Bichonlover3,

We also are in the middle of a Tuscan/Mediterranean whole floor reno to go with our stucco Mediterranean house. Long story, but we sat for about 4 months waiting for tile ordered through family. It arrived Friday and is finally going down today! I have been cooking on a hot plate in the basement since February!!! Needless to say, the entire family is ecstatic to finally seeing things happening.

As per your question, I will post pictures in the next few weeks as things get installed. I designed all the kitchen to be either built in furniture or "freestanding" pieces, rich warm woods, cream travertine flooring, and yes, we are currently putting up faux wood beams on the ceiling, I ordered them from fauxwoodbeams.com and they are fabulous, they look so exceptionally real you can't even tell they are polyurethane! I ordered the raised grain prestained.

Below is a link to one of my favorite homes/ kitchens, which is definitely real Tuscan style :).

Here is a link that might be useful: Il Poggio Secco

Here's a photo of my Tuscan/Mediterranean kitchen here in Los Angeles. Can provide details if anyone's interested.

http://s43.photobucket.com/albums/qq58/cuisinista/

Sorry, had trouble posting photo. Here's a photo of my Tuscan/Mediterranean kitchen here in L.A. Will happily provide details if anyone's interested.

Daki - your kitchen is lovely!

To the OP, there is a Kitchen Designer who is italian who posts sometimes on this Forum, his name is Giacomo. He posted pics of his family's Tuscan kitchen, actually really in Tuscany. Unlike an American's idea of what a Tuscan kitchen is. I am linking the thread below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Giacomo's Family's Kitchen in Tuscany

Thank you, thank you!!!!
All the kitchens are absolutely beautiful.
trishloewen - I am looking forward to seeing your kitchen & thanks for the info re the beams.
cuisinistra - I live in Rancho Mirage, near Palm Springs - so we are neighbors!! What can I say, your kitchen is gorgeous! I too, am installing a dark patina copper sink. Is that copper on your island? Would love to know name of tile manufacturer for wall tiles. Also, did you faux finish walls?
daki - thank you for the link. Kitchen is so beautiful. Would love to know manufacturer of faucet.
shannonplus2 - link to Giacomo's kitchen was wonderful - so interesting. I too, am installing red tile floor.
I am using Electrolux appliances - I wanted the feet on the range and got an extremely good deal on all appliances so went with that brand.
Guess what! No installer would give me saltillo tiles!! So I went to porcelain and chose Cerdomus KYRAH Mandana Red which have ragged edges and are a darker red with some brown.
I went with Cardell cabinets - maple in soft white with antiquing in brown.
I am thinking of cinnamon spice Dupont quartz countertops. It is dark but picks up red in floor and brown from glazing on cabinets. Since cabinets are light, I think it should be alright. It also blends with sink.
Thanks, again, to all of you. Looking forward to any more suggestions you may hav!

There is currently a magazine on newstands called Tuscan Decorating (or something like that). I have seen it at costco and at my grocery store. I flipped through it and it looked like it had a lot of beautiful pictures. Hope that helps.

Bichonlover3, the kitchen I linked to earlier belongs to Pegkip, I don't know if she still visits this forum or not, but her post is still on the gallery page. It lists the faucet as a Pegasus (Home Depot brand) See below

Here is a link that might be useful: http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/gal02072539675.html

I'm having company over on Friday so the house will be presentable for pics LOL (We just moved in and it's nuts). I'll take some pics of my kitchen, which isn't tuscan, but has that feel due to it's wall finish and probably due to the chickens on the backsplash above my cluny.

We also had the artist who did our walls do our hallway walls in a lighter tone. The finish is very european as well. I'll be sure to snap some and post pics.

By the way.....you do know that Tuscan is totally OUT now and we're all supposed to do French Country instead, right? :oP (KIdding, I read that in a design magazine and that stuff always cracks me up).

Hi daki!
I'm not surprised. I have Pegasus in my master bath and I LOVE them. I specialed ordered them at HD in Heritage Bronze - a beautiful version of oil rubbed bronze.

Hello, Bichonlover3, and thank you so much for your kind words. I know the photo isn't as clear as it could be, but to answer some of your questions: the walls are real plaster with integral color that's been burnished to show color variation; if you're referring to the undermounted sink in the island, yes, that is hammered copper, but the rest of the island is an antique french style end-grain butcher block and behind that is giallo reale marble, which is the same as the marble on the other counters. It has an antique finishe, not honed. The tile on the back splash is authentic antique Italian cement tiles. They were sourced by the person who designed and built my kitchen. (He, too, is Italian, John DiSanto 818.693.3777.) He does amazing work. In fact, my kitchen isn't the best example of his work as he was working with some existing elements as opposed to a clean design slate. I've seen other examples of his work in many different styles. I'm sure he works in your area because I know he did a wine cellar in the Chop House Restaurant in Palm Springs that's amazing. Also, let me add my two cents about the faux beams that are under discussion: in other parts of my house, we used real 200 year old beams, which gave it instant authenticity and my designer made some wooden box beams which he also did an antique finish on, that almost looked as good. As far as the styrofoam faux beams, in my opinion, unless you go over those with an additional finish, they tend to look pretty plastic.

Hi!
igloochic - do you live in the frozen north? lol :). Would love to see pictures when you have them. I prefer France to Italy but prefer Tuscan colors to Country French - maybe it is because I am originally from Canada and spent a few years growing up in Quebec!!
cuisinistra -Thanks for John's number. My daughter is an interior designer in LA but, since she just moved into her first house on Sunday and is expecting her first baby in March, there seems to be no time for Mom's kitchen. I guess she forgets who paid the bill for 4 years at the Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC. This better be one cute baby!!! Will check out various beams - maybe get samples.....could go with real beamas as long as there are no earthquakes!!