Get the Look: Mediterranean Memories

Taking inspiration from opulent Mediterranean villas and haciendas, we show you how to get the look in your own home with our latest bathroom style guide.

With foreign holidays now firmly back on the agenda, many of us took the opportunity to leave these shores in the search of sunshine this summer. Even with the heatwave we experienced in the UK, there’s something magical about getting away and enjoying the very best that the Mediterranean has to offer.

If you’ve been lucky enough to stay in one of the many gorgeous villas or hacienda-style holiday homes (or even if you’ve only seen such interiors in magazines or online), you’ll no doubt wish you could have brought certain aspects home with you. Well, the good news is, now you can!

I’m here to help you  get the look and create your very own Mediterranean-inspired luxury bathroom. With our top tips, hints and tricks, straight out of the interior designer’s handbook, you’ll be feeling the sun on your face again in next to no time. Let’s get started!

Introducing our Hacienda-style bathroom

Well-known for their white stucco walls, red clay roof tiles and use of heavy, rustic wood accents, Mediterranean villas - especially those in Spain - have a unique appearance both inside and out. Featuring archways, courtyards and patterned stone or tile work, these elements aren’t typically found in your average British home. However, with a little inspiration, you can certainly incorporate some of these features and details into your own bathroom, no matter how big or small it may be.

The Hacienda-style bathroom we have imagined has a truly unique look that is unmistakeably Mediterranean in its appearance. Featuring a colour palette that draws influence from the cooling colours and rustic stone used in many Spanish villas, the overall feel is sheer opulence, with a nod to the traditions and culture of the Mediterranean.

Whilst your own bathroom might not be as big as the one above, we’ve purposely gone big with our design to help bring you as much inspiration as possible. You may wish to bring elements you’ve seen elsewhere into your own plans, with holiday snaps or pictures from magazines, Pinterest or even Instagram a vital resource. In fact, one of the best things you can do, when designing your own Mediterranean-inspired bathroom is create a mood board, like this one below.

Don’t forget to add in colours, materials and even products you particularly like.

Let’s now take a look at some of the individual elements that make up our Hacienda-style bathroom.

The bath

To kick things off, the bath is very much the centrepiece of this bathroom and we’ve opted for a sunken style tub, encased in subtle marble-effect tiles. With a real focus on wellbeing and mindfulness in recent times, your bath is more important than ever, so it really pays to spend a little more on what is an on-trend look that’ll leave you feeling refreshed and relaxed whenever you use it.

To give the bath added gravitas, we’ve added steps to create a split-level bathroom—another big trend in bathrooms we’ve been seeing this year. For added luxury, and to ensure you can enjoy your bathing from any angle, the bath is double ended, with traditional antique bronze wall mounted taps.

Which products did we use?

• Asselby Square Double Ended Acrylic Bath
• Chatsworth 1928 Antique Brass Wall Mounted tap
• Bellus Blue Marble Effect Wall & Floor Tiles

The shower

One of the most important fixtures in any Mediterranean-inspired bathroom is the shower. Perfect to jump into and cool off after a day in the sun or swimming by the pool, it is equally vital in a busy British household, where it serves a more functional need.

Arches, as an architectural feature in bathrooms, have grown in popularity this year. And, whilst we aren’t suggesting completely remodelling your own layout, you’ll no doubt appreciate the look we’ve created, complete with rustic patterned tiles in faded reds, browns and greys. We’ve used plain white tiles within the recess to produce a clean and bright look which contrasts with the black accents found around the shower door. To fit with our brassware theme, the all-in-one mixer shower comes with a gorgeous brass finish.

And, don’t forget that all-important towel radiator. We’ve opted for a white design which really pops against the patterned tiles.

Which products did we use?

• Crosswater Clear 6 Matt Black Infold Shower Door
• Mira Flight Safe Anti-Slip Square Shower Tray
• Arezzo Deluxe Cool Touch Round Thermostatic Shower

The washbasin and storage

One thing you’ll certainly need, and it’s a must-have for any busy family bathroom, is storage. Inspired by the white stucco exteriors of Mediterranean villas, we’ve opted for a spacious white vanity unit, complemented by 2 wall hung cabinets—large enough for all your essentials and more!

