Transport Your Kitchen to Italy with These Tuscany-Inspired Kitchens
Are you considering a Tuscany-inspired kitchen? The very mention of Tuscany conjures up warm, welcoming images of hospitable people, delicious food, and fine wines, so it’s only natural that people would want to emulate the Tuscan region in their kitchens. Here, we offer some suggestions to help you import the feeling of Tuscany into your own home’s kitchen.
- Bathe your kitchen in warm, earthy tones. Full of earthy neutrals that reflect the colors of the region, Tuscan kitchens also incorporate warm, bright hues as well. Play with color in your kitchen, perhaps using red clay tiles on the floor and filling your kitchen’s palette with vibrant yellows, reds, and Mediterranean blues as well as beiges and rich browns.
- Choose rich, natural, wood. The Tuscan aesthetic is full of wood, from exposed wooden beams in the ceilings to hardwoods on the floors to wooden furniture in the room. Fill your kitchen with wooden cabinetry, leave your structural beams exposed, or choose wood-lined walls instead of paint to add this warm, natural texture to your kitchen.
- Incorporate rustic touches. Tuscan kitchens are beautiful, but they’re also earthy, warm, and inviting. To conjure up that atmosphere, use rustic aspects like a wrought-iron chandelier, a woven storage basket, a rustic range hood, or an antique kitchen island. Steer clear of big box stores as much as possible when designing your kitchen, to give it a homey, unique feel.
- Build in an interesting feature. Create an eat-in space, perhaps a large bar where people can lounge while you cook. Or invest in charming Tuscan touches like a pizza oven or a dramatic Tuscan range hood, surrounded by stone walls or brick archways.
- Play around with tile. Tile is prominent in Tuscany, and while matte terracotta is favored over glossier options, beautiful, printed tiles from the nearby Mediterranean are also welcome in a Tuscan kitchen, as long as they’re balanced with Tuscan motifs. Looking for something subtler? Off-white backsplash tiles or sculpted ceramic tiles in solid, neutral colors in matte finish can add interest without adding color. You can also use stones like limestone, sandstone, or travertine in your backsplash to give it an understated Tuscan feel. On the other hand, if you want to make a big impact, consider a tile mural backsplash that depicts the Italian countryside!
- Bring the outside inside. Tuscan homes often have expansive indoor/outdoor spaces, and while that’s not always possible in a kitchen design, you can give a nod to it by incorporating natural elements. Fill the kitchen with plants, grow an herb garden in your window, and use fresh flowers and bowls of oranges to add color. You can also simply leave the windows open, inviting a breeze.
- Make a statement with your stove. The stove is the center of the kitchen, and cooking is such a major part of Tuscan culture that your stove should be a show-stopper. Consider lining the backsplash behind the stove with Tuscan marble or mounting a clay family crest above it.
- Invest in an archway. Arches loom large in Tuscan architecture, so it’s only fitting that your Tuscan kitchen should incorporate at least one. Build a brick-lined archway between the kitchen and dining room or go all out with an arched brick ceiling with exposed wood beams.
When you’re ready to design your perfect Tuscan kitchen, Capitol Design Build can help. We’ve been performing custom remodeling since 1989 and building custom, high-end homes in the Washington DC Metropolitan Area for 29 years. We serve businesses and individuals in Virginia, Washington D.C, and Maryland, meeting every need from kitchen renovation and bathroom remodeling to custom home design and building. With experience spanning many disciplines, including engineering, design, remodeling, construction, and customer service, we look forward to working with you. Feel free to shop our website, call us at (703) 436-2069, or contact us online for a free, no-obligation estimate.