Different Mediterranean Tile Ideas to Incorporate at Home
No other term can whip up the warm summer sun, relaxed beach days, carefree al fresco dining, vintage charm, and informal elegance all at once. It seems to make sense that the Mediterranean style continues to inspire artists, designers, and craftspeople in practically every field. If you find yourself daydreaming about desert-chic Moroccan roads, sparkling white Grecian villas, or rustic Provence maisons de maitre but realize you will never be able to own the real thing, why not try to replicate a prominent style of Mediterranean tiles for the look in your home, working your way up from the ground up?
Mediterranean tiles are hand-painted ceramic tiles. They can be used on floors and walls, including shower walls, kitchen backsplashes, bathroom floors, and pool water lines. Although this fashion has roots in numerous nations, cultures, and periods surrounding the Mediterranean, its beauty undoubtedly rests in its adaptability. The Mediterranean style can be formal or rustic, sophisticated or pastoral; all of these elements blend harmoniously to create the impression that the house was constructed over many generations with comfort and durability in mind. In fact, without tiles, a Mediterranean design is incomplete.
Roman Style Mosaic Tiles
Since ancient Rome, Mediterranean people have always had a taste for elegant homes. The more affluent Roman households could afford to commission beautiful mosaic designs to decorate their floors and walls. Thus, the larger and more lavishly detailed the mosaic, the more it revealed about the owners’ level of wealth. For instance, ivy was utilized as a symbol of longevity. Mosaic tiles were frequently used as a collage to show scenes from fables and mythology or with animal and flower themes that had particular symbolic connotations. Smaller mosaics were also employed as store signage; a fishmonger, for instance, would have had a little fish mosaic above the entrance to his shop.
Today, sheet mosaics come in a huge variety of styles, with countless finishes and effects to pick from. Mosaic tiles are still highly popular. But if you want to truly resemble the ancient Romans, you will need to exercise your creativity by creating a unique statement mosaic image that you will inlay into your floor. However, there are also a lot of fantastic artists that will create amazing personalized works for your home. Proficient DIYers can simply do this themselves.
Patterned Encaustic / Cement Tiles
Depending on how they were created, these bright, patterned tiles can technically be encaustic tiles or merely cement tiles. But then, that is not actually the primary concern. Those lovely floral and geometric shapes that seem to be inlaid into the tile itself are a feature that is incredibly coveted and has been utilized extensively in Europe for generations. Encaustic tiles were, in fact, extremely in vogue up to the 1920s. They were even regarded as the top-tier flooring used to adorn the Tsar’s palaces, Côte d’Azur houses, Gaudi’s Barcelona, and Berlin’s governmental structures.
Patterned encaustic is a style that is currently seeing a huge comeback, and because of the incredibly wide variety of colors and patterns that are available, it is ideal if you want to maximize the effect on your floor and make a very unique statement.
Encaustic tile has a retro mood overall, but you may intensify it by choosing a geometric cube pattern and pairing it with clean, modern furnishings. It can have intentionally faded flower patterns combined well with rustic decor. On the other hand, choosing a patchwork of encaustic tiles is a unique design option that is growing in popularity if you simply can’t decide which of these lovely patterned tiles to select. Imagine your living room or dining area with these Mediterranean tiles underneath.
Hexagonal Terracotta Tiles
Along the Mediterranean, you may also find these magnificent Mediterranean tiles in Spain, Italy, and North African nations, but they are particularly common in southern France. As far back as the late Roman Empire, they have undoubtedly existed. They were first brought to the Americas in the 16th century. The distinctive honeycomb tiles, called “tomettes” in France, have come to be associated with the Provençal town of Salernes, where they have been produced since 1830.
The good news is that you do not have to travel all the way to France to find hexagonal terracotta because they are also widely available in the US. Additionally, unless you specifically want to, you do not have to match them only with the French Provençal farmhouse style. They complement modern interior design just as well.
Moroccan / Moorish Arabesque Shaped Tiles
You might also want to look at the arabesque tiles that are most strongly linked with Moroccan or Moorish decor if you like the idea of shaped tiles, such as hexagonal ones. In fact, the arabesque tile has a delightfully unique shape. Its curving lines lend an exotic and sensual vibe to any room that is extremely specific and very covetable. Moroccan tiles come in a variety of shapes, and there are various Moroccan design concepts that can be incorporated into your interior flooring designs.
Furthermore, it is true that arabesque-shaped tiles, often referred to as lantern tiles, are frequently used as intricate wall tiles, such as for a splashback in a kitchen or bathroom. However, they are also a viable alternative for flooring because they offer texture and interest without overpowering the space.
Key Takeaway
When it comes to capturing the aesthetic, there are a plethora of colors to pick from because Mediterranean décor is such a bright mash-up of various cultural influences. And for a more Mediterranean feel to the interior of a household, they should incorporate Mediterranean tiles, which are one of those elements driving the overall ambiance. Rich, earthy colors like terracotta, umber, ochre, golden yellow, and red are sure to give homes a hint of Tuscan warmth. In contrast, a palette of pristine white and ocean blues, from deep indigo to enticing turquoise, can create a cool coastal vibe reminiscent of a Greek island.