Colonial style in the interior brings to mind distant travels, fascinating stories, oriental heat, but above all the close intermingling of culture and nature. This is because they are inspired by African countries and the Far East. Design today oscillating around this style, hides under such names as: "traveling", "safari", "Indian" or "Balinese".
Colonial style living room
The excitement of the Orient
This style is a combination of classic and exotic - a longing for English elegance and excitement about the otherness of the Black Continent and East Asia. The beginning of such home decorating took place in the 19th century. At that time, the British Crown had many overseas colonies, which began to be gradually settled. The British, decorating homes in remote Africa, used materials available locally. For interior markets in Europe, this was a novelty, with a bit of mystery. So they became enthralled with the modern aesthetic and began to arrange apartments in the Orient.
A chaise longue and ornate cabinets and massive wooden furniture in colonial style
Features of colonial style
Thefeatures of colonial style are distinct and easy to spot. Wood is king here - dark, exotic woods, such as ebony, mahogany, rosewood or sandalwood. Fabrics will be as natural as possible - tables covered with linen tablecloths, ornate pillowcases, sewn from high-quality cotton or silk, furniture upholstery is made of natural leather. Imitation skins of wild animals, lying on a wooden or stone floor will also fit.
We can also recognize this style by the color scheme. It is she who introduces order and a feeling of calm here. The base colors are the colors of nature, earthy beiges, browns - especially dark brown furniture, whites that brighten the whole arrangement and shades of green. A warm and sunny character will be brought into the interior by yellows and oranges, and dark reds will add mystery.
Any accessories in oriental style, such as plaids , colorful ceramics, openwork lamps or atmospheric screens, will fill the space, emphasizing its original character. They can have ethnic, animal or floral patterns.
Rooms with elements of colonial style
Colonial style with a touch of modernity
Note that colonial style is still synonymous with high class and rich personality, so there is no fear that it will quickly pass and become passé.
Lovers of traveling arrangements today demand solutions that combine colonial style with designer chic, exoticism with elegance. Designers, fortunately, cope with this challenge perfectly and we, instead of creating interiors with a uniform character, often opt for a subtle style note, accentuating only our tastes.
Stylized lighting and safari style bedroom
Already at the stage of construction of the house, it is worth thinking, for example, about exposing the support beams and painting them in a dark color. With them, solid wooden furniture will compose perfectly. Colonial style likes large spaces, so it is worth combining, for example, the kitchen space with the living room. Certainly, then there will also be room for a large sofa with upholstery made of natural or ecological leather, a coffee table made of exotic wood and additional seating areas, which can equally well be made of leather, wicker or finished with openwork rattan braid.
Those who want to feel oriental in the bedroom as well, can invest in a spacious bed, topped with a magnificent canopy of bright fabric.
Colonial-style porches
Souvenirs from the trip, or essential accessories
The whole arrangement will be complemented by appropriately selected accessories. First of all, natural greenery. We can be tempted to create a real jungle, which will not only look great against the background of browns and beiges, but also perfectly affect our mood. In the midst of this, stone or wooden sculptures can appear.
Screens and light rattan furniture will visually relieve the space a bit, and lamps and lampshades will give a special atmosphere. In addition, any accessories of travel souvenirs will fit here, such as straw hats, masks of African warriors, wooden photo frames, globes, aged maps or, for example, a vintage-style suitcase. A travel-themed bookcase will certainly be pleasing to the eye.
