Features

• Spanish decor centers upon well-made artisan pieces. Colonial styles include ornately engraved woodwork with dark stains and hand-painted tiles. Architectural elements such as niches, arches and interior courtyards recalls crumbling Spanish haciendas. The Spanish modern look features angular chrome and stainless steel frames on low, modular pieces.
  
  

Function

• A Spanish decor brings together form and function. A wide wooden shelf may offer hidden storage behind hammered tin doors. A large mirror may have hand-painted tile framing it. Rustic wooden pieces often feature oxidized, chunky metal hardware. In the kitchen, wrought iron and wood racks display cobalt blue glasses and thick ceramic dishes. The modern Spanish translation offers glossy, uncluttered surfaces with sleek features such as glass panel insets, marble tops or wood grain veneers.
  
  

Effects

• A Spanish decor makes a bold statement. Rich colors or dramatic color contrasts add depth to the interior. Striking architectural elements, such as sliding glass walls that open to interior gardens, large exposed beams, terracotta tile floors and multiple terraces, provide a beautiful backdrop for entertaining.
  
  

Considerations

• A Spanish decor, be it traditional or modern, integrates the natural surroundings and nature's bounty into the home. You can accomplish this look with large-scale design projects, such as arched doorways, outdoor rooms and skylights, or through subtler small-scale projects like planting windowsill gardens, hanging climbing or trailing plants around door and window frames or installing solar tubes. The kitchen, dining and living room areas should welcome nature with vases of flowers, bowls of fresh fruit or a cutting board filled with breads, cheeses and olives.
  
  

Warning

• Traditional Spanish style has a more eclectic look than its modern counterpart. Upholstered pieces and textiles may coordinate, but they should not match exactly. Try an ornately patterned ottoman in front of a simpler couch, or antique white bed drapery against bedding in a deeper color. The contemporary look favors a sleek, minimalist look, but you can warm it up with punches of lime green, poppy orange or bright red accents.