In traditional homes in Tuscany, painted motifs provide a delightful finishing touch to the dcor. Stencils are an easy way to recreate the effect of rustic Tuscany and replicate the Tuscan style in contemporary homes.

Tuscan wall details create a look that is both old world and elegant. Stenciled Tuscan motifs are versatile and are effective in kitchens, dining rooms, living rooms and patios. They can also add unique charm to bedrooms and bathrooms.

Contemporary Tuscan-style decor takes its cue from the dwellings of ordinary country dwellers. Tuscan wall decorations are reminiscent of folk art and have a charming home-made quality. They served a similar purpose to wallpaper and included borders, individual motifs and sometimes entire vistas.

Tuscan Stencil Motifs

The classic motifs in Tuscan decorative work are drawn from nature and reflect the flora of Italy and the Mediterranean region. Think of Italy and olive groves may be one of the first things to come to mind. Not only does the olive branch motif evoke the Tuscan sun, but the muted gray-green color of the leaves fits perfectly into the spectrum of hues in the Tuscan palette.

The warm, old world look of traditional homes in Tuscany has inspired a popular style of home decor. Stenciled motifs that evoke rural Italy provide charming finishing detail to a room decorated in the Tuscan style.

Tuscan wall details create a look that is both old world and elegant. Stenciled Tuscan motifs are versatile and are effective in kitchens, dining rooms, living rooms and patios. They can also add unique charm to bedrooms and bathrooms.

The traditional homes in Tuscany that inspired this popular contemporary decor style are rustic and informal. Few were the homes of the wealthy and the style has a home-grown feel and folk art quality. Tuscan mural decorations (and in some cases, entire murals) served to add accents and visual interest to rooms, in much the same way as people elsewhere used wallpaper.

Stencils for the Tuscan Look

The classic motifs in Tuscan decorative work are drawn from nature and reflect the flora of Italy and the Mediterranean region. Think of Italy and olive groves may be one of the first things to come to mind. Not only does the olive branch motif evoke the Tuscan sun, but the muted gray-green color of the leaves fits perfectly into the spectrum of hues in the Tuscan palette.

The ugliest and most boring concrete slab can be made into an attractive feature with clever use of paint. Faux painting techniques are the budget-friendly answer to transforming boring floors.

In theory, almost any look can be replicated, by introducing color, pattern and texture. The ideal design will vary according to the room or space you are making over. You may want a color scheme or theme to complement the decor style and/or function of a room or outdoor area.

Before You Begin

The design and finish you choose should be well matched to your floor. If you want to distract attention from an imperfect floor, paint techniques can achieve that. If you want a sophisticated, smooth finish, remember you may have to repair and patch the surface thoroughly before you start.

You will also need to think about the traffic in the area you are painting. Is it worth doing an elaborate, time-consuming pattern in a high traffic area? If you don’t like the distressed look that will result, you may want to rethink. Designs also need matching to the surface area. Large, bold patterns may be out of scale for a small room. Equally, small, detailed patterns may get lost in large spaces. If you are using stencils, note that some manufacturers can resize stencils for you.

Grape and grapevine motifs stenciled onto walls are a feature of the popular Tuscan style in home decor but can also be an attractive complement to other styles that embrace an old world look. Stencils today come in a wide variety of designs and are reusable. A grape or vine leaf motif could be just the thing to finish off your kitchen decor. If you like relaxing with a glass of wine on your patio, grapes and vine leaves might be the perfect image to choose.

Locations for Stenciling

Grapevine designs are perfect for borders, which can add the final detail to your Tuscan-style room. A repeated motif that runs around the room can be a subtle and stylish touch. You can stencil borders at floor level, at ceiling or picture rail height or midway up a wall, where a dado rail might be.

You could also consider stenciling your grape motif around features of a room, either because they are too plain or need jazzing up or as a way of directing attention to attractive features. If you have a wine rack, you could highlight it with a grape or vine surround.

If you have a plain wall or concrete floor, indoor or out, that is in need of a makeover, faux brickwork can be the ideal solution. Using readily available reusable stencils, you can transform a surface into an eye-catching feature. It’s a quick and easy faux painting technique that is ideal for beginners.

The Brickwork Look

A brickwork finish can add color and texture to a boring surface. As an interior finish it can add warmth, as well as adding a stylish and modern touch that goes well with many styles of dcor. Outdoors, on patios and paths, brickwork can be an attractive feature, adding interest to a garden or outdoor living space.

