Italian Classic in Modern Interior: 7 Elegant Ideas

Very few people remain indifferent to classical interiors, as classic style means quality and elegance, time-tested. Italian classic is also luxurious design, soft lines, and whimsically decorated furniture.

Even if you don't have a palace or spacious rooms where beautiful furniture and decorative elements would fit, classical Italian style can still perfectly blend into your interior. Minimalism - minimal, beauty - maximum, and all this is right at home.

1. Remember About Proportions

In the minds of most people, classic Italian interior implies a fairly large area. If you recall Italian villas, mansions, and houses, it's hard to imagine the same interior in a studio apartment space. But even if Italian classic is close to you and the layout doesn't allow leaving extra square meters unused, there's no reason to give up this style. All you need is not to overdo it, i.e., not overcrowd the interior with bulky items and choose the right colors.

2. Avoid Non-Natural Colors

The ideal recipe for color palette: more light tones, calm hues, and no screaming colors. You'll understand it's right after: richly decorated furniture items and accessories will naturally draw attention. The finish should only be a winning backdrop. In many cases, the primary background colors become ivory or bone shades.

Classic wall color choices lean towards beige, pastel blue, and soft yellow. Want more vibrant colors? Terracotta, saturated blue (especially attractive with white moldings and furniture), or light graphite tones would work well.

If you prefer saturated tones in the interior, rely on natural colors. You can add red, blue, green, or orange - they will give your Italian-style interior a temperamental flair. Forget about using all colors at once: a colorful palette will ruin even the most winning design project.

3. Choose the Right Finish

As a result of renovation, your interior should become a modern interpretation of luxurious apartments. This feeling is created using high-quality wall, floor, and ceiling finishes. Walls are the main backdrop of your interior. The more elaborate the facade patterns, the simpler the walls should look. Vice versa. Walls can be painted in a solid color or simply covered with plaster (Venetian plaster is an excellent choice). Alternatively, classic vertical stripes on wallpaper.

Wall decoration can also include frescoes. For the kitchen, thematic options work well: decorate the space with grapevines or olive branches.

For floor finishing, natural materials are used to the maximum: stone or wood. Stone tiles with mosaic on the floor look very stylish. Leave enough space for the mosaic to become a meaningful center of the interior. What's the point if you create a decorative element that no one will see or which in the end will be covered by a carpet? The mosaic colors ideally should complement other design elements.

Living in stone is, of course, not for everyone. The solution - mosaic parquet that can be left without a final glossy coating to achieve a more natural look. For the kitchen floor, a combined variant is often created: tiles are laid in the cooking zone, and parquet covers the rest. The tile and parquet shades should differ.

A distinctive feature that sets classic style apart from modern is the ceiling decorated with moldings, with a central volume chandelier. Moldings can be bought or made to order from polyurethane or plaster (a relatively economical option). This also involves the chandelier socket and so-called ceiling cornices (also known as beads and cove mouldings). When it comes to color selection, it's best to choose various shades of white. For the kitchen, pastel yellow or blue tones can be chosen, for example. It's not necessary to stick strictly to classical style. Remember that you can add modern elements to the classic Italian style.

4. Create Mood with Lighting

For interiors decorated in the finest traditions of Italian classic, a richly ornate chandelier is an absolute must-have. Modern ceiling lights are good precisely because many light bulbs often indicate a variety of lighting scenarios: there must be one that brightly illuminates the room, and another with dimmed light.

Plan additional light sources: create organic lighting in separate zones. For example, mount sconces on both sides of the bed in the bedroom or above the sofa in the living room - they should be in the same style as the main light fixture. Don't forget the main rule: the more accessories you plan to place in the interior, the simpler the light fixtures should be. A very popular option is in the form of candle holders. Otherwise, it's limited only by your imagination.

5. Choose Quality Furniture

Authentic Italian furniture sets possess all necessary qualities: they are comfortable, high-quality, and, of course, elegant, regardless of how richly decorated they are. If funds allow, choose from collections characterized by hand finishing. Thanks to artistic veneer sets and original paintings, truly elegant furniture is created.

Budget is limited, and you're choosing between high-quality minimalist furniture and a low-quality set that seems more elegant? Your first choice. In this case, the furniture will last much longer. Also, you can focus more on additional interior decor.

Regarding the color of the furniture set, if the room is small, refrain from excessive gilding. Gold color obligates, widespread use implies large areas.

6. Avoid Excessive Patterns on Textiles

A good option is when the textiles used for curtains and bed linens match the furniture upholstery or look very similar to it. If the furniture decor is simple, you can choose textiles with prints.

If the furniture is richly decorated, it's better to avoid excessive patterns. The same rule applies to color: the richer the tone, the simpler the decor. Do you want to create an elegant, not flashy interior?

7. Choose Classic and Modern Decorative Elements

The eclectic combination of modern decorative items and pieces with history is a mandatory condition for decorating interiors in this style. The main elements include paintings: classic Italian landscapes or still lifes. Small statues would also look great. You can hang a mirror framed in a way that its pattern complements the textile print, decorative elements of the furniture, or moldings.

Such an interior would rarely suit modern art pieces as design elements. But you can always try experimenting with them and create your own interior based on classic Italian style in the end. Why not?