This week will wrap up the series on home decor styles.  So far I’ve covered Country/Shabby Chic, Modern/Contemporary, Traditional, Eclectic/Transitional, Mission/Period, Coastal/Themed rooms and last week Victorian/Romantic.  If there is a style you’re interested in that I didn’t cover, let me know and I’ll cover it in another article.

What Defines Tuscan Style?

For many years Tuscan design was the go-to style for designers – residences, model homes, even offices and exteriors.  It’s a very liveable style and easy to incorporate as much or as little of the style as you like into your space.  When you imagine Tuscany (even if you’ve never been there), you likely think of charming old villas that sit amid fields of grapes or olives.  Hold that image and that feeling of age and tradition and warmth as you develop a Tuscan design.

• Textured or faux finished walls
• Deep rich earth colors of golds, browns, olive green, rust
• Fabrics with texture like tapestry, chenille and velvet, worn leather
• Dark chunky woods, distressed and showing signs of age; wood beams & casements
• Curved wrought iron in table bases or chandeliers
• Use of natural stone: fireplace, floors, walls
• Accessories with grapes and/or leaf motif

These two rooms from Good Housekeeping reflect a Tuscan look in several ways:  warm color palette, a dense pattern on the textured seats of the dining chairs, the use of curved iron details, and dark distressed woods to name a few.

This Tuscan kitchen is brimming with old world style from the cabinets to the lighting, from the ceiling beams to the seating.

Although slightly streamlined for a bit more modern look, this room still represents a Tuscan aesthetic with the stone floor, island detailing, great oversized lanterns and the bar seating.

This Tuscan inspired model home I designed has the beautiful faux finished walls to give that old world texture (actually it’s wallpaper!).  The color palette harkens to the fields of Tuscany, complete with the grape color.  Rich woods (with a little hand painted designs), wrought iron, chunky ceramic accessories, and artwork evocative of the area all contribute to the feeling. 

Global Home Decor

Do you have an appreciation of design aesthetics from other parts of the world?  Swedish, African, Asian, Moroccan?  Whether you incorporate just a few elements or embrace the culture and design entirely, bringing global influences into home decor is a strong design trend in 2010 (and moving forward, I’m sure).  Last year I wrote a forecasting article (read it here) that says, “Since most other cultures of the world embrace color and pattern and texture much more than we do, this is always a bold, dynamic look.  Rich jewel tones are the cornerstone of any global design (with perhaps the exception of Asian influenced palettes).”

• Vivid, bold, rich colors in fabrics and on the walls
• Lively patterns and mix them boldly
• Use black to anchor and quiet the bold colors
• Informal
• Use patterned area rugs to tie together the patterns and colors
• “Themed” or traditional accessories from the culture

Always a design style favorite, Asian style is peaceful, calming, simple and dramatic.  It uses natural elements, simple shapes and textures and lots of wood - sometimes natural, sometimes lacquered black.

 African artifacts, a yummy rusty wall color and a room filled with natural textures and greens sets the scene in this African inspired room decor.

Another interpretation of an African inspired room with bold patterns and textures.

Following are 2 Moroccan inspired rooms featuring the bright colors favored in that culture.  The style also relies on lots of pillows (in a mix of vivid colors), curtains, carved wood decor, a splash of sparkle with sequins or mirrors and sheer and satiny fabric textures.

 

Which Style For You?

After reading and seeing pictures of all the many possible style options in home decor, which is your favorite?  Which one speaks to you?  Clean lines and simple profiles might lead you to contemporary or maybe a little Asian.  Comfort, softness, a little lace or beading might lead you to Victorian or maybe a slight shabby chic style.  Most of us find we actually are most comfortable with a mix of styles.  Hopefully these articles helped you figure out which styles those might be and how they might work together.

This article concludes the series on home design styles.  If there’s one you’re interested in or need some help to develop in your home, just write and let us know.  You can email us at solutions@yourdecoratinghotline.com or leave a comment below (click on Comment after the ads).  As always, we love to hear from you.