American Colonial Style Decorating - Where to Start

Using American Colonial Style Decorating in your home does not have to be complicated. At its very core, the American Colonial style is elegant and rich. Think mahogany, crown moldings and panels. Think shutters for the windows. Consider quilts and texturized materials. Creams, greens, dark yellows and barn reds are typical colors in colonial style decorating.

Why Mahogany?

Head Boards

Mahogany was popular amongst the more affluent homeowners in the colonial age. It is from them that we get the modern American Colonial Style. There are no rules when it comes to the wood you choose. Any darker wood will give authenticity to your design. Chippendale and Queen Anne furniture with inlays and carvings or the look of the same are classic colonial pieces.

Crown Moldings and Paneled Walls

Large homes with spacious rooms and open areas are perfect for crown moldings and panels. The colonials knew how to decorate their homes with simplicity as well as flair. Get some books or buy some magazines that have great photos of the American Colonial Style to get a good idea of how walls were done before the birth of the United States.

Shutters on the Windows

Shutters were popular in colonial days. The ability to pull shutters closed offered a sense of security and a chance to add more design to the home. Colonial style calls for shutters instead of curtains and blinds.

Colonial Colors

Colonial colors are taken from the primary colors but are muted due to the natural pigments used in paint during that period in American history. Walls can be painted or papered with elegant floral designs. Furniture is decorated with colorful velvet fabrics and tapestries. Handmade quilts don four-poster beds with or without elaborately designed headboards.

The Heart of the Home - The Kitchen

An American Colonial kitchen was and is made of wood. Think butcher block and island with iron pans hanging overhead. Wooden cabinets and cupboards. Windows with multiple planes of glass and wooden shutters are perfect for every outside wall of your home including the kitchen.

Colorful, braided area rugs can be placed in every room of your home for even more nostalgia. Such rugs can be placed at the entrance, in the living room, kitchen, bath, and bedrooms.

As with other decorating styles being used today, American Colonial Style decorating is not limited to nostalgic pieces. Modern appliances and even modern pieces of décor can be mixed with colonial décor with some success.

American Colonial Style Decorating - Where to Start

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