How To Get Mediterranean Style Q and A

By Audrey Patterson

Sofa from a selection, DFS

Marianne Shillingford, Creative Director of Dulux, shares her thoughts on Mediterranean design:

Q: What colours do you associate with a Mediterranean-style interior look?

A: The crystal blues of warm sea and cloudless skies, clear pinks and oranges of perfumed blossom, rich ochre reds and yellows of baked clay… and not an ounce of grey in sight.

Bedding from £12, Mirror from a selection, Dunelm

Q:How does this colour palette work in the UK?

A: The palette works in the UK if you dial it down a notch or two. Opt for slightly paler shades of the colours you fell in love with in full Mediterranean sunshine.

Dulux ‘bluebird skies’

Dulux ‘citrus zing’

Dulux ‘rocket fire’

Q: Does our cool northern light influence how these shades can be used?

A: Our cool northern light actually changes them fundamentally and they make more visual impact than you probably wished for. They shout for your attention rather than seduce you. So by using slightly less intense versions of your favourite Mediterranean shades, you benefit from the sun-kissed without the sunburn.

Sofa £549, DFS

Q: How can we get creative with the look apart from just painting our walls?

A: Think of that wonderful endless horizon where the land meets the sea that is so relaxing and tranquil on holiday. Replicate it by painting horizontal bands of colour and pick up shades in the soft furnishings and accessories too.

Mediterranean homes often have small windows and dark interiors that keep cool in summer and cosy in winter. So for a small living room you might prefer those deeper shades of golden ochre and terracotta.

Sofa from a selection, DFS

Q: How should we accessorise the look?

A: Life is lived outdoors in the Med and so the inside of a home has to be comfortable and stylish without being fussy. Rugs soften hard floors and windows have simple blinds or panel curtains.

Consider everything you have in the space being useful to you or pleasing to look at – or both. If you have a beautiful rug you would rather not have dirty shoes walking on in winter, make it a seasonal decoration and hang it on the wall until spring.