With its open, airy feel, the Italian style reflects a love of nature, simplicity, history and friendship. Homeowners can recreate this theme by using natural colors and textures to contrast simple backgrounds with warm furniture selections and rich accents from accessories.

Italian Decorating

Establish the Italian theme with appropriate floor and wall surfaces. Use wood or parquet, bricks and stone for the floors in living and bedroom areas. Dress up entry areas, living rooms and bathrooms with marble. If desired, use terracotta, unglazed or ceramic tiles, decorated or plain, throughout the house. Ceramic tiles can also be used as backsplashes and coverings for walls and appliances, providing a personalized, sanitary touch to bathrooms and kitchens. Floorings suitable for a tight budget include laminate flooring resembling hardwood and vinyl. Keep wall colorings simple. Modern homeowners can duplicate traditional white plaster walls, or tint walls with terracotta, yellow ochre, burnished orange or burnt sienna. For a bolder Tuscan feel, leave bare brick walls in some rooms. Furnish the house with items made from wood, leather or wrought iron. Select oak, chestnut or cherry furniture with natural, dull finishes; avoid mahogany. Refinish new furniture with antiquing or crackling techniques to enhance their historic feel. Create a focal point in the kitchen with a large centered wooden table, surrounded by wooden chairs with woven straw seats or interesting stools. Add wooden cabinets, sideboards and buffets for storage. For the bedroom, choose wrought iron beds and wooden dressers, chests or cabinets. Italian artisans also create stone and iron tables which can be used in many rooms. Upholstered and decorated furniture require extra attention to maintain the Italian decorating theme. Select upholstery fabric with high-quality colors, designs and manufacturing. Bold damasks and silks contrast well with the simple, stark wall colors, as do fabrics hinting at grapevines or wrought-iron patterns. Chairs painted in soft antique yellow, olive green, blue or gold bring nature indoors. Be careful to emphasize natural, rustic colors and keep the overall feel uncluttered and understated. Lighting plays an important role in Italian design. Allow as much natural light into the house as possible. Leave large windows uncovered. Alternatively, use only light, gauzy curtains in solid or striped prints, or use wooden shutters for a traditional feel. Select lighting fixtures with a rough, rustic feel, such as black, cast-iron, or hand-blown chandeliers, sconces or candlesticks. Accessories top off Italian design. Rugs, pillows, artwork, wall hangings, baskets, plants and flowers offset the natural colors in floors, walls and furniture. Set flowers such as Tuscan roses, geraniums, hydrangea in metal urns and terracotta plants. Train climbing vines such as clematis or jasmine on patio walls or indoor balusters. Grow potted herbs such as sweet basil and rosemary on the patio or in the kitchen for both fragrance and function. Potted lemon or olive trees add shade and scent to patios, and other fruit trees can be planted in the garden for additional touches. Display tableware, porcelain or other collectibles in austere wood cabinets to highlight their colors and textures. Other decorative elements suitable to Italian design include wicker baskets holding fruits and vegetables, glass bottles of vinegar or oil, copper pots, vases full of twigs, rock paperweights, grapevine wreaths, iron wine racks, folk art samples, banners or tapestries, light switch covers made from natural woods, and faux wooden beams on the ceiling.

Source:

"The Art of Interior Design;" Suzanne Woloszynska; 2001

Italian Interior Design: An Introduction