Walk into any American home built or decorated in the early 2000s and chances are good you’ll feel like you’re waiting for a table at Olive Garden. You know what we mean: the faux stucco, the heavy woodwork, the rooms awash in a heavy yellow glow—all trademark features of the Tuscan decor that reigned supreme at the turn of this century.

Now, don’t get us wrong; we love Italy and everything it offers as much as the next person. But it’s high time to give Tuscan decor—or at least our bastardization of it—the boot.

Nearly two decades later, the once-luxurious rust-toned drapes, the ornate scrolled ironwork, and the mottled yellow-gold paint now evoke the feeling of living in a "low-budget period piece," veering dangerously close to "Disney territory."

The thing about Tuscan decor [in America] is that, to some extent, it does resemble Tuscany. However, subtlety isn’t exactly a hallmark of Euro-enchanted Americans. The real problem with Tuscan design lies in how overdone and oversaturated the homes became.

If you bought into (and still love!) the look, you don’t have to gut the house and betray your abiding Italophilia. Important first steps include adopting a “less is more” mantra and being brave enough to admit that, OK, maybe actual Italians don’t decorate quite like this.

“What you want to do is just break the look down bit by bit—lose some elements, keep some others—and give it a fresher, more modern feel,” says Leslie Thornton, a Richmond, VA, designer. “I can understand wanting to replicate and capture the beauty of Tuscany, but you’ve got to do it appropriately.”

Try out these pro tips for dialing down the Tuscan-American melodrama while giving its authentic charms room to shine.

1. Lighten the palette

First things first. The trademark palette of deep red, gold, and brown is the cornerstone of the Tuscan aesthetic and possibly the most necessary element to address. Because coupled with the trend’s typical dark woodwork and weighty structural staples (Arches! Beams! Scrolls!), the heavy hues can cast a suffocating pall on a room.

The antidote is simple: Run fast in the opposite direction by neutralizing the darkness.

“Paint surfaces a creamy white to lighten things up,” says Carla Aston, an interior designer in The Woodlands, TX. “Paint walls, moldings, ceilings, all the same color to minimize all those architectural details.”

Thornton agrees that a “nice, clean white” can make the Tuscan style appear “so much less overwhelming.”

2. Tone down faux textures

Layering a variety of textures can add dimension and interest—after all, this is the gospel today’s designers have been spreading for several years now. But when it comes to Tuscan decor, it’s safe to say we overdid it.

Combining a textured, painted stucco wall with weathered terra-cotta tiles, aged bronze, and faux wood beams in a single space can easily feel overwhelming.

“It’s like having an amazing jewelry collection, and rather than selecting the perfect pieces to complement your outfit, you choose to wear them all at once,” adds Leslie Sinclair, a Houston designer and owner of Segreto Finishes. “Your ensemble becomes overpowering and no one really will know what to look at first.”

Regain control of the room with flat-painted walls, airy curtains, and fewer patterns. Pick one texture as your focal point, and make sure the other surfaces in the room enhance rather than compete with it.

3. Swap out overly scrolled accents

Swoopy, complicated-looking fixtures are a pillar in the Tuscan designs of yester-decade. Rethink those in favor of something simpler and cleaner, with lines instead of curves.

“Replace any bronze scrollwork light fixtures, railings, and other design elements,” says Blasziewicz, and go for a more geometric shape in a lighter bronze.

“That will update the Tuscan look fast,” Aston says.

4. Banish tassels et al.

If you have any furniture, wall hangings, or curtains with tassels, get rid of them.

You can also ditch those decorative olive oil bottles filled with garlic and peppers—the kind you can only find at TJ Maxx. Your home shouldn’t resemble a Brio Tuscan Grille. And unless you’re a medieval knight, there’s really no reason to have tapestries or murals hanging on your walls.

5. Ditch the wine or grape-themed motifs

Sure, Tuscany is known for its vineyards. And you’re known for your love of the wine they produce. We get it. Wine is great, wine is good, but trust us: Nobody in Tuscany is decorating with a grapes-and-wine-glass canvas. And you shouldn’t be either.

“I think the whole wine-vineyard-as-decor trend started around the same time as the Tuscan decor trend,” says Thornton, noting its popularity beyond Italian-inspired interiors. “Maybe it’s someone trying to indicate their wealth or good taste? It kind of makes me cringe, though.”

Original post courtesy of realtor.com.

Rich Dallas/Sharon Fincham

(c) 412-365-4622

(o) 724-941-3340

The Dallas-Fincham Team and Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices

Rich@DallasFinchamTeam.com

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