Decorating In Colonial Style Colonial Style decorating offers an 18th century look with simplicity, sense of proportion and serenity of the decor. It's about calamity and order. Furniture is sophisticated and shows passion for things that have to do with science. The symbol of Colonial period is the highly engineered Windsor chair, which has perfect proportions. This style is about global involvement, science, philosophy and new ideas. Personal libraries and huge fireplaces were valuable showcases in the 18th century. They showed status and wealth. International trade allowed for such luxuries as Oriental carpets. Households that were middle-class and could not afford those carpets had painted floor cloths or stenciled floor panels to imitate inlaid wood. The rooms in those times were quite large. Common were such decorative elements as wood paneling, wainscoting on walls, decorative chair rails at ceilings, wallpaper and stenciled patterns instead of borders. In the dining rooms you would see murals of landscapes above the wainscoting. Furniture was a prized possession in Colonial times and was handmade and finely upholstered. It was hard to make in those times and passed from generation to generation, influenced by such periods as Jacobean, William and Mary, Queen Anne and Chippendale starting as early as 1600's. The rooms appeared light and were embellished with jars of ginger, vase lamps and cream colored curtains. Small lamps were put together into groups to give an impression of candlelight. Curtains were hung by tabs from rods and were usually made out of linen or calico. They were held in place with tiebacks to let in maximum natural light. The color palette of Colonial Style is bold and straightforward. There is balance and moderation. The homes were usually painted in warm yellow, mute blue, salmon or green. These rather bright outdoor colors complimented dim and reserved interiors. 
The Colonial Style is very popular in interior decorating. With it's simplicity and calamity, it's a great style for any living room, dining room or bedroom. | 
