Tuscan Themed Colors
Tuscany, or the region of northern central Italy full of hills and mountains, is famed for its climate, genteel culture and relaxed way of life. To bring the essence of Tuscany into a decorative color scheme, bring together colors of the region with the decorative techniques that are also used extensively in Tuscan homes and villages.
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Neutral
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The basis of a Tuscan color theme are the neutral colors reflective of the materials found in the Tuscan countryside: straw, honey and sandstone, as well as milky white and muted grays reminiscent of marble. Often coupled with these colors are textures, such as the plaster technique known as fresco, and a general appearance of weathered rusticity.
Earth
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Intrinsic to a Tuscan color theme are the earth tones and shades that characterize the native plant life of the region. Soft touches of green can enhance the other colors in the palette, while alluding gracefully to the Mediterranean macchia landscape of Tuscany, dense with shrubs, broom, moors, thyme and rosemary. Trees typical of this region include cypresses, pine, oak and chestnut. Colors of this vegetation can mimic the surroundings while offering interest and repose from the predominance of neutrals.
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Red, Pink, Yellow
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Reverberant with the omnipresent terracotta found in Tuscan villages, Tuscany is home to all manner of vivid reds, pinks and yellows. The cooked red brick known as terracotta dots the landscape of Tuscany, in curved roof tiles, floor tiles, window boxes and statues, and a color scheme may play up variations of the dark red color with paler pink or apricot, and peach among color possibilities. Stronger colors work well as accents, whereas the subtler shades may be incorporated as color washes. The latter should not be used in parts, as it could make the space feel less cohesive.
Blue
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Not surprisingly, blue plays a role in Tuscan color themes given the abundance of clear blue skies and the waters of the Mediterranean as inspiration. Blue is an accent color that can find its way onto window shutters as a bluish gray or a more vivid blue in insouciant doses.
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References
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