That image may be responsible for the current craze for Tuscan style kitchens and family rooms.

It's a style that might also be called the original European "Shabby Chic", personified by crumbling stone walls, moss-covered rock patios, and any element that is stained, old, and well-used.

We also have Tuscany to thank for some of the most appealing words in our decorating vocabulary: loggia, portico, patios, villas, and outdoor kitchens. These terms evoke thoughts of relaxing summer days spent outdoors amid warm splashes of sun and lush greenery. No wonder so many of us are in love with this style!

Tuscan decorating is rustic, warm, and inviting, with a few simple, sturdy details. A Tuscan room often looks as though it has been there forever, well-loved and used over many generations.

Here are some elements of Tuscan style than can create this look in your home.

·  Rustic and simple are the hallmarks of Tuscan style. True Tuscan rooms can be low-ceilinged, dark, and small, though you'll likely want to modify that look for your home. Instead of "dark rooms", use warm, cozy colors, sturdy furniture, and lots of terra cotta and wood.

·  The exterior of a Tuscan home often has a tile roof, vine covered walls, and old rustic shutters on every window. Driveways and lanes are lined with rows of tall cypress trees.

·  Crooked and crumbling stone walls outline walkways, patios, and other outdoor areas. Grottoes are another traditional outdoor feature, using lush greenery and statuary in small cool corners of a garden.

·  Garden paving might be brick or stone set unevenly and planted with grass between each stone.

·  A variety of colorwashing and faux wall techniques are appropriate in Tuscan interiors. Look for mottled, uneven colors, and an old-world, time-worn finishes in warm golden tones.

·  Architectural features include small, deeply set windows that frame vistas of farms and vineyards. Arched niches, rustic ceiling beams, stone floors, and simple moldings will underscore a Tuscany theme.

·  Flooring in a Tuscan room might be brick, clay tile, or uneven stone.

·  Furniture is simply fashioned from rustic wood and might have accents of tile, iron, or marble. Dark woods, pine pieces, or painted furniture might be used, and include heavy distressing and aging to add to the time-worn feel.

·  Chicken wire cupboard door fronts are another Tuscan element than can easily be incorporated into kitchen cupboards or an armoire.

·  Tuscan colors spring from a range of earthy ochres, deep golds, sunny yellows, rich browns, and warm terra cottas, accented with deep blues, black, rusty reds, and olive greens.

·  Tuscan themes include agricultural products such as olives, grapes, and flowers.

·  Terra cotta tiles are an important element of a Tuscan room. Terra cotta is also essential to the Tuscan color palette.

·  Tuscan kitchens often have dark timbered ceilings and tile or textured walls. Storage includes sturdy open shelving, free-standing cupboards and tables, and chicken-wire covered cupboard fronts. Natural stone sinks and rustic sink hardware are another essential. Range hoods are often a prominent feature in a modern Tuscan kitchen and can incorporate a large structure and a display shelf.

·  Use copper pots, tin accents, marble, and stone in a Tuscan kitchen. Decorate with sturdy pine storage pieces, a big farmhouse table or island, and bunches of hanging herbs.

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