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AMY BARTLAM; DESIGN: Katie Hodges Design
A Spanish-style, or Spanish Revival, kitchen amplifies all the best parts of your home's heart—warm clays, cheerful tiles, and antique woods that are as cozy and unpretentious as they are romantic and glamorous. These kitchens invite you to take a seat, pour a glass of Rioja Crianzam, and stay for a meal that lasts late into the night.
Spanish Revival had its heyday during the first half of the 20th century, and you can lust after many stucco homes and their kitchens while browsing Zillow in California. Hollywood has never ceased its love affair with the style, and many of the best movie kitchens feature the trademark terracotta floors and white archways. Think of Meg Ryan's Spanish-style bungalow in "Hanging Up" or Meryl Streep's enviable place in "It's Complicated."
Whether you just bought an old colonial home in San Marino or you want to make your modern home feel a bit more earthy and rustic, read on for our tips to adopt the style with these 22 Spanish-style kitchens.
Decorate with Lively and Living Pieces
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Photo: Amy Bartlam; Design: Denham Interior Design
Spanish Revival homes are full of art deco nods that lend classic elegance, but you don't have to act as if you're living in a museum. Live greenery complements the traditional color scheme and livens up the space.
Make a (Back)Splash
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Photo: Amy Bartlam; Design: Katie Hodges Design
Beautiful mosaic tile is the star of Spanish Revival homes. This kitchen feels calmer and more cohesive by keeping the tile and the cabinetry all in the same soft blue family.
Get Into the Nooks and Crannies
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Photo: Amy Bartlam; Design: D.L. Rhein
Spanish architecture is full of curves and sun-lit corners, and in this 1920s bungalow, climbing shelves in the breakfast nook create opportunities to add color and keepsakes.
Let the Floor Do the Talking
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Photo: Amy Bartlam; Design: Denham Interior Design
Every time someone messes with a terracotta floor, an interior design writer falls faint. But terracotta floor owners have been given a gift by the universe and the real estate market.
Leslie Denham of Denham Interior Design stayed simple for this smaller kitchen, and paired an 18th-century pine oak table with painted green legs to the terracotta floors and white cabinetry to create contrast.
Go Bright White
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Spanish-style homes are known to have wonderful architectural bones. Paint up past the crown molding with a bright white to make a small kitchen look big and bright. Bonus points for creating contrast with black, moody lighting.
Keep Things Open
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Spanish-style kitchens feel both alive and lived-in. Open shelving creates the opportunity to add color and traditional nods, like antique water jugs and stoneware, while spotlighting your personality.
Go Big on Antiques
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Antiqued photos and prints complement the natural elements and hues of this style perfectly. Plus, they pack a powerful punch of character for something that you can get on eBay for $15. Mix dark frames with light furniture like this dreamy home in Mid-Wilshire.
Say No to Blinds
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Spanish-style homes are known for their windows and light-filled rooms. Don't compromise that effect with a poorly-chosen window treatment. Take a tip from this 1920s Spanish colonial in Beverly Hills and let the sun in with natural, sheer shades.
Mix Traditional With Modern
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Modern appliances and configurations mix with traditional woods and accent details in this San Jose kitchen. Bookmark this one if you'll trying to capture a bit of Spanish style in a home closer to Harlem than Hollywood.
Sage the Room
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When going for the painted cabinets look in a quaint home like this, sage is always a safe bet. Stick to earthy colors and you'll stray to the wrong side.
Pair Spanish With Danish
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Unless your home is a filming location in a period piece next week, don't be afraid to mix styles. The curves and natural wood of these Danish chairs work perfectly with terracotta tile and white stucco.
Think of Ocean Waves
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Light blue backsplash feels cooling and looks great with the darker wood tones of Spanish-style homes. Plus, a new tile backsplash in a soft hue is an easy way to modernize a kitchen without going for a whole reno.
Worried about creating a slip risk on the tile floor by your sink? A natural, woven rug adds texture and stability.
Polish Up With Gloss
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Worn, well-walked and well-loved terracotta floors present the opportunity to go super glossy with your kitchen backsplash. This kitchen's so lacquered, it almost looks drenched, and the light hits it beautifully.
Make Your Decor Functional
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Romantic and functional—a pairing that's sometimes easier to accomplish in a kitchen than a modern relationship. This brass bar and hanging copper pot combo works as great as it does in French kitchen as it does a Spanish one.
Go Indigo
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If you love tile but aren't into prints, varying shades of glossy Indigo adds visual interest and calm.
Bring in the Olive Oil and the Oil Paintings
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You wouldn't necessary think to put a traditional oil painting in a kitchen, but mix of light and dark feels in-tune with Mediterranean decor, especially when working with black backsplash.
Update the Lattice Look
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If traditional lattice panels feel too twee for your tastes but you'd like to stay true to your home's history and architecture, toughen them up a bit. Replace the paneling with metallic bronze weaving and you'll hide clutter while still opening up the tight space.
Consider All of the Details
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Spanish kitchens are known for their expansive center islands. A deep decorative bowl filled with citrus is practically requisite. Do two, for good measure.
Lean on Green
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Where there are rustic reds, forest and seafoam greens are sure next steps. If you love a flea market find, a rustic kitchen with open shelving provides ample opportunity to show off your prizes.
Break Out the Linens
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You rarely see a paper towel holder in an interior design magazine. Romanticize yourself and save paper by purchasing a few vintage linen napkins from Etsy.
Roll With It
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An antique wooden rolling cart piled with white enamel trays and vintage cookery is the chicest storage solution for smaller kitchens.
Bring the Outdoors In
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You don't need to spring for fancy pots. Terracotta planters will be right at home here, and they help tie together a modern countertop with a traditional tile floor.