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Tuscan - Home Decorating Old World Style
by Ron Berry
Are you having difficulty deciding on a home decorating theme?...How about Tuscan?
It's rich cultural heritage and simple elegance are what draw so many to this beautiful style. Because it combines a unique antique flavor and 'livability' more and more homeowners are opting for this Italian masterpiece.
Using a palette of earth tones, tuscan (which is an Italian country design) brings the outdoors inside. This design uses distinct materials to help accomplish it's magic. The Tuscan style is unique as well as beautiful.
When deciding on a tuscan theme, you'll be using textures, such as stone and tile for the flooring and furnishings. This helps to create a natural atmosphere. Plaster is suggested for the walls, again, to add texture and a natural feel. This would provide an opportunity for you to use your creativity and even have some fun.
Tables are often made of stone and Tile mosaics are another possibility for in the tuscan themed home.
"What are four walls, anyway? They are what they contain. The house protects the dreamer. Unthinkably good things can happen... " From Frances in Under A Tuscan Sun
No decorating theme that centers around nature would be complete without wood. It's exquisite textures and intricate details make wood a perfect compliment to the Old World style and Tuscan makes great use of this natural resource. One example of this is the exposed framework. The large wooden beams create a comfortable, rustic look. Another is in the construction of furniture. The goal here is to make it look aged and antique. By staining and 'aging' the wood, you can create an antique feel while maintaining rugged endurance.
Tuscan is based on a cultural heritage. By using accessories this heritage can be highlighted and celebrated. Accessories that are homemade are common for this genre. Ceramics are big in tuscan decorating too! Silver, copper, iron are all common in tuscan design. Themes that include olives, grapes, wine and pottery, scrolled ironwork, stone, marble and handcrafted tiles in an old world style and many other possibilities. Terra cotta is also popular when using the tuscan theme so a vase for fresh cut flowers on the tiled mosaic table in the center of the room under the cast iron chandelier would make a fabulous entryway into your home.
Tuscan fabric is unequalled in it's simple beauty. Savannah and tobacco cloth, burlap, abaca, fibers from the banana and coconut trees are all used to create a natural lived-in space. These materials are very versatile and your only limitation is your imagination. They can be used for just about anything from curtains and drapes, blinds, wall decorations, room and space dividers, privacy screens, elegant table placemats or conversation pieces on your coffee table, entryway rugs and foor coverings can all be created simply by using some of these various tuscan fabrics because of their weight, density and flexibility allow for many applications.
Tuscan also uses colors such as yellow and red. These colors can be used in decorations for tables, a chair cover, tie-backs to accentuate and complement curtains and drapes. Use of yellow and red ribbon and ties to decorate candlesticks is not uncommon. Any material or color that reminds us of the ocean, the earth, the beautiful blue sky or the deep rich forest, will bring a warm and inviting feel to tuscan home. The color, texture, fabric and accessories will create a warm and inviting feeling in any space in your home.
This warm and inviting theme of simplicity and nature is a great home decorating idea.
Ron Berry runs Antique Stuff I Found Online. Antique.stuffifoundonline.com - a specialty niche site dedicated to bringing bargain hunters and sellers together.
Article Source: 1ArticleWorld.com
Decorating In The Italian Style
by
How to create the Tuscan style of decorating in your kitchen by using accessories and colors in imaginative ways.
The newest rage in decorating schemes is actually an old idea. Many people are now decorating their kitchens in the old Italian styles, such as from Tuscany and Umbria. The earthy colors used in this type of decorating are becoming very popular and when mixed with some of the interesting reproductions of old world art and architectural features they really create a striking room. Here are some great ideas for giving your kitchen the look of the Italian countryside.
Colors
The landscape in the Tuscan countryside contains such colors as golds in the old walls and buildings, deep greens of the poplar trees and the bright colors of the pottery the region is famous for. For a genuine look, you don't have to invest a lot; just buy one or two accent pieces of Majolica pottery and imitate the colors in this pottery in the rest of your kitchen. You will find that stones of slate or terracotta make perfect choices for flooring or counters, and will pick up the Tuscan colors of your pottery.
