Hola! 7 Ways To Give Your Home Some Spanish Flair

The Spanish are a relaxed bunch. They're a nation that loves their mid-afternoon siestas and their long, informal dinners with friends and family. Yet, there's also vibrancy - passion - there.

Getting this balance of the calm and the crazy in your own home is easy, just follow these 7 tips to bring a little bit of Espana into your home:

1) See red

Red. This colour is synonymous with Spain. It's a colour that features in their beautiful tomatoes and their proud matadors, but it can be a hard colour to incorporate into interior design. The best way to use red in your home is in a feature wall (as all four walls painted in such a striking shade can make the room feel a little 'boxed in.')

2) Mix-n-Match

When Spaniards entertain, there are no pristine, white, sets of crockery. The key to giving your kitchen a Spanish feel is to choose utensils and pots with an eclectic vibe; think an olive green saucepan next to a fire-engine red pot. And remember, food should be served buffet style on the table; it's easier to share that way.

3) Throw away formality

To give your home lounge more of a relaxed feel, mix and match the pillows using a technique similar to your kitchenware. However, the best results come from using all of the floor space as a lounge suite; large throw pillows for relaxing on the floor are a must.

4) Summon your Sunday siesta

Siestas sound like a fantastic idea; who doesn't want to just go to sleep in the middle of the day? But, to make them work outside of Spain, they need to be planned. Set up a hammock or a spare bed in a rumpus or informal lounge room, so that you know you will always have a siesta spot.

5) Let your knick-knacks tell your story

In multicultural communities, it is often in our properties that we show where we've come from, and who we are. If you have a Spanish background, celebrate it through statues you've collected from your travels/ancestors. These don't need to be given any sort of pride of place; copper statues make great bookends!

6) Sometimes your real home lies just outside your door

Spaniards love to entertain outdoors. Whether you live in Victoria's Highlands or the Northern Territory's Outback, there is a time of the year in which outdoor entertaining peaks in your area. When this time comes around, use the suggestions above in an outdoor space; the results will surprise you.

7) Just have fun

Ultimately, the key to a Spanish style is not really worrying about style at all. Let your colours clash. Let your rooms be a little bit messy. But most of all, just have a great time, like a true Spaniard would.