Spanish design is about highlighting great architectural elements. Unusual for California, Texas and Southwestern, Spanish-style houses are usually made of stucco with heavy wood trim and red clay tile roofs, have large terraces and open windows and support arches over a square design. The front door is often more than a porch into a small yard, as opposed to opening right into the house.
An important element of Spanish home design is the seamless integration between inner and outer space. Floor plans are usually open to a large outdoor area with French doors and arches designed to allow abundant natural light. These outdoor spaces are meant to be inhabited as an extension of the house. Many designs will be centered on the main page, which was originally intended to offer the Spanish aristocracy a private garden protected from public view. This protected and intimate space is perfect for relaxing and entertaining on warm summer nights.
Distressed wood is very important for the Spanish style. The most traditional flooring choices in Spanish-style houses are hardwood and full carpeted rooms are rarely found. Terracotta tiles are another popular choice of flooring material, especially if it has a rather rough texture or a pressed surface. Sometimes bright tile accents in the corners or the center of the engraved tile are added for more drama and color. Adding hand-painted tiles to the kitchen table or backsplash is another great way to combine Spanish colors and designs.
Interior walls are generally finished with stucco textures in warm earth colors such as taupe, burning orange, brown chocolate, and mustard greens. Warm poppy red, cobalt blue, olive green and golden yellow are popular accent colors that bring a Mediterranean feel to your home. Design elements such as earthenware vases, jars, and bowls in unique shapes can make strong statements because their rich, dark colors provide a different contrast to warmer colored walls.
Ornamental iron work is also basically Spanish and is the right choice for fences, chandeliers, mirrors and many others. Many iron jobs can be specially designed to fit the unique needs of your home. Meanwhile, wall hangings focus on the room and are an ideal textural contrast to the stone and metal elements that make up many Spanish designs. Table runners and throw pillows in ocher, cinnamon, olives and bronze complete the picture.
Many traditional Spanish-style interiors also have wooden-framed windows, carved panels, and ceiling accented with wooden beams and decorative tin tiles.
When it comes to building and designing Spanish-style mansions, the devil really is in the details. The right elements, such as pottery pots and tile accents, with the wrong color or design style will not evoke the Mediterranean feel that should be reflected by a Spanish home.
