The First Tuscan Style Home

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Tuscan homes can be very pretty and comfortable to live in. But where did these types of homes come from? It can be difficult to trace the line of history back to the very first Tuscan house, but what is possible is to see how the style evolved into what it is today. Even better, thanks to Tuscan homes, we now have even more elements that we can incorporate into our own homes for a unique look.

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Tuscan homes originate from Italy. Their style is based upon Tuscan villas of the time. Their influence began in other countries as far back as the early 1600s when visitors from foreign countries examined Tuscan architecture and decided to bring these concepts home with them. The first Tuscan style home to make it into England did so around 1840. Homes could be very large indeed, featuring all sorts of elements from Italy to give them style and appeal. However, the style eventually began to fall out of favor in 1855.

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Interestingly enough, the United States had seen the beauty of the Tuscan villa as well and began to craft houses in that style. Some chose this home style over others such as Gothic or Greek Revival. Instead of dying out as it did in England, Tuscan style homes actually grew in popularity. They could be seen in cities such as Cincinnati, Ohio and all the way into California. Even today, there are still extremely old homes that continue on as an example of the style from that era.

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Tuscan homes can be distinguished by several distinct architectural features. Exteriors tend to have terra cotta roofs or low pitched tiles. Construction is often made from stucco or stone. Doorways have lovely arches, and windows can be rather tall and narrow with arches as well. A walk through a Tuscan style home may reveal an enclosed courtyard outside, while on the inside recurring uses of wood beams and hardwood flooring can be seen. Floor plans tend to be spacious.

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There are a lot of great things about Tuscan style homes. First you have to like the style in order to be able to live in a Tuscan home. Today, we continue to use this particular style, but have scaled it down to provide the design to a wider range of people. If you're interested in adding a bit of Tuscan style to your home, start looking into various accents of stone or wrought iron or moulding types inspired by Tuscan architecture.

Enid Glasgow is a writer with a passion for home-improvements, design, and architecture. Learn more about [http://www.sunmountaindoor.com/moulding/browse/arch/tuscan/]Tuscan Architecture online.

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