Spanish Inspired Design

Spanish inspired design brings to mind rustic villas, sunny patios and vibrant colours. These cultural aspects are what make it such a popular styling choice in homes. Unlike other design styles, Spanish decor is fairly easy to achieve in your own home. Luckily these simple yet creative design ideas will help you add that spanish-style flair into your home.

Colourful Walls

Pick a few bright colours to reflect the vibrant, warm culture of the country. Typical colours include mediterranean-influenced warm and cool shades. Earthy tones such as taupe, burnt orange, chocolate brown, indigo blue, deep red and mustard yellow. Any of these bold colours can be used on feature walls. Then you can carry them throughout your home as accents with accessories such as pottery and art.

In the kitchen colourful tiles are a great option for a striking splash-back.  However, to provide a contrast make sure you opt for lighter coloured cabinets. To add dimension to the walls try using a smooth-touch stucco texture or a faux finish as a paint technique.

Accents and Accessories

Decorate with popular Spanish interior design accessories such as fabrics, wrought iron, antique pottery and tiles. A handy trick is to drape ethnic fabrics on the dining chairs.  This adds texture and colour to your space. Hand-painted pottery adds extra Spanish flair and a personal touch.  Incorporate fabrics such as woven cotton throw rugs and window treatments made of cotton in muted colours.

Splash out on some key decorative pieces such as wrought-iron door knockers, cabinetry, door hardware and wall sconces. An oversized wrought-iron chandelier works beautifully as a stand-out feature light above a dining table which will draw eyes to the centre of the room.

Bring an authentic spanish look into your bathroom by using some Talavera.  Talavera is a type of tin-glazed pottery which was brought into Mexico by the Spanish in the 1st century of the Colonial period. Decorative Talavera tiles can dress up the mirror, cabinet hardware and floor to create an eye-pleasing space.

Furniture

Spanish inspired homes feature a mix of traditional furnishings made out distressed dark wood with beautifully carved detailing. These furniture detailing provides a strong architectural element to the space.  Some common dark wood choices include mahogany, walnut, ebony, butternut, teak and rosewood. Soft leather and upholstered fabrics are a popular choice for seating and cushions as they provide a nice contrast against the hard wood finishes.

Architectural elements

Many traditional Spanish-style interiors have wood-framed windows and carved panels. Ceilings have a number of wooden support beams that lay perpendicular to slender strips of wood called laticlas. The carved corbels, derived from Spanish settlers, support the ceiling beams while adding a decorative element. These whimsical architectural elements are a complementary contrast to the spanish-style wood furniture.

One of Spain’s most famous architects Antoni Gaudí (1852 – 1926) considered every detail of his creations. He integrated ceramics, stained  glass, wrought ironwork forging and carpentry into his architecture.

Flooring

Hard-wood flooring is most common throughout a Spanish interior. To add some softness and warmth to the floor I suggest some textured throw carpets and large area rugs. Traditional Spanish carpets have a knotted weave in staggered rows. A neutral beige or off-white creates a background for linear-patterned designs in soft greens and yellows. If hard-wood flooring exceeds your budget you can opt for alternative flooring options such as slate, a heavy, matte-finished ceramic or terracotta tile.