Decorating Tuscan Style

by Giorgina Devereaux

During the 14th century, European architecture went through a transformation.

Italian architects/artists Giotto and Brunelleschi mastered how to make buildings taller, with wide domes, and supported by the most slender columns.
 

They had a passion for symmetry, heavy ornamentation, scrolling ironwork, and floor mosaics.

These elements, along with foreign styles from Egypt and India influenced the Tuscan home decor style.

Decorating Tuscan style consists of furniture with architectural elements, such as carved like columns on chair and table legs.

Also, tables with leg stretchers and chair backs have carvings that resemble the arches on renaissance buildings.

Even though the style is geometric, it is exquisitely ornamented.

The furniture is made of wood, but also incorporates wrought iron in some of its pieces giving it a sophisticated old look to it. Wrought iron furniture is available in bedroom furniture, settees, coffee tables, side tables, dining room tables, and patio furniture, just to name a few.

You may decorate using wrought iron accessories when decorating Tuscan style, such as wrought iron chandeliers, candle wall sconces, candelabras, wine racks, magazine racks, plant stands, towel holders, fireplace accessories, and more.
 

You may choose from designs that are of an antique and classic appearance.

The most common details are delicate floral and leafy cuts.

The beauty of wrought iron is that it is durable and elegant.

Furthermore, decorating Tuscan style includes pieces that are covered with mosaics, such as colored tiles that contain pictures or pebbles cemented into flooring or a tabletop.

These mosaics are reminiscent of Tuscan cathedrals, which drew inspiration from the mosaics in Roman cathedrals.
 

Since texture is an important quality, the appearance of rustic elements, such as several layers of paint, cracked stucco, or marble walls, with a resulting old look adds warmth and character to a Tuscan home interior.

Employing faux finish techniques, along with a rich palette towards the warm end of the spectrum is an excellent way to create the Tuscan look. You can even do a marble faux finish for added drama. Tuscan home decor embraces warm colors, such as brown, gold, rich reds, orange, and yellow.
 

For accent colors that are centered on earth tones, olive green, dark green, deep blue, and beige are good choices.

To further complement the gorgeous wall colors, you can include Tuscan style paintings that depict lovely scenes of the village, landscapes, fields, vineyards, farmhouses, wine, and fruit.

Another main feature of decorating Tuscan style is stone. Stone is a fabulous way to incorporate nature into the home.

The rooms that are best suited for stone are the bathroom and kitchen. It also looks exquisite as part of a fireplace or adorning the archway leading into a room.

There are different types of stone that can be used in the home and it’s good to familiarize yourself with the qualities of each one in order to make the best decision.

Usually, the stone choices consist of limestone, granite, and, marble.

Limestone is largely composed of mineral calcite and is often used in bathrooms for the shower wall or as flooring.

Unfortunately, it has a tendency to easily stain and absorb liquid since it’s highly reactive to acid solutions.

For instance, polished limestone can sustain damage from kitchen acids including citrus juices and vinegars. Also, limestone that has not been sealed can be subject to stains. If the limestone is polished or semi-polished, there will be visible areas where the substance once was.

On honed surfaces, the etch marks will be less noticeable. For a kitchen countertop, a honed limestone would be a good choice. It’s a beautiful stone, and if you opt for this one consider putting it in areas that are not high traffic.

On the other hand, granite is not only a stone of immense beauty, but it is remarkably tough.

It mainly consists of quartz, orthoclase or microcline, and mica, which is used in monuments and for construction.

It is available in many colors and finishing styles, from polished to matte and textured.

Among its characteristics is that it is heat, water, and chemical resistant, and does not attract dirt. Furthermore, it does not stain or scratch, which makes it ideal for a kitchen countertop.

Although it is expensive, the benefits, along with its aesthetic appeal make it a great choice for use in decorating Tuscan style.

Like limestone, marble can easily stain and scratch. Although marble is aesthetically appealing, it is not as hard as granite.

Despite that marble is a material that is used on tabletops, floors, countertops, fireplace mantles, bathrooms, and other decorative marble surfaces, it can easily scratch, stain, discolor, and sustain permanent scars.

As an alternative, you may want to consider synthetic marble tabletops, countertops, and flooring, but nothing compares to the beauty of real marble. With the proper care, marble surfaces can remain as lovely as the first day they were installed.

You can protect marble from moisture damage by using coasters for cups and glasses, along with using area rugs in places where there is heavy foot traffic. With Tuscan style decorating, keep in mind that unpolished marble is the preferred choice.