What are the advantages of colonial-style houses? Overview + Videos of interiors and facades

Do you know that the Colonial style in architecture and interior design appeared in time immemorial, when the very concept of colonization first appeared. This unique, striking style has survived to this day in many different variations.

The main feature that defines the colonial style is the mixing of the cultures of the colonialists and local peoples. It is this mixture that gives a special flavor that has remained relevant for many decades, and is to the taste of lovers of travel and adventure.

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Colonized areas

As a result of this, Romanesque settlements arose in Gaul, Britain, the Rhineland, and there was a "romanization" barbarian tribes. The Romans brought their entire way of life with them, thereby facilitating the emergence of the first cities in the colonized areas.

The same thing happened many times throughout history - the colonialists, coming to new, wild lands, brought with them their habits and architectural traditions. For decades and centuries, coexisting with the culture of the indigenous peoples of the colonies, the colonialists themselves absorbed it, and as a result of such a seemingly wild combination, a charming and unique style arose.

Today there are many variants of the colonial style, corresponding to the number of colonizations, of which there were many in the history of mankind.

English colonial style

The style was formed primarily thanks to India. This country was the "pearl" in the crown of the British Empire from the mid-18th to the mid-20th century. The infusion of Indian culture into British culture has formed a unique style in architecture and interior design that has been popular for many years.

• In large architecture, the English colonial style is characterized by a combination of Gothic elements and smooth lines outlines of Indian temples.
• In the projects of individual houses, the lancet outlines of the Gothic forms became much smoother, and were replaced by arched rolls.

• Frames were painted in light colors.

In the interior, the colonial style manifested itself most vividly - numerous exotic trinkets appeared in the rooms , hunting trophies, tropical plants brought from the colonies. All this gave the decoration of the rooms a brightness previously unthinkable in English interior .

American colonial style

This style is very different from European ones. The first settlers in America were representatives of various nationalities, and it is rather difficult to distinguish between them any common features.

In any case, the classic was the basis for the American colonial style.The characteristic features of the American colonial style are 2-3-storey houses, large rectangular windows, wide balconies, a staircase at the entrance and a peculiar element of the roof - a canopy brought forward.

Spanish Colonial Style

Another vibrant colonial style - Spanish, common in Latin America.

The Spanish style itself is a mixture of Baroque with Moorish motives, and transferred to the soil of Latin America, it acquired fantastic forms.

The Spanish colonial style is characterized by massiveness and some roughness, bright colors, rich decor.

French Colonial Style

The style was formed as a result of Asian influence. French classical architecture is initially lighter and lighter than English.

Thanks to Vietnam and China, it has acquired a new form of roofs, borrowed from eastern temples, which goes well with the attic, which has gained particular popularity.

The most popular were the English and American colonial styles, we will dwell on them in more detail.

House in the English colonial style

• Characteristic features of the house in the English colonial style - these are large windows that overlook the garden or to the other side, but certainly with a beautiful view.

  There is a lot of light in such a room, the space becomes light, airy.

• A colonial-style country house project usually includes two floors, the house is built of stone, and the windows, doors, shutters are made of wood.
• A characteristic feature is massive doors with forged handles that evoke thoughts of untold riches and mysterious secrets from oriental fairy tales.
• Rooms in such a house are through, they smoothly flow into each other, so the space can be delimited by various elements - columns, screens, curtains, light partitions.
• In the interior, deliberately simple furniture coexists with small, often expensive, handmade jewelry.

Materials and colors of the English colonial style

• The interior of the house in the English colonial style is performed using exclusively natural materials. Decorators recommend using clay, wood, stone, copper, woolen, linen and silk fabrics.
• The general color background in the rooms is created calm, in brown, light green, cream tones. Such coloring of the walls helped the colonists to create at least the illusion of coolness in the unusually hot climate in which they had to live, while wearing European clothes.

• In addition, against this background, colorful and bright spots will look advantageous, which we will then add with the help of various decorative elements.
• Walls can be decorated with paintings and mirrors in ancient frames, exotic gizmos brought from distant countries.
• The ceiling can be designed in the form of beamed ceilings, covered with canvas or leather, which will remind of sea voyages and ship chests.
• Floors are best finished with natural wood or stone, although synthetic counterparts are fine.
• There must be a large chandelier , which will be located in the center of the room.

  It can be both English and exotic. To create good lighting in the evening, you need to put many lamps in the premises.

• To give the interior a colonial charm, it is necessary to arrange in the house a lot of exotic things that the colonialists acquired in the bazaars of distant countries: masks, weapons, vases, statues, carpets, mats.
• Massive wooden cabinets can be used to display collections.
• The abundance of textiles in the decor will also help create an exquisite atmosphere: curtains, blankets and bedspreads in bright colors, canopies, pillows.

American colonial style house

It is difficult to identify any common features for American colonial style . In fact, the American colonial style is made up of many separate styles, and this diversity is directly related to the diversity of the national composition of emigrants from Europe who originally inhabited America. In America, there are houses based on various variations of the English style (Victorian, Gregorian, and many others), French, Danish, Spanish and many others.

These were rather horizontally extended houses. There was no point in building many floors, and the size of the house had to demonstrate the degree of its owner's well-being. At the same time, the building was built strictly symmetrical. The entrance is in the center and is reached by a large staircase . Often such stairs were made of marble, complemented by patterned railings.

Exterior of American Colonial Homes

• The facade usually had many windows.
• Sloping roof or dormer, with dormer or attic windows.
• It is characteristic that, despite the desire to flaunt their wealth, Americans are rather stingy with architectural decorations. The rich appearance of the house is achieved with the help of high-quality finishing materials and the general scope of construction.
• There are practically no relief decorations in American colonial houses.

• Facade finishing is most often made of white or colored plaster.

Cape Code

It would also be appropriate to consider the simplest a variant of the American colonial style is a style called the Cape Cod.

It is widespread throughout the country, it is these houses that we can very often see in American films about the life of the suburbs or provinces.

For Americans, Cape Cod is a kind of symbol and quintessence of "real" America. This was the first style most often used by English colonists in construction.

Cape Cod houses were built from the time of the first settlers until the 50s of the twentieth century.

A typical Cape Cod house is built on one floor of wood, trimmed with siding, asymmetrical facade, small rectangular windows with shutters. Roof with steep slopes, covered with tiles , with a red brick chimney. There is a residential attic under the roof with windows.

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