And the clutter that seemed “cozy” during the cold winter months? Well, that just has to GO.

Luckily, there’s a beautiful way to contain those little room necessities, and keep them neatly out of sight but close at hand. Container sets, such as our Nested Round Boxes with Lids, serve both form and function. The lattice design is fresh, the natural sea grass offers a rustic yet sophisticated feel, and the cutouts make them easily portable and nicely detailed. In three graduated sizes, there’s a place to store everything from knitting yarn and crossword puzzles to a cashmere throw for those chilly evenings.

While storage solutions are a necessity, when thoughtfully chosen to compliment decor they act as harbingers of gracious living. As display pieces these boxes make a impact when grouped together, and provide a lovely backdrop for a table full of family photos or a visual anchor for a soaring floral display. In any of a myriad of uses, this set is a wonderful addition to any Tuscan home!

From blooming bulbs to sunlight streaming through open windows, spring brings beauty and inspiration. Here at Tuscan Home we’ve decided to pay homage to spring by bringing in some of our own muses from the Casa Cristina line.

Over the next few weeks it will be our pleasure to introduce you to the style, beauty and functionality of these inspiring creations. We start with a lovely embossed planter set.

Works of art in their own right, these planters gleam with a warm patina that hearkens to the welcoming terracotta doorways that line the cobblestone roads of many a Tuscany hillside village.

Bring them into your decor and fill them with an evergreen plant. Better yet bring even more of the Tuscan sensibility into your home with a Dwarf Meyer Lemon tree. The fragrant blooms will fill your home with the sweet smell of spring and summer. The tree can become both a focal point and a conversation starter.

Enjoy spending time in the kitchen? How about potting an indoor lavender bush or rosemary. The Casa Cristina planter brings the “taste” while the herbs bring the flavor into your kitchen.

Spring is such a great inspiration for us. What inspires you?

Chandeliers
Overhead lighting is one of the hallmarks of a well-appointed dining room, specifically a chandelier. For Tuscan décor, the trick is to find a chandelier that blends in with the traditions of timeless elegance, natural beauty, and rustic style. When you’re looking for an Italian-inspired light fixture for your dining room, here are a few rules of thumb:
• Wrought-iron, oil-rubbed bronze, and other dark metals work well, but overly shiny metals like brass typically look too new to coordinate with the timeworn nature of Tuscan style.
• Glass, especially frosted, hand-blown, or bubbled types, can add visual interest to a Mediterranean-country style chandelier, but cut crystal is typically too ornate and showy for Tuscan décor.
• Candlestick-style chandeliers offer an antique appearance that can be a great complement for the classic styles and furnishings of your Tuscan dining room.

Candlelight
Candlelight is always a great option when you’re trying to create a softly lit dining atmosphere. Candles also add that feeling of old-fashioned living, perfect for connecting to the traditions of ancient Tuscany. Your options for candelabras and candleholders are extensive, so you should be able to easily find candlesticks that go with the natural, timeless elements of Tuscan style. One creative use for candlelight in your dining room is to put in candle wall sconces. Usually featuring hurricane lamps in wrought iron bases, these unique candleholders create great visual interest as well as Tuscan-style lighting.

But remember, candles alone may not put out enough light, especially for evening meals served after the sun has set. Used together with a beautiful Tuscan chandelier, candles can create atmosphere while the overhead light provides additional illumination!

For Tuscan-style candleholders, furniture, and other accessories, visit Tuscan Home Décor & Design today. We’re your resource for affordable Tuscan décor online.

Here are some of my favorite ways to use wrought iron in the dining room:

Lighting: Every dining room needs a chandelier. But instead of opting for a Victorian-style crystal confection, why not choose wrought iron! There are a number of great looks available in wrought iron chandeliers, including candelabra styles, designs with glass globes, and more. Wrought iron wall sconces are also a great way to infuse a more traditional Tuscan style into your dining room. They look great flanking a sideboard or even a piece of art and can help create a focal point in the space.

Décor: Wrought iron is the perfect choice for decorative plate racks, candleholders, and other finishing touches for your dining room. Available in truly limitless designs, wrought iron accessories can help round out the style of your room without detracting from its Tuscan feel.

Furniture: Tables, chairs, and serving pieces can all be found in fantastic wrought iron designs. For that truly authentic Tuscan ambience, opt for wrought iron furnishings with marble or wood tops (glass tops are too modern for most Mediterranean-inspired dining rooms).

