line between indoor and outdoor living is seamless. With colours from Kasbah to Crete so in vogue today, this title reveals the Mediterranean love of strong sun-drenched hues and the subtleties of Mediterranean patterning, found in Moorish mosaic detailing, ceramic tiles, kilim weaves and wrought ironwork. This resource features photography of locations from Umbria to Marrakech combined with 12 specially commissioned projects to provide imaginative ideas for translating this look into the contemporary home.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5232960 in Books
• Published on: 2003-05-15
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 144 pages

Amazon.com Review
Vivid colors, bold simplicity, textural contrasts, stone, tile, and stucco--these are the hallmarks of this refreshingly unpretentious style, which is easy to live with and surprisingly simple to evoke at home. Vibrant photos and detailed, practical text explore all the elements of the look and explain what to do with your own walls and floors, windows and doors, furnishings and accessories to re-create the look. And the 12 step-by-step projects (including sand-textured or distempered walls, a pebbled floor, a fretwork window screen, studded doors, and a mosaic tabletop) prove that it doesn't take a huge effort or a huge budget to achieve the relaxed grace of this popular decor. The sun-drenched rooms filled with natural materials and accented with the occasional exotic touch (a filigreed lantern, Moroccan dishware, a kilim rug, Moorish arches, Spanish-style wrought ironwork) are extremely inviting--you'll want to sprawl on a cushy divan and sip a cool beverage as you drink in the enticing warmth of this wonderful style. --Amy Handy

Review
Bring your holiday home with you with "Mediterranean Style". Displaying the decor of Greece, Italy, Morocco, Turkey and more, this lavishly illustrated book shows how the Moorish influence has permeated the coastal regions of this popular holiday destination, making this the memories of many. Indigo shutters, whitewashed walls, terracotta pots, multi-coloured mosaics and carpets, all encapsulated within this attractive guide to incorporating them into your own home. Accompanied by projects such as bed canopies, paint techniques and window screens, all clearly explained with step-by-step instructions, author Catherine Haig demonstrates the ease with which these influences can be integrated into everyday living. For lovers of sun, sea and style with a touch of the exotic, "Mediterranean Style" is a must. - Lucy Watson

About the Author
Catherine Haig was the managing editor at House & Garden magazine. She writes regularly as a freelancer, contributed to Laura Ashley at Home, and wrote Decorating with Pictures with Stephanie Hoppen, and making the Most of Bathrooms.

Customer Reviews

Simplicity, Warmth and Inspiration
Due to unforeseen circumstances whereby my lower living area was suddenly subjected unceremoniously to several feet of murky moisture, I found myself in need of a partial home makeover, but with a shoestring budget and a short time frame.

Fortuitously, this book came through it unscathed, and I took it as an omen that Mediterranean was the way it should be.

The pictures are strikingly beautiful, the colors breath-taking, and my family may not be over-excited to hear that the foyer will now be a washed purple color with an earthen colored roof, accented by a canary yellow metal staircase. The book banishes all fear of the lavish use of color, clearly illustrating how color can enhance your surroundings, making a cozy nest of warmth and harmony.

The furniture and accessories are all rustic and simple, the formula being wood, iron, stone, tile and carpet.

If you're the Victorian or romantic type, there's no toile de joie in lavender and pink in this book, no overstuffed chairs or furniture bearing the legs of any deceased monarch. If however, you're into relaxed, simple, harmonious, rustic and durable decor, this is a good book to use as a guide.

Amanda Richards, February 3, 2005

achievable style
Having lived in the Mediterranean for 10 years, I have a need to return to that place I have come to love. But, since that is no longer an option, I have to find way to bring that flavour to my current home. I found the pictures to be very representative and the advice captured practical essenses of the style. The advice and the how to project are simple and budget oriented and allow someone to add the flavour to their home quickly. Since they make use of small easily changable items they wont be budget breaking if you find out this style is not for you. Anyone can do lush mediterranean if they can afford $30/sq ft ceramic wall tile, but most of us dont have that kind of budget...

Little bit too rustic for my taste
I just got this book, and although lots of others rave about the photos, the style is a little bit too rustic for my tastes. If you are looking to decorate your home a la small Mediterranean village style, this is definitely for you. However, you won't find any luxurious palaces or mansions here. This book primarily appeals to those who prefer the simple, assymetrical, and distressed look that evoke a centuries-old Mediterranean charm. If your home has fitted carpets or wooden walls as is typical in the San Francisco Bay Area, the style just doesn't seem to fit. I am also far from impressed with the text as it's kind of repetitive, the author mentioned so many times that the Mediterranean style is simple, open, and it evolved due to the balmy Mediterranean climate! As if mentioning the very obvious once is not enough.