The Mediterranean style Contemporary has nothing to do with 1980s postcards. It's a refined language made of light woods, desaturated sea colors, local stone, and raw natural fabrics. Translated into custom furnishings, it becomes a calm and profoundly Italian aesthetic.
The palette of the contemporary Mediterranean
The key colors: chalk white (never pure white, always slightly dirty), powder blue, sage green, terracotta in a dull tone, sand. All colors are desaturated, never vibrant. The difference between the elegant Mediterranean and the touristy Mediterranean lies precisely in the desaturated colors.
Light and bleached woods
The Mediterranean style favors light woods: sawn oak, bleached ash, light elm. Dark woods (walnut, wenge) are off-palette. The typical finish is oiled opaque, never shiny: the wood must appear natural, dry.
The horizontal slatted doors
A signature detail: horizontal slatted doors Made of light wood, reminiscent of the shutters of seaside houses. We use them extensively in Mediterranean kitchens, bathroom vanities, and doors. Slats 8-12 cm wide, spaced 5 mm apart, in oiled oak or ash.
Local stones in custom sizes
In Puglia we have splendid materials: Trani stone, Lecce stone, tuff. They can become countertops, sinks, and cladding. A kitchen with Trani stone countertops and light oak doors is an unbeatable material palette.
Handles and hardware
For the Mediterranean style, avoid technological handles. They work better. leather handles, in unpolished brass (left to patina), in rope, or turned wood. The "handmade" detail gives coherence to the project.
Furniture that doesn't fill up
The Mediterranean style is a style subtractive: a few pieces of furniture, well-chosen, spaced out. The opposite of the over-the-top Italian classic. In seaside homes, we design furnishings that let the walls breathe, because those walls are often made of exposed stone or rustic plaster, which are already textured in their own right.
The most suitable style for Apulian homes
In Puglia, where we've always worked, contemporary Mediterranean style is the most natural option: it interacts with the light, traditional materials, and the climate. Our seaside houses I'm often in this palette, by the way. It's home, not scenery.
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