What comes to your mind when thinking about Italian-style ?

Probably, some top fashion brands names, together some design icons: Italian style indeed is considered internationally as an emblem of refinement and good manufacture, especially in the field of fashion and design.  Good taste and an eye for detail mark that Italian touch, as a result of a long history that starting from the Renaissance saw the development of the Italian sense of aesthetics over the years. 

If you want to add a touch of Italian style in your home, these are our tips, straight from some of the most inspiring Italian interiors.

 Castelfalfi Resort via ITALIANBARK

• Mix old and New

Italy has a very strong historical heritage, that’s why it’s not uncommon to find amazing contemporary settings inside old buildings. Actually, this mix between old and new is what makes some Italian interiors so interesting and fascinating.

Be inspired from your surroundings and from the existing materials when styling your space. However, don’t be afraid to dare with contrasts and with new furniture, with clean and modern lines.

 Studio Archiplan

• Consider warm materials such as terracotta and wood

Italian homes are synonym with warmth and coziness. To add this feeling in your homes, you may consider adding warm materials and finishes. Wooden floorings, in untreated essences such as oak and larch, or terracotta tiles may be some options. Italian ceramic tiles manufacturers also are providing very interesting collections of wooden effect tiles, which propose the wooden surface with its veins and imperfections over ceramics tiles.

You may also consider adding some warm and earthy colors on walls, with some decorative paints in typical Italian hues such as terracotta and burnt sienna.

Berti

Marazzi via Orsolini

• Add a luxury touch with some marble or metallic finishes

While contemporary Italian style interiors are far from the opulence of the old-style interiors, some materials can add a refined touch also in the most minimal and modern space. For example, marble is a material that came back really on trend today, but it is also really typical of the Italian tradition as most of the marble quarries are located in Italy.

Rich fabrics, such as velvet, are also a good option if you want to add a luxury touch and some interesting texture in your home interior.  You can also think about adding some accents, maybe with accessories and lamps, with a metallic finish: gold and brass are appreciated in italian homes, but remember, add them in small doses !

Bonaldo

• Texture and Pattern are the keys

You can also consider adding in your home some materials with a strong texture and pattern.

For example, terrazzo flooring, which is so trendy now in interior and design, has Italian origins. In fact, terrazzo was invented in Italy as a cement flooring to decorate the rich houses of Venetian.

Also cement tiles, which are a beautiful option to decorate flooring, are typically an Italian material. Indeed, they were invented at the end of 19th century, as a consequence of the Portland cement invention. They became then extremely popular in the Thirties, especially in Italy, because they were really cheap.

• Add one piece of iconic Italian design

When furnishing your home, you can also invest on an Italian design piece.

The most iconic pieces dates back to the Fifties and Sixties when, after the second World War, Italy saw a new renaissance perid with a huge industrial development. During these years some Italian masters such as Achille Castiglioni, Franco Albini, Vico Magistretti, Ettore Sottsass – to name just a few- created some iconic objects that you can still find for sale and produced by Italian design brands.

| Read this interview to Achille Castiglioni’s daughter on ITALIANBARK

Lampadina, Flos

• Source for Italian materials

When talking about interiors, details make the difference. If you are looking for long lasting and qualitative materials, you can trust our selection of Italian building materials. You can browse them in our website here or discover them in our showroom in London.

We ensure their Italian provenience and our experts will help you in finding the best option for your interior project.

Cover Image: Castelfalfi