CELEBRITY & MEDITERRANEAN STYLE HOMES

I love the way ELLE DECOR featured laid-back style celebrity homes for summer, without them being stereotypical of a summer coastal style. Typically, when thoughts of summer come up, images of coastal style come to mind. Front and center are images of Americana, the Hamptons or some other cottage style. But this wasn't the case when ELLE featured the homes of celebrities like Meg Ryan and Ellen Pompeo.

WEST COAST

Ellen Pompeo at home in the Hollywood Hills

in her restored 1920's Spanish style villa.

ELLE DECOR MAY

EAST COAST

Meg Ryan's Island style in her transformed

barn-like house in Martha's Vineyard.

ELLE DECOR JUNE

Even though Meg's home on the east coast is on Martha's Vineyard and is in a barn-like house, its' island-like style is very reflective of the essence of Mediterranean style. I've read Mediterranean style, described by Alessandro Ubertazzi, as a style being the "meditation between the harshness of the poles and the abundance of the equator." At the Mediterranean line of latitude, people are known to have a lighter attitude - and just smile more. Smiling is a typical expression of Mediterraneita style... and when viewing these celebrity homes, you can't help but smile...

Celebrity home of Meg Ryan
Photographed by William Waldron

 

Beautiful demonstrations of pure white paired with

colour contrasts and volume...

Ryan's refuge and view.

 

Before designer Lawrence-Bullard led the renovation of Ellen's home, Ellen had to "clear out a lifetime of possessions abandoned by the previous owners, including furniture, clothing and family photographs." Being a "thrifter" myself, it was nice to read and learn that "all the effects were donated to a thrift store* chain called "Out Of The Closet."

Ellen's antique Guatemalan farmhouse table adds global charm.

Although it took months to sort out, Ellen felt more connected to the home and its history. Its interior style is not only reflective of a finca (a Spanish style farmhouse and pronounced feen-ka) from the Spanish Balearic Islands, but it also references other shores along the Mediterranean like Morocco, Tuscany and the South of France...

Celebrity home of Ellen Pompeo

Styled by Carlos Mota • Photographed by Tim Street-Porter

With all the seasonal styles I've set in our home over the years, I feel most drawn to the Mediterranean style... probably because of my roots: my father was Cuban (descendant of Spain) and from my mom's side, I'm Italian (along with being Checkoslovakian, Irish, and German). I'd like to try to mix more of the Mediterranean indigo into our existing neutral palette, and further create a more Mediterranean style....

Not entirely an "itch to switch"...

just the need for little color punch

to make the space 'smile'...

I'll have to go dig for my box of blues and

see what I can come up with...

*FYI ABOUT OUT OF THE CLOSET: Although the non-profit thrift store chain 'Out of the Closet' was established in California, it is also located down here in the Wilton Manors area of Ft. Lauderdale. By the end of 2010, it's scheduled to open another location in Sunrise. It is operated by the AIDS Health-care Foundation. Out of the Closet thrift stores generate income to help fund the medical services AHF provides for those patients who are unable to pay. Proceeds from Out of the Closet Thrift Stores directly benefit AHF. In addition to regular thrift store operations, several stores also offer additional services, including free rapid STD and HIV testing on a walk-in basis, along with counseling in a separate location of the store.