No matter how you choose to use wrought iron in your Tuscan dining room, its sturdy construction and old-fashioned appeal are sure to generate a traditional Italian vibe that makes you feel as though you’ve just stepped into a Tuscan villa!

Tuscan Home Décor & Design is your online marketplace for fine Tuscan-inspired accents and furnishings at a great price. Visit us today to check out our great selection.

Tuscan earthenware can also be a fabulous accent for your living room. Too often, people think that pottery and stoneware dinnerware can only be used in the kitchen or dining room. But the truth of the matter is that it can also become a gorgeous Tuscan accessory in your living room. From decorative ewers and vases to beautiful hand-painted plates, earthenware can be used to adorn walls, fill bookshelves, and even dress up fireplace mantels.

One of my favorite ways to put the finishing touches on any Tuscan room is to add a few houseplants. A fabulous way to bring the outdoors inside, placing plants on shelves, mantels, and tabletops can infuse just the right burst of nature and green into your living room. Philodendrons, peace lilies, and spider plants are all common choices, but any plant that will flourish inside is a great option for filling in the blank spots in your Tuscan living room.

And don’t forget, rooms without personal touches and photos can often feel sterile and un-homey no matter how beautiful the décor. That’s why I always recommend finding a couple of beautiful picture frames in Tuscan colors and styles and using them to display your favorite family photos. By incorporating images of your family as accents in your living room, you’ll not only emphasize the importance of your family in your life and your home, you’ll also add just the right welcoming touch into the space.

Check out Tuscan Home Décor & Design when you’re in the market for the finishing touches for your space. We’re sure to have the accents and accessories you need to round out your Tuscan living room and home!

Draperies
Although often used sparingly to avoid obscuring the view of the outdoors, draperies can none-the-less play an important role in your Tuscan living room. From framing the scenery outside to softening the hard lines of the window frame to even helping absorb sound, window treatments can ensure the harder aspects of the space are thoroughly mitigated. While the sky’s the limit when it comes to patterns, designs, and fabrics for window coverings, simple flowing styles typically work the best in Mediterranean-inspired homes. Easy enough to dress up or down with your fabric selection, simple curtains and window draperies convey a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere that’s just right for inviting friends and family in to sit awhile.

Furniture
Ever sit in a hard wooden chair for more than a few minutes? Wondering why no one ever curls up on a rigid stone bench with a good book? Discomfort is all you’ll achieve if you furnish your Tuscan living room only with hard chairs and benches made of wood and stone. For a room that’s cozy, you’ll want to incorporate plenty of upholstered chairs and sofas for hours of relaxation and comfortable gatherings. Leave the wood and stone for tables, floors, hearths, and other parts of your Tuscan décor and fill your space with seats that invite everyone in to put their feet up and relax.

Rugs
With the focus on hardwood and natural stone floors, many home decorators make the mistake of thinking that rugs are taboo in Tuscan décor. But the truth is just the opposite! Rugs can help warm up a cold stone floor, visually as well as tactilely, and can even trap the echoes so common in spaces with hard floors. A gorgeous addition to both casual and formal Tuscan living rooms, appropriate rugs can span the gamut from country rag rugs to formal oriental carpets. Choose the one that’s right for your personality, but don’t forget to add a rug to your newly redecorated space for great comfort and great looks!

If you’re in the market for Tuscan accessories and furnishings, don’t forget to visit Tuscan Home Décor & Design, a leading online retailer for great Tuscan accents at prices that won’t break the bank.

Antiques can play an important part in generating that old-world feel here in the New World. From large wardrobes and cupboards to end tables and sofa tables, woods that have been distressed by years of use are ideal for creating that sense of timeless age. Often, you can pick up gorgeous tables, chests, and cabinets for a steal at flea markets and junk shops, but you may also want to check out modern furniture outlets specializing in that antique look. With the prominence of Tuscan décor in interior design today, new pieces that combine an aged finish with an Italian design flair are easier to find than ever!

In addition to wooden tables, chests, and cabinets, don’t forget to use a lot of soft, upholstered furniture in your living room. That’s because you need the space to look warm, cozy, and inviting. After all, who wants to lounge on a rigid wooden bench! A wood bench can look great, but also add in some comfortably upholstered pieces that you and your family can sink into for a more relaxing experience. The best chairs, couches, and sofas for Tuscan décor are moderate-sized pieces that provide fluffy comfort without taking over the space with their supersized design. One great option is to mix and match antique chairs, which tend to have a sparer look, with cozier, plumper modern upholstered chairs and sofas to achieve a balance that doesn’t look overstuffed.

