Italian-style kitchens: design features and beautiful examples

Italy is a beautiful country where everything is saturated with a special flavor. Despite the seeming negligence, the Italian style is thought out to the smallest detail. It seems that things and furniture are in a chaotic manner, but everything is in its place, and each thing has a special meaning. This design direction is particularly comfortable. And the kitchen is no exception. After all, housewives spend a long time here, so everything in this room should help ensure that the dishes are tastiest, and the atmosphere becomes friendly and emotional.

The Italian style, like other similar styles, originated in ordinary village houses. He is not inherent in the pomp of rich castles. Here, simplicity and classical symmetry are mixed together. Italian style is also called Tuscan. Due to its location between the sea and the mountains, the inhabitants of this area tried to make furniture and other interior items from natural materials. In this region, marble has been mined for a long time, therefore natural stone products are also the basis of the Italian style.

Italian craftsmen made furniture by hand, each year honing their skills. No wonder that furniture from Italy is very popular today, and is valued for its reliability, beauty and durability.

Entering any Italian house, you can certainly see an abundance of stone, ceramic products, wood and clay. In such a house there is no place for products made of plastic or glass, or made of chrome steel.When choosing materials, it is worth giving preference to wood, matte stone, terracotta tiles or porcelain stoneware. These materials are more suitable for the floor. The floor in any kitchen used to be only stone. Today, designers prefer marble or mosaic coatings or options that mimic expensive materials.

When you design a kitchen in the Italian style, you need to take into account that seemingly incompatible things are combined here. So, in one room the chic of palace halls with provincial simplicity can adjoin. Italian style implies:

• the use of a large number of natural materials;
• the presence of kitchen furniture with spacious drawers;
• the central place in the room should be occupied by a table with sound chairs or a bench, because the whole large Italian family should gather in this place for a meal;
• the use of a large number of decorative elements, mosaics, paintings and panels;
• warm colors should prevail in the kitchen.

In a room decorated in the Italian style, there should not be a large amount of furniture and interior items made from modern artificial materials. There is no place for plastic furniture in the kitchen. Do not abuse glass products. The best option would be the choice of furniture from natural materials. Table and chairs are best made of wood. In this case, you can use different colors of products, their texture may also be different. The interior of Italian cuisine benefits from a large number of wood furniture of various textures. Usually a dining group is a large massive table with solid legs, decorated with carved or forged elements.

When choosing chairs, you should not pay attention to small stools or cocktail racks. The Italian design implies the presence of comfortable and solid wooden chairs with a back. Often, when decorating a room in this style, special covers for chairs made of fabric are used. And you can also use good-quality pillows that are attached to the ties. Such additions emphasize the sophistication of the room, giving it a special atmosphere and coziness. Fabric chair covers are often decorated with floral prints.

When designing an Italian-style kitchen, do not forget about lighting, because it plays an important role. The kitchen should be bright, it should always have a lot of sun and light. It is appropriate in the room to hang a large crystal chandelier in the center above the dining table. The presence of wrought iron candlesticks will give the room a special touch, add the spirit of modernity to it, and make the kitchenette more comfortable. Soft diffused light will emphasize the nobility of solid wood furniture.

It is worth making lighting not only above the dining table, but also in each zone. So, a wall lamp in retrostyle will not only decorate the kitchen, but will also allow you to well illuminate the work area. A table lamp can be left near a soft corner, if it is provided for by design. Multizone lighting is suitable for both a small room and a larger kitchen. For a spacious kitchen, it is better to choose additional lighting in the form of inconspicuous lighting, which will not only add light to the room, but also decorate the room with additional accessories.

A characteristic feature of the rooms decorated in the Italian style is the presence of stucco on the ceiling and walls. It can be various columns, sculptures and moldings. Often, an arch is used as a doorway, because such a decor looks very unusual.Italian decor may be present moderation and grace, but there is no place for pretentiousness.

The ceiling in such a kitchen is more similar to the ceilings in country houses or villas. The surface is most often decorated with massive beams made of wood, or their imitation is used. Placing spotlights between the beams allows you to add softness and Italian warmth to the room.

If earlier the ceiling in Italian kitchenettes was vaulted and made of natural stone or ceramic cladding, today it can be well plastered and used false balconies. When choosing suspended ceilings, it is worth giving preference to drawings in the form of wood or imitation of a surface from marble or mosaic.

To decorate the walls using decorative plaster, as well as stone or ceramic tiles, structural paint, mosaics or wooden panels. When choosing a tile, it is better to use mosaic-like interpretations. Materials that imitate old stones with traces of cracks and chips look good.

Given that Italy is a sunny country, her style should match this and include warm colors. The color scheme in this room can be diverse ranging from shades of ivory to pastel, white and cream colors. For the Mediterranean style, other brighter colors are also inherent, giving the room bright colors, making it more colorful. So, the white kitchen will go well with furniture or accessories in bright contrasting shades. Blue, green and bright yellow color “revive” the room and make the colors sparkle in a new way.

Combining an olive wall background with white furniture can be an ideal option for a Tuscan-style kitchen. This room with terracotta or cream walls in combination with dark furniture will look no less impressive.

Various accessories complement the room. In the kitchen, fresh flowers in various vases and flowerpots, as well as light plain curtains, will be appropriate. Curtains and curtains with patterns or stripes decorate the Italian-style kitchen. In the event that the kitchen faces the sunny side, curtains with curtains are suitable - this will prevent the burnout of furniture when it comes in sunlight, as well as shelter from the heat.

Now let's look at some interesting role models.

• Option design small kitchen in the Italian style.

• Kitchen-living room, made in this style.

• The use of forged interior items makes the room stylish. In this case, you can add wrought iron candlesticks or lamps, as well as furniture legs.

• Considering that the interior of the Italian-style kitchen should be as close as possible to the natural color and texture, then for the kitchen apron it is worth using a tile or mosaic that repeats the pattern of natural stone, marble or granite. The same principle applies to the choice of countertops.

• To decorate the walls and ceiling, you can use mosaics and murals.

• The presence of the arch helps to create a special atmosphere, reminiscent of a relaxing holiday in a country house or villa. The arched opening can be used for both doors and windows. Such a technique will add respectability to the premises.

• Various decorative trifles will enhance the feeling of Italy. For greater effect, you can use wicker baskets, souvenir dishes, amphora. As a complement, it can even be wine in beautiful bottles, cheese or olives.

• A table is a must in the kitchen. In this case, the dining table should be long, because a large Italian family was placed behind it.Previously, in Italian families, dining tables were never painted or varnished. Nowadays, owners often use this as a decor, giving the furniture a touch of vintage, artificially aging furniture.

• A cabinet with shelves, where a lot of kitchen utensils are stored, is a highlight of the Italian style. In such cabinets there are always a lot of beautiful dishes, decorative items made of ceramics or wood. On the shelves there is a place for all kinds of jars with seasonings and spices, olive oil.

• To give the room a special flavor, hang onions of garlic or onion, put baskets with herbs, flowers.

See how to decorate an Italian-style kitchen in the next video.