How to Combine Italian With a Spanish Style in Home Decorating

Select which decorating style will dominate rooms. To create balance, one style needs to be more prominent in a room. If you enjoy Spanish-inspired furnishings, go with Italian accessories to keep rooms from feeling too heavily decorated in one style. Your dominant style should fill up around 75 to 80 percent of each room.

Choose colors that coordinate with Italian and Spanish styles. Begin with your walls and select a paint color that suits both. Spanish-inspired colors are bright and inviting. Orange and yellow evoke warmth, while blue and green bring a cool aesthetic to rooms. Washes duplicate the sun-worn look of many Spanish villas. Italian-style colors are light and warm. Shades of gold or yellow are friendly. Match the wall colors to the colors in your home decor.

Combine furniture from both styles that share common features. Spanish-inspired furnishings are comfortable and informal. Ornate embellishments are seen in this type of furniture, and dark woods add richness. Italian furnishings also lean toward intricate inlays, which makes combining furniture styles easy. Mix different types of wooden furniture together but keep the same tone throughout for a balanced look that doesn't clash.

Combine Spanish and Italian accents. One style may dominate, but there's no reason why you can't mix accessories for a unique look. Italian pieces include terra-cotta pots and natural textures such as jute rugs and wicker baskets. Use mosaics for a pleasing Italian look. Spanish accents include wrought iron and hand-painted tile pieces.

Hang wall art to complete the look in each room. Paintings or mirrors with elaborate frames reflect the Italian style of decorating, while brocade fabrics or tapestries on the wall create a more Spanish flair in your home. Look to paintings from the Renaissance for an especially appealing look.