How to Decorate Kitchen Walls Italian-Style

Enliven a drab Italian-style kitchen by hanging fishing nets on walls.

Refine your Italian decorating scheme and make it memorable. Decorating kitchen walls with Italian-inspired treatments adds interest and personality to a kitchen. Choose the approach that complements your existing furnishings, color scheme and kitchen accessories. Break away from stereotypical Italian decorating ideas, such as hanging pizzeria pans, and venture into exciting kitchen wall decorating.

Things You'll Need

• Italian oil paintings
• Fishing nets
• Italian literature
• Italian films

Instructions

1. Hang paintings of Italy's countryside. Place original artwork far enough away from the oven and stove area. Oil paintings are easily damaged by heat and invisible cooking debris. Original artwork will survive best in a semi-sheltered kitchen nook area, which may look beautiful when accompanied by a rack full of fine Italian cooking wines.

2. Create a riverfront kitchen wall scene. Paint kitchen colors that resemble those found on the front of buildings resting alongside the Italian Riviera. Incorporate wall decorations that capture the spirit of fishing boats sitting in Portofino. Affix a few fishing nets to a wall and suspend eclectic items that a merchant marine might prize. Your effort creates a fabulous setting for cooking with sea salt and Italian herbs.

3. Find inspiration in Italian folklore. Select items that tell a classic Italian story and place them on your kitchen walls. One perfect Italian mythical figure that can inspire your Italian kitchen walls is Picumnus, an Italian agricultural god. Consider using your Italian-style kitchen walls to tell the stories of a gods or goddesses that have roots in Rome. You'll be able to tell your guests all about the meaning behind your kitchen wall decorations and share about your research as you cook.

4. Take ideas from films set in Italy. For example, watch a famous film is titled, "La Vita e Bella," which translates to "Life is Beautiful." Study this film, or any other Italian movie that interests you. Pick Italian decorative wall accessories and paint colors that resemble those you spot in the movie. Take notes while you watch. Viewing multiple Italian movies will fill your mind with lots of Italian kitchen wall ideas.

References

• Utah State University: Ancient Literature And Language: Introduction to Classical Roman Literature
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology: Movie Review: Life is Beautiful