Since the book and subsequent movie Under The Tuscan Sun, many people are dreaming of moving to Italy and renovating an old Italian villa. The rustic charm is so hard to resist.
As pretty a picture it must be to drink your espresso on your terrazza overlooking the Tuscan hills, it is not something that many people can do.
What you can do is create your own Italian style villa in your own home. There are so many ways to recreate the style without needing to learn Italian or figure out how to drive those tiny Fiats.
In this article, I will give you several ideas on how to recreate that italian flair in your own home.
The garden
One of the glories of living an Italian lifestyle is spending a lot of time outdoors. Italians love fresh air and they make sure to make their outdoor space as inviting as possible. Even if it is just a small balcony.
There are a few elements that you must have to make your garden italian style. The first is to have a lot of plants. They can be decorative, but it wouldn’t be Italian if you don’t include some herbs.
Water is a feature in most Italian gardens so look out for some outdoor water fountains to add beauty and serenity to your space.
The bathroom
Walk into any Italian’s house and when you go to wash up, you will be struck by the beauty of the bathroom.
To recreate the look, add lots of tile. Pretty much every inch of wall has some ornately designed tile. And the floor is almost always marble. You can go for a clawfoot bathtub to keep it old school, or opt for a shower stall with a rainwater showerhead. Many Italians don’t use tubs and have a shower box instead.
The kitchen
The beating heart of every Italian home is the kitchen. If you really want it to look like an old villa, then make it as rustic as possible. Use lots of weathered wood for the cabinets and terracotta tiles for the floor. The stove should also be retro style so if you can find a modern version of those old wood burning ovens then that is best.
Try to use whatever space you have to your advantage as you can get a lot out of a little kitchen even if your space is limited.
A pantry is essential for storing your pasta and canned tomato sauce. Plus a big wooden table is where you will be making pastas and bread dough.
The bedrooms
If you don’t have a walk-in closet don’t worry. Neither does any Italian. What they do have are some nice armoires. They are a great way to get a lot in a little space. You can fit a lot into them and some are as long as the length of the wall.
You can go rustic with some weathered wood or modern, but a traditional Italian villa would have you go for wood.
