Mediterranean Home Decor
The place where I have felt the most free, the most beautiful, and beyond all, completely full of life has been my old “home” of Mykonos, Greece. While moving to Sweden has been quite a big difference not only weather wise, but culturally for me, I try my best to bring flavor of Mykonos style to my personal surroundings.
I had an extra room in my apartment, and decided to make it a ‘zen’ area – somewhere that brings me peace, and is free from my hoardes of laundry that I ‘forget’ to do. First, I wanted somewhere the have a nap, read a book, or write my blog posts.
To start, I didn’t want to get something totally generic, so I discovered some wood pallets a nearby construction company had finished using. They were clean, new, and a good size. (I would have liked to have longer pallets to make a single bed for guests, but hey, take what you can get!) The ones you see here are extra large square pallets. Note: Always know what type of pallets you are dealing with to avoid chemicals, dirt, bugs, and other evils of this world.
The 2 wood pallets are stacked and nailed together to avoid moving. I covered the top of the pallet with cardboard, and on top of it found 2 small mattress cushions to add plushness. I bordered the pallet and wall with about 5 pillows, and then stacked decorative pillows on top of them. Too many pillows? No way.
The pillow cases are a mix between H&M Home and Ikea. The white cotton blanket is from Zara Home.
Next, I wanted to add some rugs to the room. I chose simple 100% cotton rugs with geometrical shapes to give a more ‘bohemian’ vibe. My favorite stores in Sweden for these types of rugs are under the horribly non-politically correct names of Aztek Mats at Lagerhaus, H&M Home and Mio.
Of course, what is a Mykonos room without a touristic rug that says it. This is also 100% cotton and I picked it up at a little tourist shop while in Mykonos last summer. This is place just before our glass door to our outside balcony.
Going with the colors I associate with the Med, I chose white, and sea foam green picture frames. I picked these sale frames up at H&M Home. The paint is cracked, so it gives it a bohemian feel as well. These would be pretty easy to make if you are the crafty type.
Adding a bit of swirl to my room, I decked out my curtain rods with an ‘eye of the sea’ decorative I got from Ikea (where else?!)
Mykonos is very into soft, cotton or sheer drapes tied up in a knot. For me, this adds a lot of detail to the room and can allow a gentle breeze to rock the drape knot back and forth on a nice summer day.
Lastly, I needed to add the candles. If you ever go on vacation to Greece, there are loads of candles everywhere. Plus, a zen room is nothing without a bit of ambiance. I also have a black one of these out in my main room. They can be picked up at your local Ikea. They are good for inside or outside.
There you have it! That is what makes up my Mykonos room. The most important part is to keep it simple and clean. Don’t clutter it with too many things.
Are you making a zen room? Let me know in the comments where I can take a look!
