HOMES & GARDENS


a worn, well-loved look. Often walls are painted with a soft white or grey, while accent colours and natural woods and stone provide interesting contrasts. Venetian plaster is a technique for adding texture and colour to new walls. Ceilings have dark open timbers.


If you live in an old farmhouse you probably have the original low ceilings which can easily make your interior look small and dark. To bring extra light into the room, try leaving the windows uncovered to take advantage of natural light. Homes incorporating a Tuscan


style decor often use wide wood plank or timber board flooring, rough stone, unevenly-coloured terracotta bricks, or clay tiles. Antique rugs add warmth and colour.


FURNITURE


The furniture is usually of straight, simple lines made from rough- sawn local woods. Accents of tile, wrought iron, and marble are common. To achieve the worn look, new pieces of dark woods or pine are often “distressed” at the factory. Open cupboards and armoires


are found in almost any room and are used for dishes, linens, and clothes. Door fronts are often left open. But if you want to be more authentic you can add a curtain or cover the opening with mesh or decorative wire.


KITCHEN


No Tuscan style kitchen is complete without a long, family- style wooden table. Add a large bowl filled with fresh fruit to add colour. Brightly coloured tablecloths are a common addition in Tuscan kitchens. Open shelves and free-standing


cupboards provide storage in a Tuscan style kitchen and a place to display ceramics and pottery. Display copper pots from a wrought iron rack or on your old stone walls, use terracotta containers as accents and storage, and add colour with majolica dinnerware. Incorporate Tuscan themes in accent touches in your kitchen with displays of pasta in glass jars, a braid of onions or garlic, jars of olives, and flowers. A kitchen sink is made of natural


stone or porcelain but you can be creative and add an old trough for your kitchen sink. Cabinet and sink hardware are often of dark wrought iron. Dish drains and racks can be found directly above the kitchen sink in most Tuscan homes.


OUTDOOR


Outdoor spaces are very important to anyone living in Tuscany and your home must include a patio, loggia, or portico whenever possible. During summer and warmer months, these spaces are generally used more often than the inside of the home. Water is a critical element in


Tuscan style decorating and many homes have a water fountain in the central courtyard surrounded by beautiful, wild greenery. Tall, graceful cypress trees swaying in the breeze are a classically Tuscan look. Walkways, driveways, and


garden paths are set with stone or brick. Nature is allowed to take its course and grass grows up between the stones. Oftentimes, planters are built directly into the walls so that colourful flowers can be added to brighten and offset the neutral tones.


THE TUSCAN MAGAZINE | 23


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68