Tuscany Home DecoratingBring a Touch of Italy Home
Tuscany home decorating is more than just dressing up a home. It absorbs you until it becomes a state of mind. Just the thought of picking juicy blackberries under the warm Tuscan sun and wading through miles of lavender is enough to make me want to pack my bags. Although you may not be fortunate enough to visit Italy often, you can relish a piece of Italy right in your own home. The Tuscan life is simplistic and slow-paced. The colors and furniture are chosen for comfort. When choosing to use the Tuscan Decorating Style, first decide how you want to feel when you’re in the room. Then choose everything from the fabrics to the flooring based on this one factor. If it feels good, it will look good too. The Italian word for room is stanza. Look at your room as a poet looks at a blank sheet of paper, full of possibilities! Use a bold and rich paint color combination to “get the look” Deep yellow, bright orange, deep burgundy, royal blue, terra cotta, olive green, white and dark brown are colors directly tied to the landscape and the agriculture of the area. You can gain inspiration from Italian frescos
discover pleasing results if you keep the furniture dark in color. It will pop against the bold colors listed above. Or go on a treasure hunt in Grandma’s attic to find a piece of furniture to paint. Tuscany is known for hand-painted works of art. Concentrate on intricate fruit designs. Tuscan’s have a huge respect for the past and tend to reuse things. This doesn’t mean you must have a room full of antiques. But,you can make new pieces look old. Below is an example of a Tuscan style room at the Hotel Cipriani. Click on the picture for additional room ideas.
Tuscany home decorating must include handi-crafts such as hand painted glassware, mosaics, hand blown glass, terra cotta jars and wrought iron works. They don’t have to be made by you, only if you’re extra talented! Start with one piece of furniture and build your room around that. The rustic charm is very inviting. Save empty wine bottles or new and display in a wrought iron stand. Purchase a wrought iron pot rack that hangs from the ceiling and display copper pots and pans. Food can be a great decoration. Use glass jars of olives or tomatoes in the kitchen. Whatever you decide,let minimalism be your guide when choosing accessories. So, get rid of anything you tolerate! Don’t keep something you have or buy something new unless it absolutely speaks to you! By the way, here’s a little trick I learned to ease myself. I have nicknacks that are special to me because they remind me of a first date or a special loved one. It turns out I’m in love with the memory and not the item itself. You know what I mean don’t you. So, in order to release myself from the guilt of throwing them away and the compulsion of having to have them scattered all over the place, I placed each one in a box in storage. Whew! I can go look at them whenever I want and I’m not going crazy because of clutter! Okay, back to Tuscany Home Decorating. Consider painting a Fresco-type mural
. Landscapes and religious works often grace the walls of the villas of Tuscany. If you don’t feel like painting, purchase tuscan prints
If you were invited to tour a signora’s home in Tuscany you would most likely find white crocheted curtains in the bedroom and a woven white bedspread with a wrought iron cross above the bed. Trends and fashions would be few, if any. However simple as it may be, you’d immediately become aware that every detail contributed to a sense of home. As you contemplate Tuscany Home Decorating be sure to read Bringing Tuscany Home. Frances Mayes takes you straight to the heart of Italy through Tuscany home decorating. If you're not careful, you'll find yourself longing to take a permanent vacation!
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and frame them in gold. If you’re not quite brave enough to dive into a mural, give stenciling
a try. Olive branches or grape vines would do nicely. Another fantastic idea is to personalize your room with
lettering. You can hand paint with brushes or paint pens. Benvenuti!(baynvay-nootee) which means welcome in Italian, for example, would be a unique addition above a doorway. Find other phrases with the 
