{"id":74663,"date":"2026-11-02T09:23:43","date_gmt":"2026-11-02T17:23:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.redfin.com\/blog\/?p=74663"},"modified":"2026-11-02T09:24:34","modified_gmt":"2026-11-02T17:24:34","slug":"mediterranean-style-house","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.redfin.com\/blog\/mediterranean-style-house\/","title":{"rendered":"What is a Mediterranean-Style House? Blending Italian and Spanish Architecture"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

Mediterranean-style homes bring the warmth and relaxed elegance of Southern Europe into residential architecture. If you’re wondering what a Mediterranean-style house is, picture stucco walls, red clay tile roofs, graceful arches, wrought-iron details, and inviting spaces that blur the line between indoors and out.<\/strong> While the house style<\/a> draws heavily from Spanish and Italian villas, Mediterranean homes can vary widely in appearance, from ornate historic estates to simpler modern interpretations.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

In this Redfin guide, we’ll explore the history, defining features, and different types of Mediterranean-style homes, along with the pros and cons of this timeless architectural style. From exploring Mediterranean homes in Coral Gables, FL<\/a>, to discovering Spanish-inspired architecture in Santa Barbara, CA<\/a>, you’ll see how this distinctive style has shaped homes across the country.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\"mediterranean<\/figure>\r\n

What is a Mediterranean house?<\/span><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

A Mediterranean house is a home inspired by the traditional architecture of countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea, particularly Spain and Italy. While there isn’t one single architectural blueprint for a Mediterranean home, many share a combination of features that come together to create the overall look.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u201cDesigned for warm climates, these homes traditionally featured stucco or masonry walls, clay tile roofs, shaded courtyards, arched openings, and a strong connection between indoor and outdoor spaces,\u201d states Jeremy Hubacek<\/a>. \u201cIn Southern California, the style appeared in everything from modest cottages and apartment buildings to grand estates and landmark hotels. These homes are recognizable for their smooth stucco walls, red clay tile roofs, graceful arches, wrought-iron details, decorative tile, exposed wood, and inviting courtyards and patios. More than a century later, the style remains closely associated with Southern California, where its emphasis on shade, natural materials, and indoor-outdoor living feels particularly at home.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

History of the Mediterranean style house<\/span><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Mediterranean architecture has roots in the centuries-old building traditions of countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea, including Spain, Italy, and southern France. However, the Mediterranean-style homes seen throughout the U.S. today are largely the result of architectural revival movements that gained popularity in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Jeremy Hubacek explains: \u201cIn the United States, these influences began appearing prominently in the late 19th century. California\u2019s Mission Revival movement emerged in the 1890s, drawing inspiration from the state\u2019s historic Spanish mission styles. The movement expanded following San Diego\u2019s 1915 Panama-California Exposition, which helped popularize a more romantic interpretation of Spanish, Mexican, and Mediterranean architecture. Mediterranean and Spanish Colonial Revival homes became especially fashionable during the building boom of the 1920s and 1930s, particularly in California and Florida.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Where are Mediterranean style homes located?<\/span><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Mediterranean homes are most popular in warmer locations with long histories of Spanish influence, such as Santa Barbara, CA<\/a>, Pasadena, CA<\/a>, Austin, TX<\/a>, and Miami, FL<\/a>. One of the most recognizable examples of a Mediterranean mansion is the iconic Hearst Castle<\/a> in San Simeon, CA<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u201cBack in the 1920s, George Merrick dreamed up \u2018The City Beautiful\u2019 for Coral Gables, FL and built it around Mediterranean Revival architecture, borrowing from the villas of Spain and Italy,\u201d adorns Jenna Citron Pinchuk at Team Citron<\/a>. \u201cStep inside and you’ll find courtyards, loggias, and doors that open right out to the garden. It’s warm, timeless, and made for the way we live here in Miami, so it’s no wonder so many people find their place in Coral Gables.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Mediterranean house plans<\/span><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Mediterranean homes have many overarching themes that are still prominent today, regardless of the architectural movement they were built in. Here are some of the common indoor and outdoor features<\/a> you can find in most Mediterranean style homes<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u201cA Mediterranean-style home borrows from the villas of Spain, Italy, and southern France: stucco walls, red clay barrel-tile roofs, arched doorways and windows, wrought iron, and a life organized around courtyards and loggias,\u201d says Katerina Bucciarelli, broker-owner at Innovatio Realty Group<\/a>. \u201cWhat I look at first is what’s under the romance. The best ones pair concrete block and stucco with a tile roof that’s been brought up to Miami-Dade’s hurricane code, and that’s a big part of why they hold their value for generations.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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Mediterranean house exterior characteristics<\/span><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Mediterranean-style homes are known for exteriors that feel warm, textured, and connected to the landscape<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Some of the most recognizable Mediterranean house exterior characteristics include:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n