How to Decorate Italian Style
Almost all of us enjoy Italian stuff; foods, wines and art. But what about decorating. The first impression that we usually get about Italian decorating is that it is snobbish and extravagant.
Decorating Italian style is generally associated with rich colors, mixtures of brilliant fabrics, marble surfaces, time worn antiques etc.
But far from being snobbish, Italian decorations can be at the same time casually grand and set at ease both you and your guests.
Decorating Italian style maybe said to have started with the advent of the Renaissance period, which brought about far-reaching cultural upheavals. The surfacing of ancient Greek scrolls brought out an awareness of the past and inspired Italian artists to resurrect that had long been forgotten. These styles were so popular that they spread all over Europe for centuries and are still widely preferred over other styles.
Furniture
Being linked with the Renaissance, traditional Italian decor, as far as furniture was concerned, was manufactured of woods such as oak, walnut and ebony. The wood work included what is known as "Marquetry"; craftsmanship that joined together pieces of wood as in an intricate puzzle. Inlays of ivory, bone and mother-of-pearl were often used. "Cassoni" or large wooden chests highly ornamental and hand painted represented Italy's fabled past.
Colors and Textures
The predominant colors of Italian decor was usually earthen in its various tones. Suggestive of the Mediterranean was the blue-green for the sea and gold and cream taken from the land and the sky.
Dating over a hundred years in Italian design was the use of marble, decorative stucco and Venetian plaster for adding texture to the walls. Floors were normally marble; marble also being used in furniture and countertops. Another widely used substance was the "Scagliola" an imitation marble and granite plasterwork made of ground gypsum and glue, coated with marble or granite dust.
Fabric
Italian decor had vivid scenes in its wall tapestries - colorfully weaved heavy cloth often depicting outdoor scenes of castles, mythology and medieval landscapes and detailed pictures of biblical stories. It was functional as well, being heavy it kept out the cold. When decorating Italian style, keep in mind Italian decor usually avoids heavy stuff like the tie-backs of the English and the French and prefers that free-hanging kind of window treatment.
Bedding is made of silk, thick velvet or brocade (heavy, colorful fabric interwoven with elaborate raised designs) with pillows of the same material for both comfort and luxury. The same fabric was also used for chairs and sofas.
Lighting
The large and ornamental chandeliers with matching wall sconces brought in the nostalgia of the classical old world Italian decor style. When decorating Italian style, keep in mind more contemporarily, crystal chandeliers have replaced the ornate one of old and so have the gold stemmed lamps and gilt framed paintings, usually in oil. This gives the room a more formal, ceremonious and stately look.
Accessories
When decorating Italian style, adding accessories, in whatever style or decor, to a home is a challenging and time consuming task because of the wide variety of choices on hand. Italian decor is no exception; from the choice of the tapestries, the "Cassoni", the candlesticks, the rugs (Persian or Oriental) to the chandeliers etc. Other accessories could include the choice of kitchen, dining and bath fittings, baskets with Italian herbs fruits.
So, Arrivederci!
