Bring Tuscan charm into your home with this rustic Italian decor trend
As we welcome more and more natural tones and textures into our homes, the sun-drenched, crumbling stone and rustic charm of Tuscany is a growing inspiration point for interior design.
Appealing to both minimalist and maximalist interior fans, the muted tones, textured accessories and time-worn aesthetic of Tuscany can be dialled up or pared back to your own taste.
Central to this style is mixing old and new, similar to shabby chic styling or cottagecore decor for a look that feels timeless and chic.
What is Tuscan-style decor?
Drawn from the natural landscape that surrounds this region of central Italy, Tuscan decor is centred on the rich tones of sun-baked stones and browns, terracotta tiles and olive groves. Naturally sourced materials such as wood, linen, rattan and even rope provide plenty of rustic character and charm.
The Tuscan look is all about creating a sense of sunny warmth in your home, with decor on the slightly darker shade, reminiscent of seeking shade from the Italian heat.
Keep the main furniture items sturdy and simple, then add interest with wooden accents, earthenware crockery and ornaments and soft furnishings in velvet, linen and heavy cotton.
If your home isn't a tiled Tuscan villa, don't worry! There are plenty of ways to introduce the Tuscan vibe to your space. Follow our five-point guide below and welcome Italian warmth and style to your home, whether its a new-build or a period property.
Tuscan decor inspiration
Use warm colours
Deep yellows, terracottas, rusty reds and warm creams are the central shades of this look, with olive, sage and forest greens providing a hit of freshness. Keep the greens slightly muted to match the timeworn shades of the earthy shades.
Houseplants are a great way to provide this green hit. Consider eucalyptus, Mother in Law's tongue and Swiss cheese plant for their darker tones. These plants are also pretty hardy, so don't require a lot of care.
Create an indoor oasis with houseplants in terracotta and stoneware pots to whisk you away to the tranquility of a villa in the sun.
Bolder colours such as cobalt blue, deep purple or cool turquoise can be introduced to the scheme, but it's best to limit these to accent colours.
Soft furnishings are a great option for adding warmth in both texture and colour – rust-toned cushions and rugs or a muted mustard sofa will all lift a cream scheme.
For a more muted take on the sun-baked colourway, choose warm creams and pale terracottas to inject a more subtle level of warmth into your space.
Rather than bright white, creams, stones and pale tans offer a more gentle, sun-kissed background colour for your home's interior.
Introduce lots of natural materials
Tuscan décor features a lot of natural wood. Darker wood is mostly used across the ceiling beams, furniture and flooring, with lighter woods appearing on accent pieces or accessories.
Heavy, sturdy pieces provide the feeling of rustic charm, so opt for thicker legs on sofas, tables and chairs with simple designs and few details.
Add comfort to the wooden furniture with soft furnishings in cream, pale grey and stone tones, with linen or velvet to maximise the texture.
Porcelain, marble and stone also feature a lot in Tuscan decor, which you can introduce to your own home through countertops and tiles.
Choose warmer-toned tiles and marble or marble-effect surfaces, which can then guide your wall and flooring choices in the rest of the room.
Cream and aged white work better in a Tuscan scheme than brilliant white, as they will keep the look feeling more subdued and timeless.
When it comes to accessories, choose ceramics, earthenware and wood for your ornaments and styling. Display milk jugs, vases, ceramic plates and sculpted curios on open shelving or from wall hooks to add interest to the scheme.
As Tuscan decor is a celebration of rustic tradition, vintage and well-loved pieces will add lots of personality to the space. Create a truly unique and personal space with your own items, or search for retro finds in antique and charity shops and reclamation yards.
Exposed wooden and stone floors
To keep Tuscan homes (and their residents!) cool in the hot summer sun, floors are exposed. Flooring materials include rugged stone, wood, tile and marble.
For a more budget-friendly take on the exposed look, you could use LVT or laminate tiled or wooden flooring, which create the same visual effect but are easier to maintain and warmer underfoot for colder climes.
Choose a darker wood stain for the flooring, and brighten it up with a warm cream on your walls and window treatments.
Marble or marble-effect flooring and tiles is an opulent take on the exposed floor, and will create a sense of grandeur throughout your home.
Choose a design that contains a vein in a warmer or cream tone, which will pick up with the other cream and stone shades in the scheme and prevent the look from feeling too modern.
Stripped-back walls and textures
Raw plaster and stonework are a key feature of traditional Tuscan homes. Similar to Spanish-style homes, vintage Tuscan homes have thick plaster walls, with the mottled plaster left exposed for texture and colour. In older Tuscan homes, frescos, murals and tapestries provide further colour and interest.
If you don't want to make pink plaster a permanent fixture in your home, you can recreate the plaster look with patterned wallpaper or simply create the effect of raw plaster. This will achieve the aged effect of Tuscan terracotta, however old your property!
To prevent the mottled look feeling too dark, brighten it with mood lighting in the form of standard lamps or table lights. Rattan and linen shades tie in perfectly with the rustic feel.
Celebrate rustic features, such as wrought iron and ceramics
Running throughout each of these style principles is maximising the use of rustic features within the space. As well as wooden flooring and furniture and terracotta elements, wrought iron is a prominent feature in Tuscan décor.
From iron lamps and light fixtures to bannisters, curtain rods and beds, iron adds an element of toughness to the soft, crumbling tones of a Tuscan farmhouse.
Create contrast in your own home with black metal pieces layered up with cosy textures, such as a black wicker chair with a linen tasselled cushion.
Give a wooden dining table a metallic edge with wire or metal dining chairs and a wrought iron candelabra. Or keep it sharp and classic in the bedroom with a wrought iron bed paired with linen textiles and light walls for a soothing scheme.
Lastly, clay and terracotta are the hallmarks of Tuscan decor. From sun-cracked roof tiles to traditional water jugs and tableware, these elements are abundant in Tuscan homes and are a quick win for your own styling efforts.
Choose an unglazed finish on your ceramic finds for that rustic edge, while chipped or cracked pieces create a sense of history, each with their own story to tell.
Place your task lighting near these clay pieces to illuminate their uneven texture and create a languid mood to cast you away to a Tuscan sunset.
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