The colors of nature are at the heart of Italian decor.
An Italian style kitchen borrows colors from the Tuscany region of Italy and pairs them with the patina of age and wear found naturally in centuries old villas and quaint European farm houses. Use these elements to carry the Italian Old World theme from your kitchen to your living room. Does this Spark an idea?
Colors
Chances are your Tuscan style kitchen features earth tones like muted orange, gold, brown, green, yellow and dove white, highlighted with more intense hues like tomato red, sunflower yellow and the bright blue of the Mediterranean sky. Choose a palette for your living room from one or two muted colors drawn from the kitchen. Punch it up with the same intense accent colors that make the kitchen pop. For example, paint your walls a subdued olive or sage green, but give them a punch of color with artwork featuring bright yellows and reds. Or upholster the furniture with neutral linen fabric, and give it a lift with throws and pillows in patterns of yellow, Mediterranean blue and grass green.
Walls
The walls in Tuscan or Italian style decorating mimic the look and texture of plaster or stucco applied centuries ago and patched and painted over time. If your kitchen walls have this Old World look, carry it through to the living room. Applying plaster or textured paint to all the living room walls might be overkill, but an accent wall featuring these Old World techniques naturally draws the eye from the kitchen to the living room. Old World kitchens also feature stone walls, and you can capture this look with a fireplace constructed of fieldstone or cobblestone.
Floors
A true Tuscan kitchen has stone, tile or brick floors. If your kitchen floor features one of these authentic materials, carry it through the living room and warm the floor with oriental style area rugs. Wood flooring works with all of these and offers a more conventional and less personal choice that might appeal more to potential buyers if you intend to sell your house in the future.
Furniture
Tuscan style furniture is heavy and dark. Wooden pieces like armoires, china cabinets and tables are often trimmed with wrought iron, copper or bronze. When choosing living room furniture, take into account the wood and trim in your kitchen and carry them through into the living room. For example, if the kitchen has a pot rack featuring copper cookware, buy furniture trimmed with copper. If your kitchen cabinets have wrought iron hardware, choose furniture with wrought iron embellishments. Soften the mood with distressed leather club chairs and luxurious overstuffed couches covered with upholstery in colors that tie together the other colors in the room. If your kitchen has an island or snack bar with upholstered stools, use the same upholstery on a piece in the living room.
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