Tuscan Style Furniture
For some odd reason, Tuscany is often confused by people as being French instead of Italian. Well, Tuscan style furniture is clearly and distinctly Italian.
Tuscan Style Furniture
Tuscan Style Furniture is a rather broad based style that is based on the architecture of the Tuscany region of Italy. This area in the North of Italy and surrounding the town of Florence is known as both a rustic down to earth region as well as the home of much of the greatest art of the classical Renaissance era. The furniture style reflects this duality in that it is often consists of very simple folk pieces mixed with classic veneered and hand painted items with a very elegant look to them.
Wood is the basic material used in Tuscan Style furniture with cypress, fir, chestnut, and poplar all being common choices. The style uses quite a bit of leather and iron and metal worked into the designs. It often resembles Spanish style furniture in this regard. The most common colors used are deep rich reds and cool Mediterranean blues. These colors also reflect the mix between the rustic and the classical that is the hallmark of this style.
Most of the designs are based on the straight lines that are common in classical Italian and Roman architecture. It differs greatly from the much more ornate style that marked Renaissance style although they have co-existed in the region for centuries. When you view a piece and the feeling you get is very humanizing and down to earth, you are looking at a Tuscan piece.
The city of Florence is in the heart of the Tuscan region and is the home of some of the world’s best art. Although the furniture produced here is considered Tuscan style, the Florence branch is where you find the more elaborate creations. They appear much more expensive, but share the basic lines and styling. It is out in the Tuscan countryside that the rustic side of the style is seen more often. Here the pieces are much simpler in design, but also retain the distinctive marks of the style.
Tuscan style furniture came to America with the mass immigration of Italians around the beginning of the 20th century. The style represented what they had known all their life, and before long Tuscan style furniture was being produced in the United States. The style is very popular still in areas with high Italian populations. Recently, the charm and the old world appeal of the style have made it a popular decorating choice not just for individual rooms, but entire homes. There is a thriving market in reproduction Tuscan pieces, and the growth of the global market has made pieces made in Tuscany by the descendents of the original craftsman available worldwide.