How to Design Your Home With an Italian Theme

Select what kind of Italian theme you would like your home to have. If you are building a large home and money is no object, you can design a spacious palazzo-style home. Smaller homes can be built or redecorated with an Italian theme using a few common items, such as tile flooring or stenciled walls and ceilings.

Consult with an architect or interior designer with experience designing Italian-themed homes. A local architectural and contracting expert will be able to help you determine whether elements like stucco walls or terra cotta roofing will work in your climate and landscape. Interior designers can help make sure your home's floor plan includes Italian elements such as an open central kitchen.

Include Italian elements outside of your home. Create an Italian garden with herbs such as sage and rosemary, terra cotta or wrought iron statues or decorative items, and espaliered fruit trees. Use Italian marble or stone for your walkway and patios.

Import Italian fixtures, including exposed beams for your ceilings, tiles for your bathroom and kitchen, lighting and plumbing fixtures and floor tiles. Using authentic Italian products can give your home a real Italian feel.

Furnish your home with Italian furniture. Choose antiques for a classic feel, or updated versions of Italian classics like farmhouse tables and distressed wooden furniture. Use terra cotta pottery and other rustic design elements for a typical Italian look. Modernists can choose the latest sleek furniture and housewares from Milanese manufacturers for a more up-to-date Italian look.