The Mediterranean style home is still very popular in our area due to its Wine Country ambiance and how the style fits into the area. Sonoma and Napa counties can easily be compared to Tuscany landscapes and views. This was recently brought to mind when a client asked us to provide her color pallets to chose from so that she can paint her home in a Mediterranean color style.
Mediterranean decorating values color above anything else. The colors are bright and bold...reflecting the sky and the sea or the beautiful warm sunset. All colors used are natural colors that appeal to everyone. Different areas of the Mediterranean use specific colors that are popular to their area. In May, 2007 we had the chance to visit Rome, then flew to Venice to board a ship that took us to Athens, Greece. The Greek isles have a color pallet all of their own and are very different from the Italian colors. The islands are very bright because of their proximity to the sea; therefore people seem to use a lot of bright white and deep, vibrate blues along with burnt oranges. and yellows These colors compliment the beautiful blue of the Agean and Ionian seas.
The colors in Tuscany are different. Beautiful shades of burnt orange, golds and muted reds complimented with tan, dark blue and dark greens are common. These colors stand out in the hilly, green home site areas and compliment the blue sky and feeling of distances one gets when looking out at the extended view. Most Tuscan colors are muted with the use of darker colors applied over the paint that have been rubbed off to give the house an older look while the Greek Islands homes are left with clear, clean colors that have not been aged.
In our area, in my opinion, colors are best muted just a little to take advantage of the beautiful surroundings. A painted house that is very sharply colored will standout and will take away from the view. Paint colors will add a great deal of value to your home if they meet with the design of the home and the topography.
