Remember those castle-type mansions in the 50s classic movies? And the houses described in the novels of Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte, and other authors of the romantic era? These are the colonial-style houses with extended, round porches, large exterior columns, dormer windows and essentially brick construction. Even today, horror movies in India feature such houses to add to the thrill. But it takes a huge effort to design such houses (both exterior and interior) and see that they don’t lose their classic charm.
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Colonial interior design style: Know the right materials
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Before you start buying furniture or décor items for your colonial-style home, you should know which materials complement this unique style. Natural, handcrafted materials are said to look best in a colonial interior. Lather, cotton, linen, and wood are considered safe to retain the charm. You may choose campaign furniture, like folding mahogany chairs for dining and resting, collapsible beds, liquor cabinets, folding tables, etc. These pieces of furniture both enhanced the British colonial feel as well as were practical enough to be folded and stuffed into a steamer, ready to be transported. People used to move around a lot at that time, from one home to another; hence they used this kind of furniture that was easily movable.
Other eccentric décor items that you can collect from collectors are cotton and linen sheets and curtains with paisley prints or animal prints, ikats, and old paintings to hang on the walls. For the windows also, you should choose lightweight fabrics that are a statement of the colonial era. You may hang sheets from the ceiling to ramp up the romance factor in your large bedrooms.
For the living room, choose decorative wood furniture to retain the colonial feel. In the British era, people took design inspiration from the tropics and turned them into attractive wood structures to match the British formality. As a result, unique pieces were created that created an amazing aesthetic effect. Visit a collectors’ showroom or get your furniture customised to recreate that look in your colonial-style house.
Colonial interior design style: Colour palette
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Colours set the mood. And in colonial-style interiors, it is the mood that defines how complete the look is! You should go with neutral shades, like peach, pale pink, soft blue, sea green, pale yellow or brown, to recreate the essence of 19th-century colonial homes.
Do you know that the brown hues that we saw in colonial homes were chosen because this shade was the easiest available at that time? While whitewashes were limited to the home’s frame and trim, brown and its shades were the common colours for walls and furnishings.
However, things have changed today. We can get any colour palette that we desire for our interiors. So go ahead and pick from the extensive range of neutral colours that are available today, and match and mix them to create a contemporary colonial look. From stone grey to ochre, you are free to choose any colour as long as it does not look out of place.
Furniture for colonial-style homes
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The hardest part about decorating a colonial-style house is choosing the right pieces of furniture that will both complement and enhance its appearance. Keep in mind that colonial houses feature rustic, handcrafted, traditional furniture, and even if you cannot afford to get those today, you should choose items that closely resemble the same. Simple but handcrafted items can reestablish the colonial feel and are also available easily in traditional collectors’ stores. If you are into antiques, oversized furniture, like large wooden sofas, ottomans, decorative bookcases, armchairs, and ladder-back chairs, will help make the ambience warmer and more inviting.
Are you wondering what kind of wood furniture you should invest in? In those times, walnut, oak, maple, etc., were the choice of wood. But one thing you should note here. For colonial-style interiors, it is not the material but the craftsmanship that has the last say. Whatever wood you choose, if the craftsmanship is excellent, it will help recreate that colonial feel of the 19th century.
Colonial interior design style: Lighting
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Many people forget about this crucial element in decorating interiors. The lighting of the space determines how the room will appear to the onlookers, so do not forget to install proper lighting in your colonial home. Investing in a decorative chandelier should be your top priority, as central chandeliers were a statement in colonial-style houses. Also, buy cast-iron lamps and decorative candle holders to add to the effect. It is best not to go for modern lighting, as it will ruin the entire thing.
Colonial interior design style: Décor items
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There are many different ways you can decorate a colonial-style home. For example, you can install woven ceiling fans for a lovely accent. Then you can install traditional wood shutters on your bedroom windows to create a rustic appeal.
For the living rooms, you can go for woven shades and rugs of materials like jute and sisal and pair them with bamboo furniture for a relaxing appeal. Some eclectic items, like letter-writing boxes, a telescope, expensive china and crystals, complete the study room aesthetics. If you are into greens, place some indoor plants, like palms and ferns, to bring nature into the mix.
Colonial house styles
Most colonial homes have a window on each side of the entrance, with at least three windows on the upper floor. A central hall and front door opening to the hallway are other noticeable feature of these houses.
Colonial house design
A triangular pediment over the front door, dormer windows, French windows, and central chimneys or chimneys on both ends are some of the typical features of colonial homes.
Modern colonial house
Go for a colonial square or rectangular-shaped house design. However, you can bring a modern appeal to the structure by incorporating modern features such as lighting fixtures, decorative glass, etc.
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Colonial house colors
Muted neutral colours are the striking aspect of a colonial house design. You can consider soft white exterior walls with wooden tones for a classic look. Other colours suited for this design are red, pink yellow, rich tan or burnt orange.
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Symmetrical colonial house plans
Colonial style house plans are characterised by their symmetrical floor plans. You can incorporate open floor plan concepts and modern elements to give the house design a luxurious appeal.
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Geometric colonial architecture
Choose a colonial house design with attractive geometrical designs to enhance its visual appeal. Simple geometric lines for the exterior will bring the desired classic look. Consider circular arch designs and pillars.
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FAQs
How to create a colonial-style look in my apartment?
You can style your interiors with a colonial feel by choosing rustic colours and shades, installing handcrafted furniture of wood and other natural materials, and installing some good 19th-century decorative lighting. Even if you do not live in a spacious mansion, these design hacks will help decorate your apartment in the colonial style.
What kind of décor items should I buy for my colonial interiors?
Go for Romantic era paintings, like portraitures or traditional oil paintings. These look best in a colonial-style house, along with decorative wallpapers and ornate mirrors.
| Got any questions or point of view on our article? We would love to hear from you. Write to our Editor-in-Chief Jhumur Ghosh at jhumur.ghosh1@housing.com |