Modern Mediterranean: The Plans
Ermagerd, I’m renovating my house! When we found the house, smack dab in the middle of the pandemic, we knew it was the one we had been looking for. Lots of character, amazing location, tons of natural light, and no one had renovated it since it was built. This meant I could do what I wanted, my way, without feeling bad about tearing up someone’s relatively new (but not my taste) renovation.
“I started a Pinterest board for this house when we first saw it - yes, I’m that crazy person - and I’ve since accumulated an embarrassing number of Pins (as of writing, I have 1.9 THOUSAND)”
I started a Pinterest board for this house when we first saw it - yes, I’m that crazy person - and I’ve since accumulated an embarrassing number of Pins (as of writing, I have 1.9 THOUSAND). When we signed on the dotted line, we made a commitment to ourselves - no renovating for one whole year. We wanted to live in the space, figure out how we used it, what its quirks were, and really nail down our decisions. The worst is when you spend $$$ on a hasty decision, only to wish you had done something differently later. Granted, no renovation is without its regrets, but in this case it won’t be for lack of planning.
With this renovation, I’m creating a foundation that will allow me to evolve and update, but that will be timeless and not trend-driven. I’m focusing on materials, form, and functionality, and ensuring we have a solid base - the furniture will come later.
When renovating a historic home, you want to make sure you respect the original design and not strip it of everything that made it special. Our challenge is going to be updating the house and ensuring it feels like us, while balancing the historic feel and original intent. My personal style tends to be more minimal and modern, with some quirky things thrown in. I appreciate maximalist and colorful style, but I don’t want to go full-Spanish or full-mediterranean because that just isn’t me. I love colorful concrete tile - in a hotel or someone else’s house. But I know I’ll get sick of living with it in a hot second. Many a historical purist may be horrified at my choices, but sorry friend, the bathroom tile has got to go.
“ I appreciate maximalist and colorful style, but I don’t want to go full-Spanish or full-mediterranean because that just isn’t me. I love colorful concrete tile - in a hotel or someone else’s house.”
When looking for inspiration for the design, my eye was drawn to many of the colors and materials used in coastal towns across the mediterranean. Maybe it was my postponed 2020 trip to Puglia, or the feeling of longing for an escape, but the things I took away were serenity, simplicity, and the use of materials to set the mood: whitewashed walls, wood, terra cotta, plaster - you get the gist. That being said, I live in a city and not by the water, and so I plan to tone down the rustic-ness and up the sophistication and modernity by contrasting it with marble, metals, and clean lines.
What do you think?
Up next, I’m talking floor plans and which parts of the house get to stay, and which gotta go!
Xx,
Sasha
P.s. If you want to follow along with my journey on Pinterest, you can find me here.
Photo Sources (clockwise from top left): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8