Tuscan Fabrics Add Softness, Luxury, and Style to Your Décor
Posted By Mary Freeland on May 7, 2010
Up ’til now we’ve focused mainly on hard furnishings and finishes like tables, flooring, and even glass light fixtures. But it’s important to remember that Tuscan décor needs to be comfortable—and with only hard surfaces and sharp angles, your home is going to feel about as welcoming as a jail cell! That’s where textiles come in: whether they’re luxurious velvet window curtains or plump sofa cushions, fabrics can help soften the hard, angular lines of stone and wood to form a space that is inviting, cozy, and comfortable!
Tuscan fabrics span the full gamut from rich monochromatic brocades and damasks to vibrantly colored prints to plush velvets and chenilles. Using a variety of these different material types can be key in adding visual interest to your space. By combining textures as well as colors and prints, you create a sensory contrast that appeals to eyes and fingertips alike!
Combining a variety of fabrics in your living room or den can also help maintain the sense of balance and harmony that’s so important in Tuscan style. For example, velvet drapes can be gorgeous, but they’re also visually very heavy—so if your sofa, armchairs, and throw pillows were all done in velvet as well, your space could get weighed down by all that plush material. But by balancing luxurious velvet drapes with a brocade sofa and printed throw pillows, the feel of the space is more open and inviting.
Prints are a great option for Tuscan décor, but make sure you don’t go overboard. Tuscan style fabrics often feature large-scale prints in vivid colors that can work great in your living room, dining room, or even kitchen. With popular patterns involving fruit, olives, flowers, and leaves, Tuscan style fabric can make a huge statement in almost any space—which is where you have to be careful. Contrasting conflicting prints against each other can be jarring instead of welcoming! If you choose to use a Tuscan print, select just one per room. Feel free to use other more muted, smaller scale prints in upholstery, drapes, and pillows, but keep that iconic Tuscan print limited to one fabric in one part of the room. This helps keep your space from feeling too chaotic or intense!
From upholstery to drapery, fabrics are your solution for rounding off the hard edges of your Tuscan décor. Whether you go casual or formal, you’re sure to find a textile that’s perfect for your Mediterranean decorating needs.
Get your favorite Tuscan accessories and accents at Tuscan Home Décor & Design. Our online shop has the details you need to complement Tuscan fabrics anywhere in your home!
I agree with not going overboard on prints but it is nice to have to mix up the solid colors. The classic tuscan colors are so rich & the textures are usually so elegrant & ornate that it is nice to throw a print in too.
Great article…