Colonial Style Interior Design Guide

Want a style that is sophisticated and vintage without being over the top on baroque frills?

The colonial style interior design captures the essence of the colonial British times with a touch of modernization to make it more appealing to the people of today. It appeals to the popular idea of life at that time (Regency tea parties!) without the other baroque or cramped historical aspects that might make it less practical. We will go over all the steps to transform your home with the colonial interior design style.

 

1. How to Choose the Right Colors

For this style, choose muted colors in a medium hue. Black, white, and gold are typical base colors for this style that are always included, while one other main color can be chosen. Given the simple sophistication of this design, make sure not to clutter the space with too many different hues. In the first picture, a light green is chosen as the accent color and shown through the sofa bed. Other potential accent colors could include a soft medium blue, dark navy blue, light lilac, peach, magenta, or more. This style favors fairly soft contrasts.

Tips:

• Walls: The classic painted wall can never go wrong, especially with a style like this. Make sure to paint the wall a light color, whether it be a pastel version of the accent color or a neutral like white, gray, or cream. If you're feeling more adventurous and want a more vintage look, either a monotone or neutral white and beige wallpaper with the accent color can be used. Simple architectural features like trims around windows and crowning are common for this style. Wide square, vertical windows are a classic.
• Floors: A simple wood floor in gray or light brown wood is perfect for this style, fitting with the older look.
• Accents: Colorful accents are mainly included in this style through the furniture items, cushions, and accessories like flowers.

2. How to Choose the Right Patterns and Textures

Finding the balance of modernity and antiquity is very important through the use of patterns and textures. This style favors a clean, modern look rather than an overly cluttered or baroque look, but patterns and textures can still be used tastefully to enhance it.

Suggestions:

• Patterns: This style tends not to use patterns because of the more modern emphasis on simplicity, but simple floral patterns or plain stripes would be the main type of patterns used if really necessary.
• Textures: Textures are important to adding subtle, tiny details to this style. Texture can be used in the design through embellished table legs, sculpting on the walls, rugs, and chandeliers. Otherwise, smooth surfaces are most common in this design.

3. How to Choose the Right Furniture

Since this style focuses on larger, airier spaces with an open concept, furnishing the place is an especially important part of the interior design process. Having multiple smaller side tables and coffee tables of different sizes is common for this style. Also include other armchairs, chaises, and seating to create a conversation circle.

Tips: 

• Design: Choose furniture with a simpler, sleek design and clean lines. Slight curves or rounded corners are alright, but straight lines are an important part of creating the sense of stability in this interior design style. Avoid embellishments like buttons but creases are fine.
• Frames: Choose furniture with a black painted wood frames (for chairs), avoiding overly metallic or natural wood frames which might disrupt the look.

4. How to Choose the Right Accessories

Choosing the right accessories will either make or break your look, so here we have a list of accessories which will fit with your colonial style interior so that your living room looks sufficiently historical but still has a clean, chic modern look.

Suggestions:

• Artwork: For this style, walls are often broken up by windows, but when there is space for artwork, paintings add a touch of authenticity to the period theme of the style. 
• Vases (and flowers): Vases are a perfect table decor item for this style. Generally, clear glass vases or simple porcelain vases are best. Adding flowers to your vases is essential to fitting with the old-style British vibe of the style. You can use bouquets as a colorful pop to tie in with your accent color. 

5. How to Choose the Right Historical Elements

Of course, for the colonial interior design style, choosing historical items to spruce up your living room is necessary. Anything that reminds you of the era is fair game, including tea sets, model ships, instruments, books, and vintage gadgets.

Ideas:

• Tea sets: Often featured in Regency or Victorian books and shows, tea sets are an important item for your design. Display your beautiful tea sets, dainty teacups, and porcelain on your tables.
• Books: A charming bookshelf can add that extra touch of flair to your design while being a practical addition to keep your favorite books organized and tidy.
• Vintage gadgets: Vintage globes and other scientific contraptions from the era can add that extra historical flourish to take your design to the next level on top of being intriguing to your guests.
• Musical Instruments: Given the love of music during the older times in history, displaying instruments like violins or pianofortes is a wonderful way to combine your passion for music with the British colonial interior design style.

6. How to Choose the Right Lighting

Bright daylight is the perfect lighting for this style, which features tall windows in a rectangular shape with thin cross-bars.  While windows are the primary light source during the day, other light sources are needed for other times. Choose white or neutral colored light for the clean and simple look of the style.

Options:

• Lamps: Lamps are a common way to light up your living in the colonial style interior design. Choose lamps with black bases, and white shades for a classic look.
• Chandeliers: Chandeliers with sparkling crystals recall the luxury and grandeur of old fashioned English manors while providing the light you need for your living room. Chandeliers which mimic candles can be a vintage touch to your home.

Conclusion

All in all, the colonial interior design style is perfect for those looking for a simple, historical style with a modern twist. Sleek, smooth lines and simple colors accompanied by classic black and white perfectly complement cute accents reminiscent of the British Regency, like lamps and tea sets. Centering on wide windows and a simple sofa bed, tea tables, bookshelves, wall sconces, and chandeliers create the unique flair of the style against a simple white-walled backdrop. The British colonial interior design style is practical and simple to implement but unique and personalized to your love of history.

Planning on transforming your home? Check out sofabedstore.com’s featured collection to find the perfect classic sofa bed  for your colonial interior design style living room. For more design tips and inspiration, visit our YouTube channel