The open storage space gives a hint of wood, providing space for those things you need to keep close at hand, whilst the stylish LED mirror is minimalist in style, providing illumination where you need it most.

This has all been added to the backdrop of artisan style patterned tiles and accessorised with stone effect finishing touches.

Which products did we use?

• Haywood White / Oak Vanity Unit with Open Shelf + Ceramic Basin
• Chatsworth 1928 Antique Brass Traditional Mixer Tap
• Haywood White / Oak Wall Hung Tall Unit
• Osaka Round LED Illuminated Anti-Fog Bathroom Mirror - Black
• Stonehouse Studio Fleur Ink Floral Patterned Wall and Floor Tiles

The toilet

Whilst this may be considered the most functional of all our bathroom elements, your choice of toilet will help tie everything together.

As the overall look is more traditional and rustic, your toilet design should reflect this. We’ve gone for a traditional close coupled toilet, complete with white seat, accessorised with organic finishing touches.

Which products did we use?

• Carlton Traditional Toilet with Soft Close Seat Gloss White

The walls, floors and accessories

Whilst you may be tempted to choose large format white or marble-effect floor tiles, we felt a wood-effect floor would complement the lighter shades already on the walls. A vinyl floor will provide you with the appearance of wood, without any of the maintenance issues.

There are various different treatments you can apply to your walls to give it that authentic Mediterranean feel. We’ve employed several techniques, including patterned tiles.

And, while some of our accessories may be a little over the top (you may not have space for fruit trees!), you can certainly add your own unique character with your choice of plants, wall art and finishing touches.

Which products did we use?

• Keswick Natural Oak Luxury Click Vinyl Waterproof Plank Flooring
• Verini Encaustic Effect Wall and Floor Tiles
• Roxbury White Fluted Bathroom Accessories Set

The Mediterranean-inspired look in a small bathroom

Now we’ve examined the individual design elements which can be applied to your bathroom, how does the look translate to a small bathroom or even a downstairs cloakroom? Well, here at Victorian Plumbing, we’re big fans of small bathrooms and we’re here to prove a limited space needn’t limit your creativity. Let’s take a look at some typical layouts and see how you can apply Mediterranean-inspired design to each bathroom.

Family bathroom or ensuite

First off, let’s consider how to apply some touches to a family bathroom or even a spacious ensuite.

As you can see, in a smaller room, we’ve stuck with a single wall and floor treatment, but kept the luxurious sunken bath, complete with marble-effect tiles. To save on space and keep the floorspace clear, we’ve opted for a wall hung vanity unit and basin, rather than a floor mounted option. And, for added illumination, we’ve added some rather funky pendant lights with brass detail.

Another space-saving feature is the quadrant shower enclosure, which still comes complete on-trend black frame and details. And, to ensure there is a bit of visual variation, we’ve covered the interior walls in rustic patterned tiles.

Which products did we use?

• Toreno Matt Black Quadrant Shower Enclosure
• Haywood White / Oak Wall Hung Vanity Unit with Ceramic Basin
• Revive Glass Tulip Bathroom Pendant Satin Brass/Clear

Downstairs toilet or cloakroom

If you only want to add a small pinch of Mediterranean spice to your home, wow about going even smaller with a downstairs toilet or cloakroom?

Whilst this space may be rather tight, we’ve still managed to incorporate many of the design features from our full-sized bathroom, including the marble-effect and patterned tiles, plus a compact version of the floor-mounted vanity unit. Plants in carefully-curated pots will help add a touch of Mediterranean flavour to your guest cloakroom.

Which products did we use?

• Mode Tate II white & oak cloakroom floorstanding vanity unit and ceramic basin 420mm
• Accents 1805 black toilet roll holder

Be inspired

If our Mediterranean-inspired bathroom and cloakroom have got your creative juices flowing, don’t forget we have a huge selection of style guides covering all manner of trends and designs. From bold, colourful, maximalist bathrooms to understated monochrome retreats. For more bathroom inspiration, see our blog section.