Imagine... your home & garden transformed into "a little bit of Tuscany"…

Tuscan design elements are drawn from the earth as evidenced by the use of stone, marble, clay, tile, brick, wood, metal and water…

Tuscan style decorating allows us to weave these Tuscan elements into the fabric of our lives - to create a little bit of serenity, a little bit of peacefulness, a little bit of tranquility, a little bit of contentment…

As you create your Tuscan-inspired home, you will have an opportunity to design such a warm, welcoming space. Imagine the beauty, colors and textures - the landscape - of Tuscany.

Tuscan style brings us into close harmony with nature and all of its components. The massive stones are borne of the earth, and even man-made bricks begin with clay and water. The colors of Tuscany are golden, and reflect the sea and sky, from the rising sun’s brilliant yellows to the pink hues of its setting. The cozy browns of coffee, chocolate and earth impart soft warmth. Shades of green remind us of olive groves and the Tuscan hillsides. And who could forget the rusty reds of Italian spices and peppers, rich eggplant purples, and, of course, terracotta, the earth itself.

There is a generosity of space and a feeling of harmony with nature. ‘Bringing the outside in’ has become a design cliché, but it is the very soul of Tuscan style. Even the oldest buildings in Tuscany feature windows in numbers obviously not only dictated by necessity, but rather indicating a conscious effort to welcome light into the spaces.

Tuscany also gives us the cool elegance of marble, the sophistication and purity of limestone, and the permanent strength and power of granite. Add in the intrinsic metallic values of copper, gold, iron and pewter and you have a complete picture of Tuscan style.

The overall effect is of strength, permanence, symmetry, balance, and harmony. Clever and knowledgeable modern builders/architects have learned how to weave the ancient concepts of the Tuscan builders into modern design. Using updated materials, they have been able to adapt the most basic elements of Tuscan style in order to meet the requirements of today’s savvy designers. After all, no matter how lovely an authentic Tuscan structure might be, it most certainly would not be the comfortable, practical home a twenty-first century home owner would want!

It’s no wonder that North Americans, as well as many other western cultures, with our (relatively) short histories, are craving a sense of antiquity, a longing for the rustic beauty, warmth, and functionality of Tuscan style. Discriminating homeowners are demanding not only design excellence, but also quality materials and furnishings to carry out those designs.

Be bold - and courageously imaginative in your Tuscan decorating.

Excerpt from Decorating in the Tuscan Style, the 162-page eBook packed with tips and techniques (and lots of photos) to help you transform your home and garden into the heart and soul of Tuscany. To learn more about Tuscan decor, visit http://www.intheTuscanstyle.com.