Stylish, well-built wooden furniture captures Tuscan design.
At the core of Tuscan design lies a centuries-old love of beauty, function and quality craftsmanship. This decor remains one of the most popular and timeless design styles. Images of charming rustic villages in Tuscany evoke design images of warm, vibrant colors, antiques and solid wood furniture that lasts. Does this Spark an idea?
Patio
A wooden old style ladderback bench with a woven seat coupled with two softly curved wrought iron chairs with hand-woven bamboo bottoms sitting atop a red saltillo tiled patio add warmth. A slate two-tier fountain transforms the space into an area of tranquility. Italians routinely adorn Tuscan patios with glazed handmade ceramic tile. The tiles often artistically tell a story of an old, Tuscan harbor by the sea, a village or a rural farmhouse, reveals Simon McBride in his book, "Tuscan Living." Adding a bowl of lifelike Italian marble fruit in a simple bone white porcelain bowl completes the Tuscan patio.
Bedroom
Lend an air of simple sophistication to a comfortable bedroom with a panel bed. The headboard sports an antique style acanthus (flowering plant) leaf molding in the center. Simple, yet elegant carvings that look like they originated from an old world furniture Italian carver's tool in his Tuscan wood shop adorn the headboard. Pair that with a matching night stand and console with a carved mirror, all in a pecan wood housing plenty of richly carved drawers for plenty of storage. Finish the look with an oval bowl draped in antiqued gold leaf to hold cosmetic brushes or potpourri atop the console and lamps with dijon color ceramic bases and cream color lampshades.
Living Room
An old world style camelback tan sofa and oversize chair featuring cushions draped in dark brown suede offer timeless decor to the living room. The sofa and chair come with espresso color wood carved legs and wood carvings on the back of the pieces with highlighted leaf emblems. Continuing the theme means adding some espresso end tables complemented by a glass top coffee table with carved legs. A rustic basket with books on Italian and Tuscan design atop the coffee table accent the simple wrought iron lamps.
Kitchen
Kitchens lie in the heart of Tuscan homes. Images of family gatherings with feastlike meals adorning farm tables serve as reminders of Italian kitchen design offering functionality and easy access. This includes pot racks hanging from the ceiling and spoon racks sitting on top of countertops. Red brick walls and hand glazed tiles atop countertops add to the rustic style. Aged-wood recycled from an old Italian barn add to the kitchen's richness. Open directory project, dmoz.org, lists Italian companies who sell recycled wood planks.
Tags: Tuscan design, carved legs, coffee table, with carved, wrought iron