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Italian interiors have always been about more than aesthetics.
Think of the sun-drenched villas of Lake Como, the cinematic glamour of 1970s Milanese apartments, or the polished elegance of Rome’s palazzos — they’re about atmosphere, bold choices and, above all, a reverence for craft and curation.
Whether it’s sipping espresso beneath the soft glow of Murano glass or sinking into the pillowy curves of a Mario Bellini sofa, there’s something iressistable about a space that celebrates texture, tone and tactility in equal measure.
Below, I show you how to channel this inimitable Italian flair in your space:
Begin with sculpture
Italian living rooms often feel more like curated galleries than purely functional spaces. This is in part due to their reverence for form — every piece feels sculptural.
Choose furniture that invites you to linger. Opt for organic shapes, generous proportions, and pieces that almost hug the room.
Keep the eye moving with a mix of rounded silhouettes and grounded, monolithic forms. Think a carved timber coffee table, a tiered travertine plinth, or a lacquered cube side table with a reflective finish.
Let there be (layered) light
Lighting is never an afterthought in Italian-inspired interiors. It’s atmospheric, moody, and always sculptural in its own right.
Layering is key. Start with a pendant light to anchor the room, then build outwards: a floor lamp to ground one corner, a table lamp for sculpture, a wall sconce for intimacy. Each source should serve a purpose — not just to light the space, but to shape its mood.
Consider how the light interacts with surfaces. Let it bounce off tabletops, pool softly in shadowed corners or catch the sheen of a velvet cushion.
Choose pieces that glow rather than glare. A warm white bulb (around 2700K) will cast just the right amount of golden light, flattering the room and everyone in it.
And don’t underestimate the power of dimmer switches. You want to be able to shift the mood from an afternoon Negroni to a late-night red with ease.
Embrace colour and contrast
Italian interiors aren’t shy when it comes to colour. But they do it in a way that feels grown-up and nuanced.
Rather than loud primaries, think jewel tones with a twist – deep merlot, olive green, burnt sienna, espresso brown, dusty plum. These tones wrap a room in mood and soul. They’re dramatic, but also cocooning and calm.
Walls don’t have to be white to be timeless. In fact, white can sometimes feel stark in a space that’s layered. Instead, choose colour that complements the room’s light, something that will shift and deepen throughout the day. In my own projects, I often use colour drenching to wrap a room in a singular hue, which envelops the space a sense of quiet confidence.
Materials that tell a story
At the heart of Italian design lies a deep reverence for materiality — not just for how things look, but how they feel, age, and endure.
Marble, naturally, takes centre stage. It’s not simply luxurious; it’s distinctive. Whether on tabletops, plinths or small sculptural accents, marble gives the space a grounded elegance.
For softness and contrast, turn to textiles that invite touch, such as velvet, bouclé, mohair and worn-in leather. These materials bring warmth and intimacy, especially when set against harder elements like timber, glass, chrome or brass. It’s this contrast between soft and structured, refined and raw that brings rhythm and richness to a room.
And don’t be afraid of a little patina. The Italians aren’t precious. A scuff on a bronze lamp or a well-loved armchair only adds to the room’s narrative.
Curate, don’t clutter
This style is all about sprezzatura: that effortless sense of elegance. And that applies to styling, too. Less is more, but what remains should be meaningful.
Art and objects are chosen with intention. They aren’t just decorative, they hold memories, spark curiosity and ignite conversation. Often, they’re the very things that turn a styled space into one that feels personal, grounded and soulful.
Additional moodboard credits: (from left) ‘Hear our voices tweet tweet tweet. God defend our toi-let seat’, by Kirsty Budge from Daine Singer. 3-D printed porcelain whiskey cup by Alterfact from Pépite. Plush spice cushion from Window Workshop. Celeste cushion from Studio Tali Roth. ‘Water Tower IX’ vase is brass by Kenny Yong from Craft Vic. ‘Nebulae’ bowl in opal by Theodosius Ng from Craft Vic. Goldie cushion from Studio Tali Roth.
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