3 palettes, one room
Mediterranean color palettes
Mediterranean color comes from sun and sea: whitewashed or lime-plastered walls, terracotta underfoot, and either deep sea blues or olive and ochre from the hills. Strong light can carry strong color.
Every color, and where it goes
Hex codes to match against paint and fabric samples. Colors on screens and in daylight never quite agree, so hold a sample up in the room before you commit.
Aegean
The Greek island: whitewash and two blues, as fresh as it gets.
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Whitewash
Walls
#F5F3EE -
Sandstone
Sofa and rug
#D9C6A5 -
Aegean blue
Cushions and pottery
#1F5F9E -
Sky
Curtains and throw
#A9C9E2 -
Olive wood
Wood furniture
#8C7350
Terracotta Courtyard
The Italian and Spanish one: plaster, terracotta, olive and ochre.
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Lime plaster
Walls
#EDE4D3 -
Ochre
Sofa or throw
#C9973F -
Terracotta
Cushions and pottery
#B8653F -
Olive
Plants and accents
#6F7149 -
Dark wood
Wood furniture
#4D3A2A
Lemon Grove
The bright one: lemon and cobalt, like painted tiles on the Amalfi coast.
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Warm white
Walls
#F4EEE2 -
Clay
Rug and pottery
#C27C5A -
Cobalt
Sofa and cushions
#2C4E9A -
Lemon
Cushions and accents
#E3C352 -
Olive leaf
Plants and throw
#8A9163
How to use a palette
Every palette here is listed from the most of the room to the least. Keep roughly to that order and the colors hold together.
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1
Most of the room: the first color
The walls, and often the ceiling. A light, quiet color that everything else sits against.
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2
A third: the next two
The big pieces: the sofa, the rug, the wood. They set the mood of the room.
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3
A tenth: the last two
Cushions, a lamp, frames, a vase. Small, so a bold accent stays an accent.
More on Mediterranean
Sun-baked plaster, terracotta and arches. What makes the style, what to try first, what spoils it, and ordinary rooms before and after.
More palettes
See these colors on your own room.
Upload a photo, pick a palette, and change any color you're not sure about. Free to try, no card needed.
