Add a Mediterranean Vibe to Your Next Home Renovation Project

Featured Image: Italian Basaltina Bathroom Countertop from Arizona Tile

When you think of the Mediterranean, you may imagine the gorgeous, shimmering blue sea. Or perhaps you have thoughts of open-air Italian piazzas, fresh bread with olive oil, rocky cliffsides, glasses of red wine, or pleasant strolls through time-worn tile streets that are adorned with colorful patterns. You might imagine the coastal breeze through your hair, or the heat of the Spanish sun. It’s an enchanting scene you wish you could experience all the time.

It’s possible to bring a slice of this paradise into your home by choosing the right materials, textures, and colors that evoke the Mediterranean’s stunning views and carefree spirit. Here’s how to get this inspiring look with Mediterranean tile and natural stone:

Image: Cementine Posa 8 x 8 Italian Porcelain Tile from Arizona Tile

Get Inspired

Just like the landscape, Mediterranean-style tile is covered with color and texture.  To add a pop of color and personality into your home, use a colorful, patterned tile like Cementine Posa. Available in five unique patterns, this tile can be used as an accent, mixed or matched, or as one cohesive design. It would make a beautiful kitchen backsplash or backyard water feature.

Incorporate Rustic Patterns

Mediterranean-inspired tile is rich with personality and life. The rustic, time-worn surface conjures stories from the past as you make exciting new memories today. With a patterned tile floor in your home, you’ll feel like you’re on the streets of Spain with lively music playing and friends all around you. By using Mediterranean patterned tile on your floor, backsplash, or accent wall, you can go on a European vacation without leaving home.

Evoke the Natural Environment

While playfully patterned tile adorns piazzas, another important part of the Mediterranean’s scenery is the rocky cliffsides. To feel like you’re gazing out at the view in Cinque Terre, with the sound of waves hitting the rocks in the sea below, you can incorporate natural stone into your design.

Image: Negro Spanish Marble Kitchen Backsplash from Arizona Tile

With natural stone, you can literally bring a piece of the Mediterranean into your home. For example, Negro Marquina is a stunning black marble with white veins that are quarried from bedrock in the Pyrenees, on the border between France and Spain. Just like the Mediterranean’s natural environment, natural stone is uncontrollable, raw, one-of-a-kind, and eye-catching. Use natural stone for countertops, shower walls, interior floors, or as a statement fireplace for a striking look that’s inspired by the Mediterranean’s natural beauty.

Extend Tile Outdoors

The indoors seamlessly flow into the outdoors in the Mediterranean. Create this in your own home with French or accordion doors. Imagine friends and family at a long table outside as they laugh and connect during their time together in the warm fresh air. When you extend your floor tile outdoors, you can experience a blissful indoor/outdoor lifestyle that’s free from the restriction of walls.

An intricate, welcoming Mediterranean tile patio encourages you to go outside to relax, unwind, and entertain. Colorful, hand-painted-style tile turns your backyard into an exotic oasis. Tile adds a splash of personality to pool waterlines, outdoor kitchen backsplashes, and courtyard accents. Rich natural stones, like dark Italian Basaltina basalt, are also ideal for outdoor patios, pathways, and even as a luxurious outdoor barbecue countertop.

Pair With a Neutral Background

The perfect complement to the Mediterranean style is a supportive neutral.

Image: Calacatta Caldia Italian Marble Bathroom Countertop from Arizona Tile

Neutrals help vivid colors make their full impact, but they also don’t have to be boring or plain. Natural stones provide the ideal balance between neutral and impactful. A pearly white Italian marble, like Calacatta Caldia, is a statement design element on its own, but it’s also a complimentary neutral background next to colorful Mediterranean tile. This elegant marble with hints of taupe and gold was quarried from the Apuan Mountain range near Carrara, Italy, which fits harmoniously into your Mediterranean aesthetic.

Preserve the Timeless Style

With chips and imperfect edges, authentic Mediterranean tile and stone bear the characteristic marks of time. Although the aged surface is oddly enchanting to look at, you wouldn’t want the tile and stone in your home to crumble like ancient stone columns. To keep your stone and tile protected and pristine, it’s important to properly take care of each material.

Always talk to your fabricator for their specific care and maintenance recommendations, but here is some general guidance:

Image: Jura Beige Limestone Fireplace Surround, Hearth, and Floor from Arizona Tile

For natural stone: After installation, ask your fabricator if your natural stone needs to be sealed. Natural stone, like Jura Beige Limestone, is sensitive to chemicals, so it’s important to use just warm water or a pH-balanced neutral cleaner and a soft cloth to keep your stone clean. If you’ve spilled a drink on your elegant natural stone countertops during a thrilling Mediterranean-inspired get-together with friends, clean up the spill right away to protect the stone.

For porcelain and ceramic tile: Porcelain and ceramic are durable materials, but they still require some care and maintenance to keep them pristine. To prevent debris from damaging the surface, regularly sweep or vacuum tile floors. Gently wash surfaces with water and a pH-balanced neutral cleaner. Do not use vinegar, acidic products, or abrasive cleaners. If you have any more questions, feel free to stop into one of our Arizona Tile locations and talk with a representative for more personalized care instructions.

Get the Look from Arizona Tile

At Arizona Tile, we have the resources available to help you incorporate this relaxing, European vibe into your next home renovation. Our online design tools can aid you in redesigning your space – The Just Imagine Visualizer lets you see how a tile or stone will look in your space before committing, and the slab yard locator lets you find the piece you need. Finally, our experienced, friendly team has the design and installation knowledge you need to make informed choices while remodeling your home. Contact us today to set up your first consultation.