Lighting
The lighting in this style is subdued and soft, and newer modern light fixtures would not work. One of the most popular style to recreate the ambiance you want is to choose light fixtures of wrought iron. You may want some brighter lighting in the work area, but a recessed light that does not interfere with the style would be a better idea than something in chrome or stainless steel.
Accessories
You can find a lot of accessories in this style today, since it has become such a popular style. But it is more fun and interesting, and you will have a more unique look if you shop around in antique stores for items that would complement the style and you could picture in an Italian kitchen. Pottery or ceramic bowls, water pitchers and vases can be of real Majolica pottery, or look like it. If you are replacing your dinnerware to go with the kitchen, a set of Majolica ware is a striking way to carry the look all the way through. Some other genuine touches that imitate the Italian kitchen is ropes of garlic hanging by a window, borders with grape vine designs, and a lot of greenery, preferable herbs and small plants in decorative pots.
Using these ideas, you can quickly create a charming kitchen that is warm and cozy and looks like the kitchens we admire in Italy. The rustic colors you desire can be created either by buying new accessories that are reproductions of Tuscan style, or you can scour the antique shops and find pieces that complement this style.
Adam Peters is the author of many resources on decoration related topics published at http://www.home-decorating-reviews.com . A focused website that offers the best articles on italian decorating and italian style.
Article Directory: Article Dashboard
TEN WAYS TO DO TUSCAN ON A BUDGET
by Pamela Cole Harris
Sun-drenched days under the Tuscan sky.pasta and wine under olive trees to the sound of the courtyard fountain. Sound wonderful? Yes! But if you haven't won the lottery and a move to Tuscany isn't in your future, you can bring that warm Tuscan feel to your home (even if you live in Buffalo!). Here's how on a bargain budget:
1. Bring color and texture to your home with rich, earthy reds and oranges. If red is too much for you, try a warm muted yellow or creamy stucco.
2. Copper pots and copper trimmed baskets can still be found at thrift shops. Find dried flowers, artificial fruit and ivy to fill the pots and baskets for a taste of an Italian vineyard.
3. Look for terracotta pots and lots of them. Fill them with greenery (and a few artificial grapes) to create a Tuscan feel in your room. Arrange them in groups three or more!
4. Scavenge architectural features from salvage yards or garage sales. Old iron gates, windows or bits of railing can create rustic wall art.
5. Change your cabinet door fronts to chicken wire! Not only is it decorative, it is also practical (and cheap)!
6. Build a visual sense of having a grotto with tall artificial plants and a wrought iron archway to separate a special, intimate corner of the room. Check your local garden center for ideas!
7. Cover old picture frames with strips of leather cut from thrift shop coats. Wind the strips around the frame and secure the ends with a hot glue gun.
8. Mismatched ceramic and terracotta tiles can be arranged as a group on the wall or table. They can be used as coasters or trivets. Or they can be broken and used to make your own mosaic table top! Just add grout and tile to an old thrift-shop table!
9. Remember the old wrought iron accessories of the 60s? They are still available at thrift shops. They make wonderful additions to your Tuscan room!
10. To create the feeling of a courtyard indoors, install a fountain! A terracotta or stone-look fountain in the corner surrounded by plants and a small wrought iron table is a wonderful place to have breakfast. It's almost like being in Italy!
Have fun with your décor! Use your imagination to bring faraway places to your own home! Hmmmm..maybe I will do that Amazonian jungle bedroom I've always wanted!
Pamela Cole Harris is an editor, writer, eco-decorator and the author of "100+ Wildly Imaginative Ways to Create Your Own Coffee Table (available at http://www.lulu.com/pamelacoleharris . Visit her website, http://www.homeandgardenmakeover.com , for her unique view of home decorating and remodeling (and a free monthly newsletter!).
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