Tuscan Style Kitchens

A Haven From The Bustle

Villa Souane Chbar (“garden villa” in Khmer) sits along the Mekong River, 30 minutes by car outside of Phnom Penh, off a dirt road marked with shacks, an open-air pool hall, stray chickens and a Buddhist temple. In the morning, the warm breezes and the soft put-put-put of fishing boat motors drift up from the river.

The four-bedroom house offers Beatrix Latham, a 68-year-old French-born woman, a haven from the crowds of Bangkok, where she lives most of the time. And it’s a showcase for her collection of Khmer, Indian, Burmese and Chinese art.

Ms. Latham moved to Bangkok in 1985, accompanying her husband, a soil scientist. She made her first trip to Cambodia in 1992, driven by a fascination with Southeast Asian art, to study full-time and explore the region. Back then, she said, the country was mess of landmines, victims of war and curfews. She participated in archeological digs in and around Angkor Wat.

“It was fascinating to feel a world at a complete standstill, broken bit by bit by events totally unconnected with the archeology we were studying,” she said.

In 1995, she helped start Cambodge Soir, a French-language newspaper that folded in September 2010, and decided it was time to build a more permanent home of her own in Phnom Penh.

Three years later, Ms. Latham bought two small plots totaling 2,500 square meters on the right bank of the Mekong River. The tenants at the time lived in palm-leaf-roofed houses and made a living fishing and growing cassava. She declined to say how much she paid for the land.

“As a longtime resident in Buddhist countries—although not a Buddhist myself—I asked the nearby temple to have a blessing ceremony when they started digging the foundation,” she said. “The workers were rather surprised, not expecting a foreigner to act accordingly to their traditions. It was greatly appreciated.”

She enlisted French-Cambodia architects LBL International to craft a single-floor, U-shaped, 540-square-meter villa built around an infinity-type swimming pool with views stretching down to the Mekong River. The design was inspired by ancient Khmer architecture as well as by American architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

Visitors climb a short set of stairs and enter the building space through a portico, which features columns that echo those from the 11 -century Baphuon temple near Angkor Wat.  Two statues of the Hindu god Ganesh overlook a fountain whose waters trickle down into the 25-by-11-meter pool and a separate children’s pool at the far end of the terrace.

Barn Furniture Blog » Designing a Tuscan Style Kitchen

A Tuscany style kitchen offers old-world appeal, rich colors and natural elements that blend to create a room that is beautiful, elegant and warm.  If you enjoy a look with an Italian flair which incorporates shades of wine, golden pears, olive greens and Mediterranean Sea blues, this look is perfect for your kitchen.

Today, many people use their kitchen as much, if not more, than the living room.  This is a room where you prepare family meals and entertain guests, play cards or just enjoy a good discussion.  You want it to be beautiful, inviting and comfortable.

Start with the basics

If you are building a new home or renovating an older home, there are several factors that should be considered in the Tuscany style decor.  A terracotta tile floor, arches, tall windows and wood shutters lend a genuine taste of the Italian countryside to the room.

Earthenware, ceramics, stone, brick and wood are some of the elements you should include when designing your Tuscany style kitchen.

Color – a huge aspect of creating the look

As mentioned, golden pear shades, wines, rich blues and olive greens create a room with depth and dimension.  Cabinets may be terracotta or dark gold shades; walls and floors also look rich when designed in these colors.  The palette is inspired by natural elements that you find outdoors in the mountains, forests and landscapes.

The real “pop” comes when using accent colors in the kitchen.  Tiles, trim and baseboards are often painted in shades of antique whites, tomato red, olive green and golden yellow. A vibrant burnt orange adds additional interest to the room.

The look is rustic

When decorating your kitchen in Tuscany style, try to avoid accents or furnishings that look modern or contemporary.  The look is rustic or rugged, with plenty of wood, marble, and wrought iron and other natural finishes.

An old antique-looking kitchen table adds to the warm, ambient atmosphere.  If you have a wood table that looks too new, just use some of the techniques available today to give furniture a “shabby” look.  Sand the areas where the furniture would normally wear, or apply a coat of paint before sanding.

Accents complete the look

The accents are what really bring a Tuscany style kitchen to life and complete the look.  Artwork for the walls may be anything from grapevines and greenery to prints of wine bottles, grapes and wine racks.

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