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.
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
A nice art book. This is not what I was looking for, but it does make a nice addition to my coffee table in the form of art.
I had to purchase this book I've checked this book out of my local library three times. We've been working with an architect to design a French country house, very simple. No amount of pictures has conveyed the message of simplicity to our architect. He kept giving us elaborate Palladian designs, and I kept saying, "French Mas". not "French Chateau" and certainly not some Monster House version of an Italian Villa. We've decided to end this expensive misunderstanding and begin again with another designer, this time showing the simple pictures in "Mediterranean Style" to convey the simple rusticity that we desire.
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
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.
Magnificent!!! This is a wonderful book, filled with pages of beautiful pictures and creative ideas. It is a book that will inspire you to redecorate your home a "La Mediterranea" or maybe even send you off on a trip to visit such magnificent places. I highly recommend anyone interested in Mediterranean design/decor to get this book, as it not only gives you ideas, but also some easy-to-follow steps on achieving certain effects as pictured. Thumbs up for this one.
Anything Goes Trivia
Trevor
Megaton Man
