Add Mediterranean Chic to Your Home with the Crete Look

by Carlisle Homes

Channel the effortless elegance of the Crete  style – here’s how

Transport yourself to endless sunny days on the Mediterranean coast with our new Crete interior style – a look that puts the focus on relaxed, indoor-outdoor living, natural materials and gentle, sun-kissed colours. 

Easy to live with and decorate around, the Crete look is one you’re sure to love – and you can see it for yourself at Granville 29, our stunning new display home at Smiths Lane in Melbourne’s south east.

Keen to bring some Mediterranean magic to your home? Here, our award-winning interior designers reveal how to go about it.

Coastal-inspired colours

For this look, choose muted colours that reflect the natural environment, such as sofas and bed linen in warm white and ecru, feature walls in putty and sunbaked mustard, with touches of soft, oceanic blue in your accessories. Introducing a few moments of darker colour, such as an inky-grey linen throw draped at the end of a sofa or a pile of fluffy navy towels in the ensuite, will help ground the gentle scheme.

Accessorise the look with oversized photography-based artwork in simple timber frames depicting coastal scenes – all in the same soft, honeyed tones as the rest of your scheme.

Raw & natural finishes

Seek out raw materials such as natural timber furniture, matt concrete- and stone-look benchtops in the kitchen and bathrooms, the wonderfully organic look of tumbled-edge tiles to your splashbacks, and warm-oak laminate joinery.

Look for coffee tables, stools and cabinets with simple lines in natural materials such as timber, wicker and rattan, and add softness to your tiled floors with rugs woven from jute or sisal.

Turn up the texture

Add depth and interest to your scheme by layering your sofas and beds with cushions in textured cotton and raw linen in a medley of sun-kissed tones, and incorporating a feature wall – say to the entrance, bedroom or study nook – in a textured nature-fibre wallpaper or one with a simple and playful polka-dot pattern (great for a kids’ area!). Bringing in a few woven baskets will provide extra storage while adding to the casual, coastal vibe.  

Indoor-outdoor connection

Mediterranean homes are surrounded by beautiful vistas, with a lifestyle that’s all about spending time outdoors, whether it’s dining or simply relaxing. To create a similar feel in your own home, opt for minimal window furnishings such as textured fabric sheers that won’t obstruct the view, and decorate your outdoor area with the same care and attention as you would your indoor one – think comfortable sofas and a coffee table, a dining table and chairs, and plenty of lush greenery.

Maximise natural light

Natural light is a crucial ingredient in Mediterranean interiors. Maximise the natural illumination in your interior with lashings of white on the walls and ceiling, glossy tiled splashbacks and polished porcelain floor tiles that reflect the light, and pared-back styling when it comes to furniture that allows plenty of breathing space.

Open display

Include sections of open shelving in your upper kitchen cabinets where you can show off the interesting collectibles you’ve collected on your travels, such as bowls, vases and glassware. Specifying a darker finish for these open sections will help your light-toned display pieces pop.