10 Spanish-Style Homes That Are Warm and Inviting

A Spanish-style home generally features stucco walls, a red terracotta roof, decorative wrought iron elements, arched windows or doorways, dark wood beams, and tiled designs. These homes often include detailed landscaping and feature courtyards or outdoor entertaining areas. To give you an inside look at Spanish-style homes and their main elements, we spoke with designers who weighed in on the common characteristics of this popular style.

Meet the Expert

Laura Roberts is the founder of Laura Roberts Interiors in Los Angeles.
Raymond Jimenez is the founder and creative director at Raymond Nicolas in Miami.
Allison Knizek the founder of Allison Knizek Design in Los Angeles.

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Thoughtful Architectural Details

Design by Evens Architects / Photo by Manolo Langis

Spanish-style homes often feature stucco walls, terracotta roof tiles, and inner courtyards which were "designed originally to keep homes naturally cool," says designer Laura Roberts. "Other details like wooden [support beams on] ceilings, doors, and windows, as well as ornamental iron work are found in Spanish-style homes," she adds.

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Adaptable Designs

MC Design

Even if you aren't constructing a home from scratch, there are plenty of ways to incorporate Spanish-style influences on the exterior. "Neutral white or beige stucco on the exterior walls, highlighted with terracotta and/or patterned tiles around a window frame, on stair risers, or on the walkway will bring a Spanish flair to any exterior," says Roberts.

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Colorful Elements

MC Design

Bring on the colorful touches when designing a Spanish-style home, says designer Raymond Jimenez. "Adapting a Spanish style to the exterior of your home boils down to a few very simple principles: You’re looking to embody a rich, timeless aesthetic, and you’re not afraid to experiment with color. These colors like terracottas, blues, yellows, white, black, and of course green are usually not synonymous with ‘timeless’ but when done in such a way, they evoke a very luxe and classic look."

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Indoor-Outdoor Living

MC Design

This Spanish-style home truly blends indoors and out, encouraging maximum relaxation. "This style of architecture is very much laid-back and creates the feeling of always being on vacation," Jimenez says. "It inherently warms you up and calms you down."

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Iron Accents

Waypointe Group

Iron detailing, as showcased above, is also commonplace when it comes to Spanish style exteriors. "It can be used for gates, stair railings, or in Spanish-style exterior light fixtures," Roberts notes.

Designer Allison Knizek points out that touches of wrought iron such as a handrail or a Juliet balcony instantly evoke an old world Spanish mood. "Typically painted black, an updated take is to paint them a color, she says. "Same goes for wrought iron furniture—glossy color is an instant update."

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Interior Elements

Design by Mindy Gayer Design Co. / Photo by Vanessa Lentine

When it comes to modern Spanish-style interiors, Roberts says that details "like smooth plaster walls, arched cutouts between rooms, vibrant accents, and the use of linen in furniture and window treatments all contribute to a true Spanish look."

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Lush Landscaping

Design by Mindy Gayer Design Co. / Photo by Vanessa Lentine

Many Spanish-style homes boast impressive landscaping and outdoor spaces. "Spanish style homes must be surrounded by thick, lush greenery and landscapes to really make you feel like you are escaping into your own personal paradise," says Jimenez.

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Tons of Terracotta

Marie Flanigan Interiors

If your home doesn't feature a signature red tiled roof, Knizek offers an innovative solution. "A collection of terracotta pots against a bright white stucco wall does the trick," she says. "Add some vibrant pink bougainvillea and you instantly achieve that blinding, sun kissed, Spanish hacienda look."

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Beautiful Tiles

Allen Construction

Beautiful tile lines this outdoor bench, and similar designs can be incorporated indoors, too. "Tile is the best way to infuse a little Spanish mood and decorative tiles are plentiful at the moment at every price point," Knizek says.

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All the Arches

ntzolov / Getty Images

Curves and arches, like the ones seen here, are a common characteristic that Knizek incorporates into her spaces. "I introduce arches or semicircles into every home I’m working on," she says. "A softly arched doorway can stand on its own especially if the door is painted an accent color to complement the room and surroundings."

What are the key features of a Spanish-style home?

Spanish-style homes typically feature white stucco walls, terracotta roof tiles, decorative wrought iron stair railings, arched windows or doorways, dark wood beams, and tiled flooring and finishes. These homes often include detailed landscaping and feature courtyards or outdoor entertaining areas that emphasize indoor-outdoor living.

What are the different styles of Spanish-style homes?

There are several types of Spanish-styles homes in the U.S., including:

Spanish Colonial Revival houses became popular in North America during the early 20th century, based on the Spanish Colonial style architecture that originated in Spain in the 1500s.
Mission Revival homes are typically found in California and the Southwest, a late 19th-century style built to emulate elements of Spanish missions that include features like arched entryways, stucco walls, tiled roofs, and bell towers.
Pueblo Revival (also called Santa Fe Style) is a 20th century variation on 18th- and 19th-century Adobe style houses that render the rounded forms of the original style using modern materials such as brick or concrete.
Spanish Eclectic is a blanket term for homes that incorporate various Spanish elements to create a modern mashup that can be applied to many of the Spanish-style homes found throughout the U.S. today.