The Tuscan Design Style

Tuscan architecture has a few signatures that are hard to miss. You know you've found a beautiful Tuscan style home by the arched doorways, stucco or pale stone exterior, and beautiful plaster and wood beam interiors. Tuscan design mixes creamy plaster walls, warmly stained wood beams, tall windows, and red clay tile. These homes tend to have red composite shingle or even red clay tile roofs and a mix of tile and hardwood floors. Tuscan homes are light and airy, and often feature a hidden courtyard as well as spacious, sundrenched rooms.

Materials for Tuscan designs and remodels favor plaster, terra cotta tiles, and warmly stained wood. If you want to make a space feel more Tuscan in style, consider a creamy yellowed off-white for the walls and framing (non-structural) beams added for effect. Other materials that often appear in Tuscan design are warmly colored ornate rugs, and wrought iron fixtures. Wood furniture is in, creamy overstuffed furniture stays, but Tuscan design favors optimal minimalism. 

As you may have guessed, the Tuscan color palette is warm and sun-drenched in its richness. Start with the creamy color of plaster with just a hint of yellow to bring those warm tones to life. Then choose a dark, rich stain for any wood elements after you clean and polish. Fabrics and patterns vary widely but often favor the look of a professor's study rather than an overly formal area. Consider both argyle and leather furniture on the list. Wrought iron is a common material choice for fixtures, alongside darker sateen and even matte finishes, which make the room softly glow when oil-polished.

The Tuscan furnishing style is based on family villas decorated over generations. There is no one furniture style but tends to combine classic upholstery with dark wood legs and frames. Plush armchairs and couches mix with spindly parlor chairs. Sturdy upholstered dining chairs and barstools are the norm, but mixed with heavy vintage coffee tables and rich, high-detail rugs. Tuscan style hangs draperies in airy archways and a touch of hanging greenery can transform the room to feel both indoor and outdoor. The only rule is to maintain each room's subtle color scheme. As for your decor, Tuscan style is one of the few that welcomes wall murals and unique wall textures. High detail pieces of decor including vases and bowls of flowers are common. Tuscan style also focuses on vintage and family decor, including antique mirrors, fine plate displays, and hand carved boxes are popular.

Lighting your Tuscan-designed home is an adventure all its own. Tuscan homes often have captivating lighting designed after traditional wrought iron Chandeliers and ornate hanging lanterns. Tall standing wrought iron lights with beautiful curling stands holding candles and lamps are a classic and somehow minimalist form of Tuscan decor, while recessed lights provide vivid illumination while maintaining your historic design ambiance.