Spanish revival style hinges on influences from all over the Meditteranean. It first came to light outside of Europe during the 1950s, as more travelers than ever before started traveling to Spain. In the years between 1950 and 1987, tourism to Spain increased more than 50-fold!
Today, it remains a popular trend in California where it first started out. If you’d like to embrace the Meditteranean flair of Spanish style homes, here’s what you need to do.
What is the Spanish Revival Style?
As the name suggests, Spanish Revival style hinges on designs that capture the essence of Spain’s vibrant Mediterranean vibe. The colors of the earth and ocean play a major role in mimicking this look, as do ornate decorations.
You don’t need to own a hacienda-style house with Spanish architecture to enjoy the beauty of Spanish style kitchens. You can implement these design ideas in any kind of home.
These are the main ingredients that comprise this design style:
1. Warm Toned Walls and Rustic Ceilings
Textured walls in warm tones form the backdrop of Spanish interior design. Most Spanish homes feature stucco walls but you can recreate this look with faux finishes in off white, burnt sienna, gold, and apricot.
Rustic stone siding contributes to this rough-hewn effect and contrasts beautifully with dark accents.
Bright, patterned tiles are one of the main wall designs in the Spanish kitchen. The best place to put these on display is by installing a tiled backsplash with suitably intricate hand-painted tiles.
Exposed wooden beams and wood ceilings are also common in these type of kitchens.
2. Basic Floors
The average Spanish house features plain solid-colored floor tile. Saltillo clay is a popular choice with its wonderful patina and texture. You can get the tiles in various sizes and they’re usually sealed for increased depth of color and durability.
Saltillo is expensive, so you can opt for terracotta tile if that suits your budget better.
You can also choose bare natural wood floors in dark shades to imitate classic Spanish kitchen style. If you already have light wood floors in your kitchen, you can stain them with a darker color to match with your Mediterranean theme.
Are you worried about cool floors underfoot during the wintertime? A Persian or other ornately designed rug or two is a nice touch that features heavily in Spanish home design.
3. Eye-Catching Accents
There are several ways to incorporate Spanish flair into your kitchen without a total revamp too. Accents play a major role in this design style.
Consider adding some of the following Meditteranean touches:
- Terracotta pottery
- Wrought iron chandeliers and sconces
- Handcarved furniture pieces
- Stained glass windows
- Cabinet hardware made from heavy iron
All these elements look beautiful in Spanish style kitchens and you can implement them easily and economically. If you’ve got a bigger budget, a copper sink, and oil-rubbed bronze faucets complete the picture.
From salt and pepper shakers to pots and pans, it’s easy to instill a little Spanish flavor into your kitchen one item at a time.
4. Dark Wood Everywhere
Darker shades of wood come to the fore in many aspects of Spanish interior design. Dark cabinets in walnut wood are a top choice as are bulky kitchen tables and islands.
Open cabinets are a common touch but if you simply must have cabinet doors, opt for ornate designs with metal hardware. Wood is commonly used on cooker hoods too.
Dark wood looks beautiful when paired with classic Spanish neutral walls, metal accents, and pretty tile designs.
5. Wrought-Iron Touches
Metals feature heavily in Spanish kitchen designs and wrought iron is one of the most popular ways to implement it. Adding ornate wrought iron wall sconces not only adds extra light to your kitchen, but they also inject an instant Spanish aura into your room.
For task lighting, wrought iron island pendants are an attractive option.
Other decorative elements with wrought iron include gates, window grilles, window boxes, and cabinet inserts.
6. Firey Finishes
Fireplaces are central to Spanish kitchen design, and often adorned with decorative hand-fired tile, wood, or stone. While you probably can’t install a fireplace as part of the existing kitchen design, you can mimic these looks by refurbishing your cooker’s hood.
A carved trim piece or Mexican tile added to your hood helps create a Spanish effect in your kitchen without installing a new fireplace. A flared hood with stone trim and corbels is a very effective substitute for the traditional fireplace.
Outdoor kitchens are another popular add-on for Spanish kitchens. So, if you’re planning an outdoor kitchen anyway, why not continue your Spanish theme by attaching a courtyard to your existing kitchen.
A typical Spanish outdoor kitchen has rustic furniture, a gas grill, and stone paving. A bougainvillea plant adds the final dash of Meditteranean appeal.
7. Arches and Curves
Soft lines are a trademark of Spanish architecture and feature heavily in houses all over the Meditteranean. Doors, windows, niches, and alcoves are some of the most attractive features of this architectural style.
If you’re willing to commit to your Spanish kitchen aspirations, you can start by remodeling your doorways into arch-shaped entrances. Installing a brick or stone archway at the start of your open plan kitchen can have the same effect, and it’s easier to achieve.
An arched cooking alcove over your stove is another attractive option that makes a huge impact.
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