Decorating Ideas For An Italian Kitchen

What better room than the kitchen to decorate Italian style? An Italian kitchen with its warm colors, textured finishes and artisan touches, is an ideal place to entertain or to spend the afternoon cooking for loved ones. You can use accents like textiles and other accessories to create a tableaux reminiscent of a Tuscan villa or a Mediterranean beach house, or you can go for a complete room redesign.

Architectural Elements

Go grand with picture windows, columns or arches. Use skylights or the new alternative, solar tubes, to let natural light pour in. If you budget is tighter or your vision more modest, you can allude to architectural grandeur by using ornate sconces or scrolled pieces of wrought iron to support a floating shelf, or by adding bead board trim to walls or furniture. Use a lightweight plaster arch or medallion over a window frame or as wall decor.

Walls and Floors

The Italian palette is robust and bold. White walls are not at home in an Italian kitchen, so opt for golden yellow or a bold terracotta. Natural tones and finishes are also common. Stone walls, marble tiles or rustic wood surfaces can define the room's theme. Leave wooden floors unpainted and stained a medium tone. The same approach goes for exposed beams, which add a rustic note. For a more modern look, go for sleeker finishes in tile, glass and marble. To achieve a crafty look in an Italian kitchen, use sponge painting, an antique wash or another faux finish to create a Tuscan villa ambiance.

Furniture and Accessories

The style of an Italian kitchen makes the useful beautiful. A plain counter top gets a makeover with a stone-like finish. A breakfast table with a rustic wood finish and benches for seats adds a homespun element. A sideboard or cabinet may include open display areas for showing off a collection of Majolica ceramics or just a row of vintage blue glass bottles that recall the Mediterranean. Celebrate nature's bounty with accessories as well by displaying bottles of olive oil and wine on shelves. Use a painted ceramic plate to hold ripe fruit and small buckets and bottles to show off herbs and wildflowers. Some Italian wall art finishes the look. You can display a painting or plate featuring an image of rolling vineyards or a famous monument.

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