Tuscan Colors for Italian and Tuscan Decor
by artist Linda Paul

Tuscan colors are a must in today's decorating scheme says artist Linda Paul. We love these colors because they are warm and inviting. Picking that perfect shade of Tuscan red or green can be tricky, but you need to go no farther than mother nature to get it right. What makes this artist an expert on Tuscan colors? American artist Linda Paul uses actual natural earth from Tuscany to create her paint. It was mother nature who created these colors that have been around for thousands of years. The colors come from earth ocher which evolves in sedimentary layers of color that run the gamut of cream, yellow/gold, rusty oranges, orange/reds, brown reds, and deep browns. In the area around Verona  Italy, the earth is actually a sage green color. Luckily with today's technology we can perfectly match these colors for house paint and home decorating

 
Here are some examples of perfect Tuscan color palettes  

Palette #1

In this painting of a Farmhouse in Tuscany, artist Linda Paul has used a palette of cream, pale gold, rusty red and sage green, all from natural earth mixed with egg yolk. You can recreate this same color palette in your home by using these colors           Tuscan Red          Barely Cream      Pale Gold Ocher       Sage Green

Palette #2  - For richer color add a burgundy red, a more olive green,  yellow gold and warm brown

3. Do you just love blue?

You can use blue in your Tuscan color palette, as long as it is just the right shade of blue. Linda Paul's painting of a Tuscany Window uses a dark cobalt blue created from lapis lazuli stones. A combination of pale and dark blue is used in this Fields of Tuscany tile mural in a gorgeous Tuscan style kitchen click picture to see large image

4. Bring Tuscany colors into your Kitchen - Here are some fabulous Tuscan kitchen tile murals and backsplashes by Linda Paul

What's next in color trends?  See Linda Paul's picks and paint colors for color trends in 2009