You can bring the charming ambiance of Old Italy into your kitchen with Italian farmhouse décor.
Home décor is an easy way to travel around the world and visit places we normally would never see. The right furniture, paint, wall accents and accessories can transport us to such places as Medieval Europe, Ancient Greece, a tropical island or the mysterious Orient. We can choose to live in country comfort or racy modern sparkle. We can opt for light and breezy or dark, heavy and cozy. Each room in the house is special and needs special treatment, from the living room to the bedroom to the bathroom, den and kitchen. One decorative theme that appeals to the senses of sight, smell, taste and touch, is the colorful Italian countryside, and there is no better room in which to use this rich décor than the kitchen.
A visit to the Tuscan countryside is a step back into time when people worked hard in the sun, fruit and vegetables were fresh, and meals were shared with friends and neighbors around a table decked with freshly cut flowers. The colorful fields of central Italy are bright, bold, rich, and plentiful. An Italian farmhouse kitchen will capture the shades and ambiance of that countryside and bring it inside to please family and guests.
The central player in any Italian farmhouse kitchen is the big wooden table. Plain, simple, and nondescript, the table must be long and sturdy, with several matching ladder-back wooden chairs pulled in all around. A tablecloth is optional, but if one is chosen, it should be red checked, white, white lace, or just a lace runner down the center. The centerpiece for the table is the centerpiece for the room, and it will offset the simplicity of the table so make it bold: a large sturdy, colorful pottery vase of freshly cut sunflowers, a heavy pottery bowl full of fresh fruit, or a thick, colorful candle or array of candles.
The floor of the farmhouse kitchen should be red or brown ceramic tiles with no glaze, to capture the feel of old cobblestone streets or rustic town squares. A simple rug is optional. If there's room, a sturdy wooden chopping block can be set in a corner, and when it's not in use, make it pretty with pottery, a bottle of wine with some glasses, or, as always, fresh fruit.
Cabinets in the farmhouse kitchen can be rough, and stained dark, but the walls will compliment the darkness with a rich gold or creamy ivory, painted with a stucco look. Open beams above should be stunningly dark against the white ceiling. Fruity colors are the signature look of the Italian countryside and should be used in abundance, but mostly in the form of accessories. One color is never enough when in Italy, so add a decorative trim of dark blue or red around the top of the wall near the ceiling, and even around windows and doorways. Accessories may include pots of flowers, hanging plants, fruit, fruit, and more fruit. Paintings of fruit, vegetables and freshly baked pies and hams can adorn the walls, giving the taste of a specially prepared meal. Dishes and glasses should be heavy and colorful, to hold big meals that guests will linger over for hours.
Window treatments are scarce, other than perhaps some wispy lace or a pull back in an earthy color like tan or beige. The focus of the walls should be the cabinets and the beautiful paintings and prints. Countertops will finish the look with brightly colored or white tiles, holding a large, useful and colorful canister set.
Many of us will never experience the charm of Old Italy, but you can bring the charming ambiance into your kitchen with an Italian farmhouse décor, and feel as though you've magically been transported to Tuscany.
