How Do I Choose the Best Tuscan House Plans?

Tuscany, Italy, is so renowned for its Old World beauty and Tuscan architecture that it has its own style: Tuscan style. A typical Tuscan home design reflects the warm, welcoming style of the Mediterranean countryside home with its stucco exterior; its low, gently sloping tile roof; arched windows; and an ambient earth-tone color scheme. The Tuscan home design might be dazzlingly luxurious or sweetly simple, but true Tuscan house plans adhere to the true Italian country style and colors. To choose the best Tuscan house plans, review the various features of Tuscan style, decide which ones you prefer and find plans that include them in a layout that suits your needs.

Tuscan house plans are styled in a wide range of sizes and shapes. Your Tuscan house size might be as small as a cottage or as large as a mansion, but to be a true Tuscan, it must reflect the basic exterior and interior features of the Tuscan country style. True Tuscan style represents the importance of family, fellowship and hearty meals. Tuscan house plans boast an open floor plan to maximize family gatherings.

The best Tuscan house plans feature stucco or stone ashlar siding. The barrel-shaped terracotta or slate roof is pitched low with extra-wide eaves. Columns, capitals and bases are very plain and unadorned. Windows are narrow and arched; optional shuttered windows keep out the blazing sun on steamy afternoons. The house entrance should be open and airy, resonating the typical Italian hospitality and the simple pleasures of family life.

Look for Tuscan house plans that integrate the outdoor spaces with the indoors, such as a large windowed wall that overlooks a garden courtyard or swimming pool. The kitchen, as the heart of the Italian home, is large, open and inviting, so its location should be at the center of the design. Travertine tile and warm woodwork heighten the attractive Tuscany ambiance. Earth tones such as russet brown, golden yellow and olive green echo the earthy styles of the Italian location.

Landscaping features a variety of tropical trees, shrubs and exotic plants suited to the Italian climate and fertile land. A garden with fresh vegetables and herbs provides the family with a constant supply of delicacies for sumptuous Italian dishes. The location of the garden should serve as an extension of the house. A Tuscan house plan garden usually is enclosed by retaining walls that reflect the style of the house and are capped with balustrades.