Many people associate the Tuscan style with simple, natural rustic beauty. It conjures up images of warm blues and ochres, sipping a fine wine, sitting on beautiful wooden furniture overlooking a vineyard as the sun sets. These design and style themes can be brought into the home, no matter where you live, to recreate this beautiful feeling. Many people today are also combining the Tuscan feel with a more modern look.
There are certain architectural features that scream Tuscany. These include terracotta tile floors and ceilings, pillars, arches, stucco walls, and wooden shutters. Stucco wall is one of my favorites. All the walls look slightly different and are extremely durable and strong. Any wooden beam you find is not perfectly milled, sanded, and finished. Instead, they are left natural and have uneven, rough surfaces that just get better looking over time.
Furniture is also an important factor when it comes to creating the right look. Although most Tuscan furniture would be made by local artisans, it is possible to purchase Tuscan-inspired furniture locally at many home furnishings stores. It is helpful to look at photos online and in magazines to know what style of furniture you need to look at and buy. The closets are not the typical type you would find. Doors are often a simple wooden frame covered with chicken wire. Inside you would have a beautiful decorated crockery that can be seen from the outside. These provide as much decoration as the cabinets themselves.
An easy way to make decorations look authentic is to make your own jars filled with spices, chili peppers, and olives. These can be made by simply finding authentic looking jars and bottles, filling them with the food of your choice, and then filling them with olive oil. These look stunning placed on kitchen countertops.
When it comes to flooring, again, it needs to look authentic. Terracotta tile flooring is commonly used as it stays cool on hot summer days. However, wooden floors will also be consistent with this theme, especially in the bedrooms.
You don’t have to spend a fortune to get an authentic Tuscan look and feel in your home. All it takes is imagination and artistic license to produce something that evokes those lovely warm Italian days and nights.