Decorating a Tuscan Style Living Room

Tuscan design elements include barreled ceilings, rough, natural stone walls and arched doorways, so if your living room already has those elements, lucky you! If your living room is more of the white, square box variety, that shouldn’t stop you from dreaming of your own Under the Tuscan Sun inspired area of respite in your own home. Applying the Tuscan style of décor is pretty easy once you understand exactly what Tuscan style is.

When it comes to furniture, truly authentic Tuscan style furniture is simple in structure and design. In spite of it’s simplicity, it’s very beautiful and exudes a casual elegance. It’s made from materials like old or very fine hardwoods, leather and iron. You might choose a beautiful side chair made out of a reclaimed wood material. It’s seating could be fashioned out of a well-beaten leather, and there may or may not be beautiful accents like bits of copper or iron. You may want to hide your not-very-Tuscan plasma away inside of a hand-painted hutch or specially-made TV cabinet.

Hand-painted furniture is another signature of Tuscan style so you may use this as mentioned above in your TV cabinet, or with side chairs or accent pieces. If you’re in a home without small children, you could consider a marble coffee table made with wood accents. It could be a creamy white, fashioned from a Carrara, or you can go with an inky black surface.

When people think of Tuscan-inspired décor, they immediately think of warm, earthy colors that have a sunset colored base of yellows and oranges. When thinking of colors for the room, include all the colors of the Mediterranean, including bronzes, olives, aqua blues, burnt siennas, etc. If you prefer crisp white walls, you can still add some Tuscan authenticity by introducing colors in other ways. Throw pills in Mediterranean colors can warm up a white sofa and white walls in an instant, especially when accompanied by throw colors in the same hues.

When referring to Tuscan fabrics, you're referencing things like complex woven fabrics fashioned into stunning wall tapestries, or fabrics with damask patters, all in classic Tuscan shades. A brilliantly colored wall tapestry would make a striking piece of art in any living room, particularly a Tuscan-inspired one. Don’t be afraid to layer fabrics, textures and colors, but balance these hues out with areas of calm. A soft, yellow wall functions perfectly as a backdrop, and gives a room that warm vibe Tuscan décor is famous for.

Extend the Tuscan influence to your choice of floor coverings. Warm wood flooring is common in many Tuscan homes and is gorgeous when accented with rugs woven through with classic Tuscan colors like ochre, rust, gold and bronze.

You may not have the elaborately carved doors and windows of a Tuscan villa, but you can still re-create that feeling by adding carved iron accent pieces and accessories above doors and windows.

You’ll find colorful pieces of earthenware and pottery throughout a Tuscan designed home. A large urn or vessel placed alongside a sofa or next to a cabinet creates a beautiful design piece. Use colorful painted clay plates to serve snacks or to hold decorative knick-knacks.