5 Essential Design Elements of Spanish Style Homes

Guest Blogger #812, Entry #1923, December 10, 2012

When you think of Spanish style homes, what are some of the design elements that immediately come to mind? Tile floors? Dark wood? Crosses hanging on the walls? Indeed, when it comes to the traditional elements of Spanish décor, a lot of it is directly influenced by the Roman era, including Catholicism and the architectural approach to designing that many Catholic churches have displayed throughout the years.

Spanish home design ideas

Image via: Ron Rosenzweig

Are you thinking about bringing some “Spanish flavor” into your own home?

If so, we have included five signature style elements that will definitely leave quite the impression:

Stucco walls.

There’s a pretty good chance that when people think of a Spanish home, the first thing that will come to their mind is the stucco walls. It’s basically a fine kind of plaster that is used to cover walls. Once it dries, it is then painted over with a neutral color such as off-white or beige. Aside from being used on walls, you can also find it on kitchen hoods and even as the border for fireplaces.

Tile.

Whether it’s the kitchen, the bathroom or even the hallways leading to various rooms in the home, one beautiful thing about the Spanish style of tile is that it tends to look very decorative. Although you can certainly go with a solid color, it is more traditional to opt for a pattern such as a Garbo, Moroccan or Syrian kind of look.

What Spanish features would you like in your home?

Image: Geoff Captain Studios

Arches.

What’s one of the things that Catholic churches are known for? Their really high arches, right? The same thing applies to the structure of a Spanish style home. If you don’t want to totally reconstruct your house, you might want to speak with a contractor about how you can create the appearance of a high arch in one of the doorways in your home, or even some of the windows in a particular room.

“Hideaway alcoves”.

If you’re not familiar with what an alcove is, it’s basically a lot like a breakfast nook that can be placed into any part of your home. They’re really ideal in a wall that is connected to a wide open space (like maybe a living room or bonus room). So, if you want to sneak away (but not too far away) to listen to someone of your favorite music or to do some journaling while contemplating big life questions such as “What is God?”, a hideaway cove is an ideal place to do it.

Dark wood and rich fabrics.

Do you want to simply add a couple of Spanish style elements to your home without doing anything too drastic? If so, another classic look is to purchase dark wood furniture (such as pieces made out of cherry, walnut or rosewood) for your kitchen table or beds. You can also opt for a sofa or set of chairs made from the same dark wood; just make sure that it’s upholstered with really rich fabrics such as woven brocade or deep-colored velvet. It won’t be an inexpensive addition, but the quality of this kind of furniture is definitely a wise investment that can be passed down to generations for years to come.

For more architectural ideas on Stagetecture, click here.