19 modern Mediterranean style houses with a holiday vibe (2024)

Interior designer Kelle Howard spent six months transforming a run-down beach shack in Burleigh Heads into the Ibiza-inspired beach-pad of her dreams. “I was very much inspired by commercial spaces and properties overseas. Ibiza was one place in particular, and I found myself gravitating towards that style of architecture,” says Kelle.

This Mediterranean-style property in Castlecrag, with glimpses of Middle Harbour, could easily be in Portugal. With bougainvillea shooting on the concrete columns framing the new garden room, this relaxed residence is now home to a couple with two children.

This interior architect’s family home in Melbourne is a warm, and deeply personal abode with a Mediterranean twist that tells a story, thanks to its carefully considered layout and decoration.

Tasked with designing a warm, welcoming home to suit her downsizing parents who love to entertain, Lucy Montgomery channelled a Mediterranean ambience that fits perfectly into the harbourside setting.

As the “fourth bird” at Three Birds Renovations, Sophie was able to call on the team’s expertise when designing her new home in the northern hinterlands of NSW, which was heavily influenced by the Mediterranean.

With a cleansing colour scheme, this Mediterranean-inspired abode took its inspiration straight from the Greek islands. “We just loved the arches everywhere, and how every window or arch you look through, you were looking at something really beautiful,” says owner and interior designer Kat Fola. Featuring soaring ceilings, a pared-back palette and natural timbers, it’s an oasis of calm.

Lana Taylor of Three Birds Renovations is not Greek, nor has she ever visited Greece, but that didn’t stop her renovating her home in a Modern Mediterranean style – inspired by the Cyclades Islands of Santorini and Mykonos. “You don’t need to have been there to be inspired by a place or location,” she says, “there was enough inspiration on the internet from people that had been for me to know how it made me feel – and that I loved it.”

Adorned with a mix of rattan pendants, this terrace is a favourite spot to relax. Awash in white, timber furniture warms up the space, including the resourceful use of a fallen tree on the property to make log stools, which feature throughout the house.

The renovation of this 1930s Spanish Mission-style house in Melbourne involved a lot of white paint (to hide the salmon-coloured exterior), introducing a pared-back, minimalist finishes and opening up the floorplan to create modern family home with European style.

Fashion designer Camilla Franks’ Sydney home mixes Mediterranan and bohemian style in a medley of colour, prints and eclectic treasures collected at home and abroad.

Four years of hands-on work paid off for a Sydney couple, whose passion for reviving an old beach house rewarded them with a light, bright coastal home inspired by Southern Italy.

Mediterranean-meets-Australian coastal style in this renovated holiday home, where white concrete and painted brick provide the perfect canvas for interior designer Olivia Babarczy’s collection of furniture and decor she has sourced from flea markets in Europe during her travels.

Arches and curved windows and doorways are a significant architectural feature of many Mediterranean style homes. “The arch was a strong architectural feature and we have emphasised it, opening up those that had been closed and, where appropriate, creating new ones. It is a device which links inside and out,” says the owner of this Sydney harbourside house with a Mediterranean feel.

A seamless connection to the outdoors and a comfortable area to relax, entertain and dine alfresco is essential when creating a Mediterranean style home. Overlooking Bungan Beach on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, this breezy, all-white home has all the makings of a luxe holiday retreat in Santorini, with its resort style pool, outdoor shower and plenty of places to lounge around.

For the renovation of her historic home in Sydney’s east, interior designer Melissa Marshal knew she wanted a Mediterranean feel. “In keeping with the sandstone and columns, we wanted it to be romantic and a bit ‘jungly’ with bougainvillea and roses,” she says. Inside, many of the original features have been retained but upgraded to create a modern Mediterranean aesthetic.

Antique Moroccan lanterns, textured tiles and market finds make interior architect Georgia Ezra’s modern Mediterranean style home feel like it’s on the other side of the world. “I’d describe my aesthetic as modern meets Mediterranean,” she says. “I love finding vibrant artisanal work and handmade products that celebrate and sustain the culture and craftsmanship of the country in which they’re made.”

It doesn’t get much more Mediterranean than this Italian-inspired villa in Sydney’s Palm Beach. “I knew exactly what I wanted, says the owner. My family home [in Italy] was the inspiration, with a large central courtyard, a loggia and a colonnade, filled with hydrangeas and pink roses. I wanted to create the perfect atmosphere for entertaining and sunbathing.”

A Brisbane family have poured heart and soul into their sprawling 1933 Spanish-style home, retaining as many of its original features as possible and updating it with modern Mediterranean style.