Have you always dreamed of going on vacation to Italy? It’s hard to think of Italy without automatically thinking of food, especially all the amazing foods that are so distinctive of Italy. Even if you can’t go to Italy, you can bring Italy into your life by using Tuscan kitchen designs in your home decor.

Tuscan kitchen designs focus on bringing the warmth and comfort that is a part of Italy into your home. You can easily achieve this by thinking of the colors and textures that are so common in Italy, especially in the Tuscany region.

First of all, a central theme of Tuscan kitchen designs is a focus on light. Tuscan style begins with warm colors and lots of sunlight. The basic colors of Italian cuisine include colors such as sienna, terracotta, sepia, and the colors of the golden sun. If you have a large window in the kitchen, you’ll want to expose it with curtains to let in as much natural light as possible. Another great option is to consider carefully placed skylights.

Italy is also the land of amazing pottery, ceramics, statues and terraces. When you incorporate these elements into Tuscan kitchen design, your kitchen becomes a welcome center of the home. You can add these Tuscan touches by including mosaics, wrought iron, textured plaster walls, ceramics, and Italian-style tableware.

Another element of Tuscan kitchen designs is casual elegance. Tuscan kitchen designs incorporate a lot of natural wood, such as dark stained oak or natural pine. In Italian kitchens, you’ll find some open cabinetry, hanging pot racks, and large family tables. Sometimes the kitchen table is worn with many scratches and nicks. This doesn’t detract from the beauty of the table, but instead encourages the perception that the kitchen is the center of the family, used for discussions, projects, and of course all those important family meals. The scratches give the wood an antique look that is so common in Tuscan kitchen design.

One technique that combines some of the standard Tuscan kitchen design elements and basic kitchen colors is to consider plastering your kitchen walls with a tinted glaze. The plaster creates that traditional Italian plaster look, while the colored glaze adds warmth to the walls. A glaze will look different at various times of the day and will reflect sunlight throughout the kitchen.

When it comes to accessorizing your kitchen, think about items like a marble sink or farmhouse sink. Ceramic or terracotta tiles add warmth, or hardwood floors are another option to create that traditional Tuscan feel.

Tuscan kitchens encourage a family to gather in the kitchen and enjoy the warmth and comfort of cooking. It is a beautiful and popular look for kitchens today.