Wondering how to decorate in the Tuscan design style? Wonder no more. The Tuscan decorating style is a warm, ever-so-slightly rough style that evokes sensory impressions of the Tuscany region of Italy. Because it stems from the styling of the country villas in Tuscany, this design style revolves around two basic features: simplicity and nature.
What is a Tuscan style home? A Tuscan style home is a home that looks and feels like it could easily be transplanted to the beautiful rolling hills of Tuscany.
Here are seven Tuscan style decorating ideas to help you get this look and feel.
Use Warm Colors
A Tuscan inspired color scheme conjures images of a sunny countryside. The palette is inspired by nature. It includes browns, beiges, and creams, along with the deep tones of yellows, golds, terracotta orange, Sienna, and brick red. Greens are included too, but they’re generally muted and slightly “dusty.” They include shades like olive, sage, and deep forest green. You can use bolder colors in a Tuscan design, but it’s wise to limit them to accents. Consider splashes of deep purple or blue and cool turquoise.
The overall feel of Tuscan colors is languid, lazy warmth. A Tuscan-inspired room can easily lure you into a sun-soaked daze, no matter what the weather is doing outside.
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Plaster or Faux Paint Walls
Tuscan inspired décor relies heavily on the right wall treatments. Vintage Tuscan homes, similar to Spanish style homes, have thick plaster walls. They also often include frescos or murals, and they are frequently hung with handcrafted tapestries.
Modern homes obviously can’t mimic these features exactly, but the thick walls can be approximated with the use of a faux paint technique in which you use sponges to get a rustic plastered look. This painting style is one of the classic Tuscan design ideas, and it’s a quick way to get a Tuscan character into an otherwise modern room.
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Go Crazy with Wood
Tuscan style home décor features a lot of natural wood. Heavy wood furniture pieces combine with prominent wood trim to create that rustic country feel that’s indicative of the Tuscan style. Generally, the wood stains are dark, and they are contrasted with lighter toned fabrics and wall colors. A powerfully Tuscan room will also have wood beams on the ceiling.
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Keep Floors Bare
Because Tuscany is a hot region, Tuscan villa floors are kept bare for coolness. Instead of using rugs for textural depth, Tuscan design turns to other elements to get texture, elements like arched doorways and eye-catching metalwork. Flooring material can include hardwood, stone, tile, or marble. Obviously, wood and tile will fit into the shabbier chic Tuscan styling whereas marble will elevate your Tuscan styling to something a bit more upscale.
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Include Wrought Iron
One of the most accessible Tuscan décor ideas to incorporate into your space is the liberal use of wrought iron. Strongly Tuscan decorating accessories include wrought iron lamps, light fixtures, or sconces, as well as stair railings, curtain rods, and beds. A wrought iron bed paired with simple textiles and plain walls will create a clean Tuscan feel in a bedroom.
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Bring a Tuscan Garden Indoors
One of the best Tuscan home decorating ideas to give your home an unmistakable Tuscan flair is to create a greenery-filled sunroom. Tuscan villas abound with plants and water features like pools or fountains. If you have the space and the means, bring these qualities inside. Tile the floor, add stone walls and steps. Fill the room with trees, flowers, and potted or hanging plants, and cluster all of this Tuscan magic around a burbling fountain. If you pull this off, every single day you can step through a doorway and take a stress-relieving “vacation to Tuscany” in your own home.
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Blend Rustic Elements
As I’ve already said, the Tuscan design style is all about a rustic feel. A Tuscan kitchen, for example, should feel Old World, almost historic. To get this look, you need to bring rustic elements together, like combining quality ingredients to make a tasty meal. Merge natural wood with rough brick or stone. Sprinkle in some metal like the wrought iron discussed above or some copper. Add a nature-inspired color scheme. Put it all together, and you get that sweet rustic blend that says Tuscany.
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With the exception of creating a Tuscan garden-inspired sunroom, all of the above Tuscan design ideas are easily incorporated into any home. Although the quintessential Tuscan home in Italy was made from limestone or sandstone, your home doesn’t have to wear a Tuscan “coat.” If you incorporate the above ideas into the interior of your home, you’ll feel like you’re in a Tuscan villa, even in a modern suburb.
