Sri Lanka owns a proud culture, inherited from a history of more than 2000 years. And yes, this culture has a strong association with the unique and artistic lifestyle of Sri Lankans. They enjoy a simple and entertaining life. And the most important thing is that the interior designs and home decorations in Sri Lanka are also an important aspect of the country’s culture. Besides, they are significant and unique in their own ways. In fact, they reveal to the world the charm of Sri Lankan heritage. So, it is simply wonderful to know about them! Why not? Continue reading, and enlighten yourselves about the wonderful interior design and home decoration concepts popular in Sri Lanka!
Interior Design Styles that Define the Home Decorations in Sri Lanka
Sri Lankan interior designs have a mix of different styles. Some of them have influences from the kingdom eras, and some from the colonial era. However, we can identify the following as the most common interior design concepts in this country.
- Modern Colonial Style
- Tropical Modernism
- Contemporary Cool
- Cottage Style
Scroll down to know more about them!
Modern Colonial Style
Sri Lanka has been under the rule of the Portuguese, Dutch, and British for years. This has left marks of European design styles among the home decorations of Sri Lanka as well. Touches of these styles are more visible in ancient buildings in areas like Galle, Colombo, and Negombo. And yes, a blend of modern and Victorian styles is present in these designs.
Some elements of these designs include wooden floors, plush upholstery, winged armchairs, large chandeliers, chaise longues, planter’s chairs, and unique flower arrangements. Moreover, the Dutch tiles, four poster beds with drapes, embroidered pillows, and cushions add much to the unique style of these designs.
Tropical Modernism
Tropical Modernism is famous as a Sri Lankan architectural style. Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa is the person who brought up this concept in this country.
It is a wonderful architectural style that highlights indoor and outdoor connectivity, with local materials and indigenous traditions. In fact, this style consists of buildings with open verandas that connect to outdoor courtyards and roofs with traditional clay tiles. However, the uniqueness of this style is establishing a relationship between nature and architecture.
Modernism uses new industrial technologies of glass, concrete floors, and steel in a building’s structural design. Moreover, tropical modernism adds airy interiors, scattered verandas, and lots of natural light to the style. Therefore, it enhances the building’s natural light and ventilation.
Contemporary Cool
Contemporary cool interiors are simple and sophisticated. Further, they use texture and clean lines. These lines, which are the most distinctive element in contemporary designs are common in high ceilings, geometric shapes in wall art, and bare windows. Moreover, it includes elements like bold decorations, low-hanging lampshades, and rattan items. Besides, they have more focus on color, space, and shape to make interiors fresh. Apart from that, the use of bold furniture with smooth and geometric shapes is a significant aspect of this interior design style.
Cottage Style
Cottage Style is another beautiful concept in Sri Lanka that enhances serenity. This often incorporates natural materials, like stone and wood, and earthy colors. Moreover, the home decor items that belong to this concept consist of pastel colors, natural materials, antique furnishings, lace curtains, wood flooring, and rustic wood beams.
Elements Used in the Home Decorations in Sri Lanka
Sri Lankan home decorations are a mix of vibrant colors, natural elements, traditional home decorations, and rustic elements.
Colors
In Sri Lankan climate and light conditions, the use of white for a space enhances the spacing, light, brightness, and luxury. However, the colors that the architects use most of the time are rich with different tones and adorable elements. Besides, vibrant colors are common among Sri Lankan home decoration items and furniture.
Accessories
Textured brick and warm-toned wood are used together with steel beams, enlarged glass windows, and minimalist furniture among home decorations in Sri Lanka. Further, the use of ceramic and porcelain ornaments, tiles, and other traditional items is also common. Decorative items include character doorstops, elephant figurines, and lacquer pots.
Apart from that, granite statues are a main aspect of the interiors and exteriors of many Sri Lankan homes. In fact, many believe that the granite statues of Lord Buddha are cultural treasures in the country.
Natural Elements
The use of space is helpful in maximizing the space for multi-purposes. Besides, since Sri Lanka is a country that receives sunlight throughout the year, natural spaces give a wonderful beauty by balancing the sunlight. And yes, it saves power consumption in Sri Lankan living spaces as well.
Apart from that, natural plants are also famous as home decoration concepts in Sri Lanka. It adds beauty and serenity to the areas while cleaning the air.
