I am really excited about this post. Traditional style kitchens are not my personal thing, but I do believe I've put together a great kitchen evocative of that Tuscan flava'. No, not pecorino and prosciutto but earthy textures, varied metals and warm colors. While this kitchen lacks the extensive corbels and molding found in most American takes on the Tuscan style, this Ikea-based kitchen forgoes the fussiness, letting the eye enjoy the richness of subtle details.

Of course, if you must have corbels and rope molding to build out that hood enclosure, head to Home Depot or Lowe's to buy some stock trim pieces. You will save loads of money over getting this stuff from a cabinet company. Try to match the paint/stain of the Lidingo doors below. Or take a walk on the Tuscan side and think outside the cabinet box with an olive, burgundy or mustardy paint to make those embellishments pop ("pop" is such an over-used designy word, isn't it?).

Ready to see what old style charm you can create around stock Ikea cabinets? Here we go...

This first style board represents the perimeter cabinets, done in a creamy white, more commonly known as Lidingo to the Ikea Vikings. The sienna bordaeux granite really takes this kitchen home to Italy, despite the glaring Frenchness of the name. Iron hues,  sandy swaths and purplish dusky reds--the countryside laid out flat and pressed into stone.

If the Tuscany kitchen had a calling card, it would be etched on a piece of travertine tile. Chosen for it's calm echo of sienna bordeaux's color palette, tumbled travertine's tactility furthers the romantic seduction of Tuscan design.

A weathered copper sink and copper faucet convey warmth, transforming your kitchen into a place not just for food preparation, but informal family gatherings. Yes, all that from a sink! Did you ever imagine?

Elaborately styled antiqued hardware from Horton Brasses is one of those subtle details that won't go unnoticed. Especially since the creamy cabinetry will stand in such high contrast with the cacao colored hardware. Bold and delicious.

Speaking of delicious, a copper KitchenAid stand mixer is beautiful enough to leave resting on the countertop, just like that pasta dough!

The island. This is what you've wanted. A massive hunk of chocolate brown cabinets topped with granite--again, sienna bordeaux to unify the look. A gathering place. A work station. A vast slab of stone suitable for rolling out raviolis, decorating Christmas cookies, setting out elaborate family buffets.

Lilje dark brown cabinets are your own dark chocolate chunks, adding an unexpected richness from Ikea. Shiny brass hardware from Horton Brasses evokes the traditional look while the wrought iron turns of the island pendant lighting and the decorative fruit urn mixes finishes without competing for attention. Like the bucolic Tuscan lifestyle, there is a natural harmony flowing throughout these kitchen design choices.

Beautifully simple stoneware plates in organic hues and unrefined strokes adds to the relaxed feel of the decor. Formal meets rustic continue to mix as handscraped flooring in a dark stain contributes texture, warmth and instant patinated old world charm to the kitchen.

Finally, carefully chosen, understated yet appropriate details impregnate the kitchen with authenticity. More wrought iron is brought in with the ornate wine rack, echoing the style choice of  the island lighting. Small details, such as Horton Brasses' selection of iron hooks hearkening back to the romantic ideal of village life, make nothing in this space look like an afterthought.

The turned legs of the dining table, the leather and wood composition of the dining chairs and the antiqued copper of the wall mirror reflect simplicity, craftsmanship and a commitment to natural materials without sacrificing artfulness.

A simple valance curtain capped with creamy urchin finials captures this reoccurring diametrical tension of the simple vs. the ornate, which seems to reconcile itself through organic materials and colors, detailed handcrafted ornamentation and formal embellishments coupled with rustic textures.

To complete the Tuscan kitchen look, crisp towels decorated with a traditional Tuscan rooster design can casually lay across the front of the copper sink or hang on a wrought iron hook next to a favorite apron dusted in semolina flour.

Without a doubt, the Tuscan kitchen is a popular trend with endurance. By creating a space that is warm, usable and accommodating to many cooks and bystanders, your Tuscan kitchen will serve as the hearth of the home.

Materials Pictured:

Big Pacific 4" x 4" Scabos Travertine Tile / $1 / Lowes

KitchenAid 600 Series 6 Quart Stand Mixer in Copper Pearl /  $338 / Amazon

Sienna Bordeaux Granite

Danze Opulence Pull Out Kitchen Faucet in Copper / $200 / Buyplumbing.net

Horton Brasses Cast Brass Knobs / $5 / Horton Brasses

Premier Copper Products 25"  Hammered Kitchen Single Basin Sink / $650 / FaucetDirect.com

Horton Brasses Cast Brass Bin Pulls / $6 / Horton Brasses

Lidingo Doors + Akurum Cabinets / Ikea

Scroll Fruit Bowl / $20 / Pier 1 Imports

Delicious Salad Plates / $7 / Pier 1 Imports

Barrett Place Mocha Bronze Foyer Pendant Light / $160 / Lamps Plus

Lilje Cabinet Doors + Akurum Cabinet Boxes / Ikea

Virginia Millworks 1/2" x 5" Yorktown Plank Handscraped Wood Flooring / $3.69 sq. ft/ Lumber Liquidators

Bright Brass Bin Pull / $8.40 / Horton Brasses

1-1/4" Bright Brass Classic Kitchen Knob / $6 / Horton Brasses

Antiqued Copper Mirror  / $200 / Home Decorators

Ivory Tuscan Rooster Towels (set of 2) / $16 / Williams-Sonoma

Iron Hook / $9 / Horton Brasses

Urchin Finials + Iron / $38 / Anthropologie

Ibiza Valance / $25 / Target

Tristan Bi-Cast Leather Fanback Dining Chair (set of 2) / $340 / World Market

Medley Round Hammered Metal Table in Penny Patina Finish / $600/ Restauarantbarfurniture.com

IMAX Wrought Iron Wine Cabinet / $150 / CSN.com