Tuscany is one of the most beautiful and historical regions on earth. It is no wonder that Tuscan inspired home decor is incredibly popular. The region is called the birthplace of the renaissance. It was home to Leonardo DaVinci, Michaelangelo and Dante; and some of the most iconic buildings in all of Europe, like the leaning tower of Pisa and the Duomo cathedral. Tuscan home decor can evoke dreams of a beautiful place or be used to bring back memories of a wonderful vacation.
Colors
The palette of Tuscan home decor is centered on earth tones. The land in Tuscany is fertile and rich brown, planted with olive trees, crops and evergreens. These colors of brown, olive, and dark green comprise the basics. Accent colors include brick red and beige mottled like old stucco. Paintings and other accessories in Tuscan style are often simple landscapes depicting this natural beauty.
Architectural Inspiration
Beginning in the fourteenth century, European architecture began to change. Italian architect-artists like Giotto and Brunelleschi learned how to make buildings taller, covered them with wide domes, and supported them with the most slender columns. They loved symmetry, heavy ornament, scrolling ironwork, and floor mosaics. All of these principles inspire Tuscan home decor.
Furthermore, since Roman times Tuscany has been a place for travel and trade. Tuscan designers have been influenced by foreign styles from Egypt to India. In that vein, Tuscan home decor often features chairs or stools on an X-shaped base, or planters on pedestals just like those from ancient Greece.
Tuscan style furniture often includes many architectural elements. Chair and table legs are carved like columns. Table stretchers and chair backs are often carved exactly like the arches on renaissance buildings. It is a style that is geometric, yet full of movement and ornamentation.
Pieces of Tuscan home decor are often covered with mosaics: little pictures made of colored tiles or pebbles cemented into a tabletop or floor. These mosaics are directly inspired by the floors of Tuscan cathedrals, which themselves took inspiration from Roman mosaic floors.
The masterpieces of Tuscan architecture may be made of solid marble; while the humbler, more functional buildings were built from brown stone. Both of these textures have a major place in Tuscan home decor. Walls can easily be painted to mimic the range of colors of Italian marble. If the budget allows, real marble accessories like countertops might be used. Stacked stone in the yard or a rustic stone fireplace make the decor feel even more authentic.
Keywords: Home Improvement, Home Decor