How to Design a Tuscan Kitchen

Of all the rooms in your home, the kitchen serves as an ideal spot to implement Tuscan design and decor themes. The region has earned famed for its focus on cuisine, wine and natural bounty. A kitchen designed in Tuscan style provides an inviting backdrop for cooking, eating and entertaining. Remember to make the look your own by adding favorite wall art, family heirlooms or some do-it-yourself projects.

Things You'll Need

• Architectural elements
• Shelves
• Paint
• Brushes
• Countertops
• Flooring
• Furniture
• Accessories
• Tableware
• Plants

Instructions

1. Inspire yourself by looking at images of Tuscan rooms and Tuscan-inspired kitchens. Clip articles or bookmark websites with palettes, architectural features, furniture and finishes you prefer. Sketch out a floor plan of your kitchen, and make paper representations of your ideas to place in different areas.

2. Check the functional aspects of your Tuscan design. Do your current appliances fit into the spaces around and under those rustic wooden Italian cabinets and marble-finish countertops? Check materials for their durability, toxicity and maintenance requirements. If you plan architectural additions---a popular technique in Tuscan design---make sure your current structure can support the weight.

3. Start with the big updates. Skylights or solar tubes bring in natural light, a Tuscan priority. Arched door frames and picture windows open up walls and afford garden views. Lightweight plaster arches, columns or sconces give a room a classic look and add dimension. On the simpler side, you can add some floating shelves in a forgotten corner and then fill them with Tuscan-inspired accessories or foodstuffs.

4. Use paint and finishes in a Tuscan palette. Re-create the rustic Tuscan look of a stone wall with a faux stone finish on an accent wall or on countertops. Warm yellow, antique white or stone gray work well on surrounding walls. Terracotta ceramic tiles add an earthy look. Furnishings, cabinets and shelves look best in weathered wood, distressed finishes and natural colors.

5. Accessorize with Italian handicrafts and natural items. Fill a Majolica ceramic pitcher with bright cornflowers. Use an earthenware bowl to display ripe fruit. For wall art, a tile mural of an Italian garden scene or a Tuscan vineyard adds a homey touch. Integrate pieces that incorporate scrolled wrought iron, marble finishes and artisan pottery to evoke an Italian farmhouse. Leafy green plants around doors and windowsill gardens planted with herbs keep the look natural.

Tips & Warnings

• Celebrate Italian wine by displaying bottles of it on floating shelves or on top of cabinets.

• Avoid matching every piece of furniture or textiles. The Tuscan look is more eclectic.

References

• Tuscan Interiors With a Modern Touch