Fireplaces are also an integral part of every Tuscan home, so if you don’t already have one, consider putting one in. It may seem like a huge project, but with the high-tech ventless and direct vent fireplaces on the market today, installing a fireplace in your Tuscan living room may be easier and more affordable than you think. And in addition to looking fabulous, a fireplace can also help reduce your heating bills, so you’ll probably make back your investment in the long run. However, as an investment in the authentic look and feel of your Tuscan home, putting in a fireplace will pay off right away. Accented with a traditional mantel, some gorgeous Mediterranean landscape paintings or other art, and featured as the focal point of your living space, a fireplace can take a so-so Tuscan remodel and give it the atmosphere of a genuine Tuscan villa!

A great source for affordable Tuscan tables, art, earthenware, and more, Tuscan Home Décor & Design is your online retailer for exquisite Mediterranean décor at a fantastic price!

Focal Points

Tradition. History. Antiquity. These are all common themes throughout Tuscan style. Which is why hanging a TV on the wall as the focal point of your Tuscan living room can feel awkward, discordant, and just out of place! Living rooms in the U.S. are commonly laid out with the seating all facing the TV, focusing the room’s energy and attention on the screen. But that just doesn’t work with the traditional influences and atmosphere of the Mediterranean style. Instead, a large piece of artwork, fireplace, or window would form a more cohesive focal point with the overall design of the space.

Of course, that doesn’t mean you have to banish your television to the basement if you’re going to redecorate your living room in the Tuscan style! Simply make it a more discreet part of your décor. One fantastic option is placing your TV inside a large wardrobe or antique cupboard—open the doors when you want to watch your shows and hide the screen from view the rest of the time. Another high-tech option is a cutting-edge TV mirror: when your television is off, it looks like a beautiful decorative mirror; when the TV is on, you can see all of your favorite programs with perfect clarity!

Flow

In any décor, but especially in a design style as grounded in the natural world as Tuscan style is, the flow of a room is incredibly important. Different areas need to be well defined and people need to be able to move easily through the space without running to tables, chairs, and each other. When laying out your new Tuscan living room, you’ll want to keep use in mind: if you plan to entertain frequently, you’ll need plenty of end tables for guests to set their drinks. If you want to comfortably accommodate a crowd, you’ll need a number of seating options. Grouping chairs together in several different conversation areas can help break up a large space as well as create gathering places for friends and family. Rather than placing all of your furniture along the walls, all facing into the room, setting up your living room with several different areas can also help facilitate an easy flow throughout the space.

Using the right finishes and paint colors and finding the right furniture pieces can go a long way toward creating a fabulous Tuscan-villa feel for your living room, but attention to focal points and flow can help ensure the whole design comes together for décor that looks and feels authentically Italian!

Tuscan Home Décor & Design is your one-stop online shop for top-quality Tuscan design merchandise at a great price. Be sure to check out our selection today.

And remember, if you have an open-concept floor plan, redoing your living room or great room can also create the most visual impact. Houses that were built in recent decades tend to have an open floor plan that lets you see from one room into another. This design is great for, say, keeping an eye on the kids in the family room while you’re preparing meals in the kitchen. But it’s also great for design. Because they’re connected, by redecorating one room in the Tuscan style, you can add visual impact and drama to other rooms as well.

Tuscan Décor Themes
When it comes to Tuscan design, family and friends take center stage. So if you love entertaining, frequently have friends over for visits, or just want to make sure your family is the central focus of your home, redesigning your living room is a smart choice. From warm, inviting colors that make everyone want to linger in your home to a sense of casual elegance that makes guests feel at home, Tuscan style is perfect for gathering together for conversation, meals, and games.

In the next few weeks, we’ll be looking at how to transform your living room into a Tuscan paradise, so be sure to check back next week for layout tips for your Tuscan living room!

Tuscan Home Décor & Design is your online retailer for all of the Tuscan furnishings and décor accents you need to make your Mediterranean-style home look great.

Courtesy of DIYNET

You can also get the most bang for your buck with a mosaic tile backsplash. Creating a focal point (and protecting your walls from errant splashes of spaghettis sauce!), mosaic backsplashes can make a huge visual statement in your Tuscan kitchen. Whether you choose to line the whole countertop with a simple mosaic of natural stone squares or you special order a tile mosaic package to create a vineyard scene above the range, tile mosaics will only enhance the look, feel, and style of your Tuscan kitchen!

Get your Tuscan accents and furniture at Tuscan Home Décor & Design. We’re your convenient, affordable online retailer for all things Tuscan!