It doesn't matter what kind of decor you want to use in your home, that decor can look either good or bad depending on whether or not common design principles are followed.

If you're thinking of decorating a room or your entire home using Tuscan decor, there are several principles you have to consider. Tuscan decor is like any other decor - there are certain principles that have to be followed to ensure that the room looks attractive and balanced. There's good decorating, and bad decorating, never mind what kind of decor is used!

Before you start acquiring your various antiques - pottery, rugs, vases, glass jars and so on, and the necessary furniture and wall and window treatments - you must plan the decor out following the principles of good decorating.

Space How big is the room you intend to decorate? You don't want to have too much furniture in the room so that it appears crowded. Space also applies to the windows - depending on their size and location, you'll use different kinds of shutters, curtains or draperies.

Line Horizontal lines create a different impression than vertical ones. They create a sense of "breadth, width and size", whereas vertical lines tend to add "height, dignity and formality." Diagonal lines attract attention, but tend to be more disturbing than not. And finally, curving lines are "romantic and feminine." Take a look at the lines of your windows - A-frame, bay, bow, casement, clerestory (a shallow window set near the ceiling), corner, dormer, double, picture or ranch, to see if you can tell the difference between the different styles. Depending on the types of windows you have, you'll want your window treatments to match.

Texture When it comes to decor, the texture of the walls is all-important. Tuscan walls are usually textured - rough and coarse, to give the appearance of hominess and age.

Proportion and scale No matter what kind of furniture and accessories you place in your room, they should all be of the same proportion and scale, so that one item does not dominate the entire room.

Color The use of color is the most important single element in decorating a room. Consider how much natural light enters the room, how large it is, and who will be using it. The Tuscan decor emphasizes "earth" tones such as brown, tan, beige and gold, but "sky" tones of blue are necessary as well, to echo the Tuscan earth and sky.

By following these general design principles with the specific principles of Tuscan decor, you can create a room that will be friendly, cosy, and that evokes the rustic atmosphere of peasant Italy.