Mediterranean romantic interior design takes elements from coastal areas around the Mediterranean Sea and adds soft touches to create a calming bedroom or living space. You get white walls, natural textures, some vintage furniture pieces, and plants. The style works for people who want their home to feel relaxed.
Some design blogs call it "Mediterranean romance style" or "coastal romantic design". It's the same thing. I just say Mediterranean romantic when people ask about my room.
I'm going to show you how I did mine. I had a budget of around $800 and did most of the work myself over weekends. You can spend more or less depending on what you already have.
I started with painting. Pick a white that has warm undertones. I used a color called "natural white" from the hardware store. Cold whites make the room feel sterile. You want two coats minimum. I did mine over a Saturday morning. The walls are your base. Everything else builds from here.
I bought a wooden bed frame from a second-hand store for $120. Look for pieces that have some wear on them. New furniture looks wrong in this style. I also got a small wooden nightstand and a dresser. The wood should look dry, not shiny with varnish. Can't find old furniture? You can buy new wood pieces and sand them down yourself. I did this with my dresser. Took about two hours with sandpaper. Makes the wood look like it's been there for years.
I hung white linen curtains next. Get the kind that are slightly wrinkled. I bought mine from an online shop for $60. The fabric should be heavy enough to block some light but thin enough that sun comes through during the day. I hung them higher than the window frame and let them pool a bit on the floor. This makes the ceiling look taller. I learned this from watching what hotels do.
My bed has white cotton sheets and a beige duvet cover. I got both from a home goods store. Cotton works better than synthetic fabrics here. The material should feel a bit rough, not silky smooth. I throw a cream-colored blanket across the foot of the bed. It doesn't need to be arranged perfectly. I just toss it there and leave it.
I put three terracotta pots around the room. One large pot near the window with a olive tree plant (it's actually a ficus, real olive trees don't do well indoors). Two smaller pots on the dresser with herbs. I grow basil and rosemary in mine. The terracotta pots should look aged. New pots are too orange. I left mine outside for two weeks before bringing them in. Rain and sun faded them to the right color.
I found an old mirror with a wooden frame at an estate sale. Paid $35 for it. The frame had some chips in the paint. I hung it above my dresser. You can skip this if you can't find vintage pieces. I'd rather have blank walls than something that looks too new. The room doesn't need much on the walls anyway.
I keep a small wooden tray on my nightstand with a candle and a glass water bottle. The tray is from a thrift store. I also have a woven basket at the foot of my bed where I throw extra blankets. My room took about six weekends to complete. I spent most time on finding the right furniture pieces and waiting for the terracotta pots to age.
"The details make the design."
I took some pictures of my bedroom after I finished. You can see how each element comes together. I posted them on my Instagram account if you want to take a look.
People who visit my room usually ask similar things. I'm putting the main questions here.