Faux painting using brick stencils is an economical and practical answer to various problems. If you have brickwork that needs restoration, it may be the ideal solution. Damaged brickwork is difficult to repair and stripping brickwork of paint often reveals an unsightly surface beneath. Extending actual brickwork – if you can find matching bricks – is messy and expensive. Paint can give you the appearance you want without the hassle of construction work.

New furniture and wooden fittings can look bland and boring and may not fit into your existing dcor scheme. Distressing cabinet doors, in kitchens, bedrooms or elsewhere, is a way of treating wooden fittings to co-ordinate your dcor. Ageing techniques can be useful whether your home style is antique elegance, ‘shabby chic’ or cottage rustic. Faux painting offers several methods for simulating age and banishing the ‘too-new’ look.

Distressing Techniques

You could give your cabinet doors a managed beating with hammer and chisel to create texture and interest. This will certainly distress your door, but with faux painting techniques you can choose amongst several aged or antique looks and achieve a total finish.

The basic technique involves creating the illusion of wear and age-related texture using two layers of paint. For a more variegated effect, more than two colors can be used. Scraping and scarring the topcoat so the layer beneath shows through gives the impression of age. It is possible to achieve a similar effect by painting streaks with a fine brush, but this may require more artistic expertise. Applying a top coat and then, before it has dried, using the dragging or combing technique to remove areas of paint can also create a distressed look on wooden doors.

If you want to give your master bedroom an exotic makeover, paint and color are important tools to achieve your aim. Unfortunately, just painting it red will not turn it into a sensual love nest. Though color is key to creating mood, the ambiance of a room also depends on furnishings, lighting and architecture, not color alone.

Although some decor styles work with different colors, others work with a particular palette. For example, the cozy Tuscan look depends on earthy colors. Substitutions wouldn’t work. Minimalist architecture eschews boldness and noise in favor of neutral colors, uncluttered lines and simple forms. Particular styles invite particular color schemes. Ignoring this can defeat your efforts to create atmosphere with a paint makeover.

Your furniture and decor style may give you inspiration for an appropriate color scheme. Taking your lead from your room instead of trying to make a room fit a color scheme is the sensible route. That doesn’t mean you have to be timid, but breaking the rules of good interior design can produce a jarring effect that is antithetical to ambiance. A color wheel can help you choose contrasting and complementary colors.

Some people may wonder how vinyl lettering has anything to do with home dcor and interior design. Some may even say its a bit tacky. However, in my experience those people are quickly won over once they use decorative vinyl lettering one time in their home. Once youve used it, seen its beauty and how creative you can be in using it to create dcor and crafts, its no wonder to see why its quickly catching on as one of the faster growing trends in interior decoration.

Back in yonder days, vinyl lettering was used for mostly business and industrial applications, such as banners, vehicle, and other signage ” including boat and RV lettering. While vinyl is still used in those applications, its moved into the mainstream of home dcor as a viable alternative to hand painted stenciling. I assume that this is because of the versatility and ability to create unique and inspiring home dcor to match any taste or dcor. For those desiring to create personalized home dcor, vinyl lettering offers many different options.

Some people may wonder how vinyl lettering has anything to do with home dcor and interior design. Some may even say its a bit tacky. However, in my experience those people are quickly won over once they use decorative vinyl lettering one time in their home. Once youve used it, seen its beauty and how creative you can be in using it to create dcor and crafts, its no wonder to see why its quickly catching on as one of the faster growing trends in interior decoration.

Back in the good ole days vinyl lettering was used primarily for business signage, automotive, and boat lettering. But, that has all changed. As of recently vinyl lettering has come into the mainstream of interior decorating because of its versatility. Vinyl lettering offers those wanting to create unique and personalized home decor simple, and affordable decorating options. Here are some of the uses of vinyl lettering:

A painted mural can be a fabulously eye-catching feature, indoors or outdoors – and it isn’t just for experienced artists. The possibilities are almost endless, whether you are looking for something to brighten up a child’s room or to create a visual focus in an elegant living room. With a bit of planning and practice, and with the help of the various aids on the market, painting an attractive mural is within reach for most of us.

Inspirations for Murals

Paint what you like looking at! Rural landscapes are one popular theme for murals, especially suited to large wall spaces. You might want a view of lakes and mountains, or for a child’s room, an exotic jungle. Faux picture windows and trompe l’oeil paintings (literally, paintings that ‘deceive the eye’) are one option, creating the impression of a view of mountains or sea or even a cityscape.

You can also use murals as the equivalent of hanging pictures. You can choose motifs that match your decor and the architectural style of your home. The old-world look of Tuscany is created partly by the use of painted murals, including views of vineyards and olive groves and decorative grape and foliage motifs.