Designing Kitchens with a Tuscan Flair
A Tuscan-style kitchen can be inviting and warm because of earthy color tones, weathered woods, and Old World accessories. The Italian charm is a favored decorating choice for homeowners who are looking for warmth in the central gathering place where they can prepare food and entertain friends and family. Creating a Tuscan inspired kitchen does not have to break the bank and can be quite fun to assemble. If done right, you will be getting a welcoming and comfortable space that you can share with your loved ones for many years to come. Here are some ideas to help inspire you.
Faux finish walls. Use a warm and nature-inspired color palette for your walls. Earthy colors like sunshine yellow or terra-cotta orange are excellent for your Italian kitchen decor. Muted colors or those with a reddish hue are great choices because they have this inherent old look. Add more wall dimension with a color wash, Venetian-plaster faux finish or sponge to the walls to give it character and depth to enhance the Tuscan-style décor.
Rustic wood cabinets. Go with kitchen cabinets with a distressed look. Go with maple or pine wood stain with a weathered and worn look to create a Tuscan kitchen. Oak, maple and cherry are great wood choices for this kind of design when it is applied with a satin finish. Choose cabinetry with a rustic look that may include knotty appearance and perhaps a nick or two. Finish off the cabinets with oil-rubbed bronze hardware so you can complete the look.
Wrought-iron items. Add wrought-iron elements to lighting fixtures that hand from your ceiling so the whole space gets both functional light and the Tuscan style feel you are after. Put a wrought iron wine rack on your countertop to the feel of old world metals and fill the spaces with some Chianti Classic and other Italian varietals. You can also install a wrought iron pot rack above your stove, and hang copper pots on it. You probably don’t want to overdo to much of the metal as it can steal the warmth of the colors you use. Just some accents will help.
Natural kitchen materials. Add natural elements into your Tuscan décor. Choose limestone, granite, other types of hard stone for your countertops. Also consider highlighting the rustic look with floors made of ceramic or terra-cotta colored tiles. Any of these two choices should give a quintessential Tuscan look to your kitchen.
Rustic tile accents. Install colored tiles to the backsplash around the sink to create an Italian look with optimal style. Colored and mosaic tiles are great for wall art. Wall paper borders or stencils that depicts Italian grapes, fruits, olives and landscape can help complete the kitchen in an artistic Tuscan touch.
Tuscan-inspired accessories. You can arrange a Tuscan-themed plate collection on your kitchen walls. Add a mix of flavored oils and vinegars on the top shelf of an open cabinet shelf so your kitchen gets visual height. Also put decorative jars filled with preserved peppers and olives on your countertop to add color to your space. Finally, hang dried herbs and garlic in strings for that final decorative touch.
Creating a kitchen with just the right materials can make you the Tuscan style kitchen designer in your community. When browsing Italian kitchen flooring selections and kitchen island designs in an online portfolio. Have fun stepping out of your comfort zone.
