Mykonos/Ibicenco Style

With summer knocking on our door, we find ourselves daydreaming of a warm island breeze and the accompanying relaxed and natural backdrop. The soft sound of the sea, washing away our cares. Always inspired by our travels, we are particularly enamored with the Mykonos/Ibicenco aesthetic, which combines strong natural materials with soft textured layers and simple, handcrafted artisanal accessories. Think smooth stone, weathered wood and whitewashed walls, paired with textured furnishings of wicker and raffia, lavishly layered with natural textiles like woven rugs, cane, jute, linen and knits - all in warm neutral hues that blend seamlessly with their surroundings. The colour palette is drawn from the natural terrain of these islands; stone, clay, straw and tan, with accents of faded greens and azure blues, reminiscent of endless coastline. 

‘Island life’ connotes simple pleasures - it’s uncluttered and understated. This simplistic beauty is reflected in the design, spaces are minimalistic and unobtrusive. It embraces the outdoors, merging the exterior with the interior, which is reflective of our growing need to connect more with the earth. Many of us, having spent a long period indoors over the last couple of years - are craving freshness, and just like ourselves, we also want our spaces to breathe. 

There is growing demand for natural-feeling spaces, pared-back design with an elemental finish. It’s also notable that as the world becomes more eco-conscious and adjusts to a more sustainable way of living, we are seeing this reflected in design choices too. People want to see the vein and life in their homes; organic materials, raw-edges, frayed fibers & natural grain - a sense of the perfect imperfection found in nature. Use of these types of materials bring a salubrious energy to a space that’s hard not to absorb. 

It’s easy to see why this trend is so appealing; combining rustic Ibizan styling with Cycladic smoothness and scattered contemporary accents to bring it up to date in any setting. We love it because it is tactile and sensual, full of soft natural layers like a cross section of the earth itself. While minimal in style, it’s naturally abundant, laden with texture and light. 

We see this stripped-back trend continuing throughout 2022 as we unfurl from our hibernation and swing open the doors to summer. While we at FOC have a little longer to wait until we can skip off to the islands for a long-awaited Balearic break, we look forward to bringing a splash of Mykonos/Ibicenco to a space near you soon!