Tuscan Interior Design

Italy is incredibly beautiful and Tuscan interior design combines relaxed comfort with style and elegance typical of the country.

Tuscan style interiors can be attributed to the beauty of nature and earthy materials mixed with an appreciation of good quality finishes to create fascinating and luxurious homes.

The look is well-worn which adds to the comfortable surroundings and provides a warm, homely affect.

The image of the bedroom below shows the Tuscan look in an authentic setting. Lots of magnificent stone of random size and of a varied color formation.

In traditional Tuscan homes the stonework is often exposed which means that you can see just how random the blocks of stone are in size and color.

When supporting timber beams are on view they are usually rough and raw, all of which create quite a rustic look and feel. Woodwork should be stained dark.

The images below show a fantastic example of a Tuscan style dining room. Take note of the gentle colors and the incredible brickwork that make this space truly interesting.

Color: your Tuscan color palette should reflect the rich, sunny countryside. Warm shades of terracotta, burgundy, gold, brass, burnt orange mixed with olive and sage green would look amazing on a white or off white backdrop.

Walls: Tuscan homes generally have stonework weathered walls both internally and externally. Hand troweled plaster work called 'stucco' could be used to capture this concept in your home. The look of your walls should be distressed and slightly worn to help give an aged look.

You could work with special paint finish techniques to help you achieve the aged feel; antiquing, faux finish and color washing.

Simple white washed walls look fantastic and can be used to create your Mediterranean Tuscan style.

Tapestry's and Tuscan landscape artwork selected to hang on your walls and could work as strong focal points within your space and help to complete your design.

The Tuscan interior design shown in the living room in the image below is a great example of how to incorporate flat painted walls with aged decor to achieve the look of this concept. The doors are stunning.

Floors: your floors should be created from hard finishes of either, stone, slate, tile, dark stained timber. Natural stone and slates would vary in saturated color and deep tones.

Large natural woven rugs would give your room a soft, sensual feature next to the hard finishes.

Part of the Tuscan charm is that the outside floor finish often continues its run straight inside the home and is separated only by large French doors which would be fully open during the months of warm weather.

Many Tuscan kitchens and dining areas use the outdoor patios as an extension to their space which allows the family to gather, eat and enjoy their time together.

Decor: wrought iron furniture added into your room will help you create the Tuscan look. Tuscans love metal work.

Use solid, sustainable furniture that is both functional and refined. Keep all your woodwork stained dark.

Look for hand carved, detailed furniture for your home and introduce some objects that look great as artwork. For example, old pottery or antiques would be perfect.

The image of the hallway below shows how simplistic Tuscan interior design is. The natural materials show how the color palette is assembled around neutrals and just how easy it is for your to recreate in your space.

Lighting: wrought iron pendant lighting is great for this look and will complement your accessories and furniture perfectly as would lanterns and candlestick holders.