Update your Tuscan design and make it modern.
Tuscany is thought to be the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance. Another important distinction that this region of Central Italy holds is that it gave rise to the very popular Tuscan decorating style. Tuscany is known for its picturesque countryside vistas and influence on interior design. Your kitchen is one area where you can really showcase this design style in modern ways.
Instructions
1. Start with your walls. A simple paint job can make a dramatic difference. Try putting traditional Tuscan colors on the walls. These modern colors represent the natural tones and hues found in countryside landscapes: brown, representing the earth; green, olives and trees; gold, the sun; and blue, the sky. Or paint a landscape mural on the wall featuring wheat fields, olive trees and grape vineyards. Another Tuscan technique is fresco, plastering the walls, then painting a mural on the plaster.
2. Find fitting furniture. To play up the rustic, Tuscan feel, look for wooden or wood-hewn styles of whatever furniture you need: table and chairs, hutches, benches, and stools for the breakfast counter. If you're redecorating a kitchen, give it a dramatic new look by painting the cabinets one of the contemporary colors mentioned in Step 1. Also use these colors in table centerpieces and chair cushions. Replace the plain light fixture over the table with a modern chandelier.
3. Pull it together. Add a few modern finishing Tuscan touches. Set out some vases and urns. Hang a tapestry, an iron art piece, or a wreath made of grapevines on the wall. Use glass and stone accents. Use wine bottles, grape bunches and baskets as centerpieces. On a corner shelving unit, place decorative objects such as candles and neatly stacked Italian ceramics. Hang curtains made of designer Italian fabrics on the window. Bring in on organic touch of greenery with potted plants that grow in Mediterranean soil, such as lavender and agave.
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