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.

Whatever room you are seeking to make over, Tuscan-style wall motifs can be wonderfully effective. Kitchens, living rooms and outdoor spaces can all be enhanced with stenciled Tuscan motifs. Their soft, old world look can also look good in bedrooms and even bathrooms.

The contemporary Tuscan look, inspired by rustic dwellings, is stylish yet informal. The Tuscan wall motifs that adorned ordinary homes have a folksy feel and home-made quality. Wall decorations, which included patterned borders, motifs used as visual accents and even whole murals, served much the same function as patterned wallpaper in other decor styles.

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.

Also drawn from the landscape is the popular grapevine motif, perhaps festooned with dusky, purple grapes. Other motifs drawn from nature include bowls of fruit reminiscent of still life paintings, and images of birds. A border of acanthus leaves evoke the feel of classical antiquity.

You don’t have to have representational imagery or adhere strictly to authentic Tuscan motifs. Stencils are available that are inspired by other designs found in Italian villas. Contemporary designs also include motifs that reinvent the Tuscan look, or make reference to other imagery of ancient Italy, such as classical statuary and stone urns.

Applications

You can use Tuscan images in many different ways, as accents and borders. A grapevine or olive branch motif draped around a doorway or window is one possibility, or your motif could run all around a room. Stencils can be applied to your walls at skirting board or dado rail height or at picture rail or cornice level.

Stenciled motifs can also be used individually, almost like a hung picture. Murals of rural scenes can make an interesting feature. A trompe l’oeil window that seems to open onto a vista of fields and olive groves is one choice.

Recreating the Tuscan Atmosphere

The key to achieving the charming Tuscan look lies in the use of earthy, natural colors: burnt oranges, earthy reds, taupe, dusky pink and rich creams. Subtle greens and blues are also suitable.

Aim for low contrast. Your stenciled motif should blend with the background, not stand out. You can also use faux painting techniques to artificially age your paintwork, adding an antique look that is in keeping with the Tuscan theme.

Stencils are an invaluable aid to helping you to achieve the cozy, old world look of Tuscany that has so inspired professional and amateur home decorators.