Three Design Elements to Help You Create a Tuscan-Inspired Kitchen

The relaxed, country style appeal of the Tuscan interior design style exudes a warm and cheerful atmosphere in any part of the home. For these reasons, this style has enjoyed tremendous popularity over the years, especially in the kitchen. Its hallmark characteristic is its rustic charm derived from objects that are easily found in the rolling hills of the wine-producing Italian countryside. From painting your walls a light beige to hanging simple metal wall artworks, you too can have a Tuscan kitchen!

When one thinks of the Tuscan countryside, two things immediately come to mind: food and wine. These are the two basic features of the Italian country lifestyle. In decorating your kitchen, you don't need to be too literal in transferring this design aesthetic in your home. What you can do is borrow some of the more obvious elements and give them a unique interpretation while still adhering to the basic design features. For example, given the integral role of wine, you can add touches of leaf-inspired designs like those found in metal artworks such as wall grilles and wine racks. For those who want to evoke the same rustic appeal in their kitchens, we have created a simple list of must-have design elements to create a Tuscan-inspired kitchen.

Colors: Given that the rustic farmhouses of the Tuscan region are traditionally made out of ubiquitous materials, the color palette therefore uses more warm, natural, and earthy tones such as beige, light yellow, brown, and white among others. In your kitchen, you can easily incorporate this by painting walls in these colors, using matching cookware in the same color palette, or showcasing a prominent display of crockery in open shelves and other clearly visible areas. Take note that the colors should not be limited to just this color scheme; unless you want your kitchen to look monochromatic and boring, consider adding splashes of red, mustard, or lavender here and there.

Fabrics: Wherever possible, use fabrics that are reminiscent of those used in the countryside. As a rule, cotton and lace are the typical fabrics used in Tuscan-style interior design. For the more traditional ones, revel in using dainty lace curtains and tablecloths as well as beige damasks and chintz. However, if you are not particularly fond of these difficult to maintain fabrics, limit the inspiration to just the windows. This will give the same effect. In choosing curtains and draperies, you may use those with colors such as those mentioned above. For the bolder ones, feel free to use rust, deep cherry, and bright yellow.

Accent Pieces: In the old times, accessories found in an Italian country home should be practical and built to last. Simplicity was the norm. Thus, it was not uncommon for kitchens to dominantly feature simple metal or wooden wine racks. However, if you do not have the space nor the inclination to collect wines, you can simply choose to hang copper pots, handmade baskets or ornate wall grilles. The deep, earthy colors and leaf-inspired designs of these metal artworks can easily fit into a Tuscan-inspired kitchen.