Sri Lankans use plants in pots as wall hanging, and apart from that, indoor gardens are also common in many Sri Lankan households. Ferns, lobster claws, lucky bamboo, cactus, chrysanthemums, English Ivy, Gazania, Petunia, and Succulents are famous indoor plants that the Sri Lankans choose.
Traditional Home Decorations in Sri Lanka
There are many types of traditional home decoration styles that still add value to the living spaces in this country. Some of them are as follows.
Masks
The traditional masks of Sri Lanka are the painted faces of monsters from folk tales. They have deep connections to Sri Lankan culture and people have used them in the past for healing rites and rituals. Besides, ancient people used to believe that hanging masks in the household cast off evil eyes. So, it made people hang various types of traditional masks in their living spaces, which in return, turned out to be a home decoration idea.
People use local wood and certain plant leaves to make these masks, and then, they polish them. Later, they paint them using natural organic and mineral-based pigments with brilliant colors.
These masks are popular souvenirs among tourists as well as locals.
Handloom
Handlooms are hand-woven fabrics with vibrant colors and patterns. Sri Lankan handloom products include curtains, cushion covers, and other household decorative items. Of course, they add a different shade of beauty to a living space, while preserving the cultural values of the country.
Dumbara Weaves
Dumbara weaves are unique Sri Lankan work used in decorative pieces, mats, and wall hangings. They are also used in decorative items, bags and purses, and household items such as rugs and carpets, table mats, and bed sheets. These products are unique to Sri Lanka and reflect the rich culture of Sri Lankan industries.
The art of Dumbara weaves originated in the village of Uda Dumbara in Kandy and this skill is well guarded within the few families of Dumbara weavers.
Lacquer Work
Lacquerware is made with wax derived from a species of insects, which is imported from India. The lacquer artists create complex and beautiful designs using this wax, with their unique old methods, tools, and procedures. Mostly, lacquerware includes flag handles, hand fan handles, bowls, vases, containers, and other decorative items. These products are used in home decorations all around the country.
Brass Work
Brass products are wrought or cast and decorated with carvings or designs. These items are very popular in Sri Lankan households and include oil lamps, and household utilities including boxes, baskets, chairs, trays, containers, locks, hinges, and vases.
Beeralu Lace
Lacemaking comes as an s gift of the colonial era. However, it is now a reputed household industry in Sri Lanka.
Artists use specific lace-making techniques in this process. These are common among home decoration items including curtains, table clothes, pillow covers, cushions, and chairs.
Cane Products
Cane is a material that is useful in making furniture items such as tables, chairs, and other home utilities like baskets, and containers. Moreover, there are many decorative items that incorporate cane into various designs. In this production, cane stalks are bent and wound into different shapes while being heated. Accordingly, the artists come up with various creative decorative items that amaze many.
Pottery
Pottery is one of the oldest types of craftwork in Sri Lanka. The rustic look, solid texture, and antique looks of clay pots and items have made them a must-have decorative item in Sri Lankan households. In addition to clay pots, terracotta figures, and vases are also famous as home decoration items in Sri Lanka.
Wood Carving
Wood carving is a traditional handicraft that has been around in Sri Lanka for years. Wood-carved products used as home decoration items include ornaments, jewelry, figurines, sculptures, and containers. Carved wooden furniture and window frames are also popular.
Batik
Batik is a unique form of textile art exclusive to Sri Lanka. It is a method of decorating cloth by creating a pattern on it with wax and coloring the rest of the cloth. It creates a vibrant pattern with colored and uncolored areas. The Batik designs include landscapes, flora designs, and Kandyan-era designs. Artists do these designs on pure cotton or silk fabric. Batik items such as paintings, wall hangings, cushions, and sheets are famous as home decoration items in Sri Lanka.
Coir products
The Coir industry is another ancient industry in Sri Lanka that has contributed to home decoration items. Popular coir products are carpets, mats, and brooms. The production process is a long one with several stages involving the soaking and processing of the coconut husk, extraction of the coir fiber, separation of the coir, and twisting it onto ropes. However, despite these complex processes, coir products are still common among home decoration items in Sri Lanka.
Sesath
Sesath is a traditional sunshade or a large manual fan. Ancient people have used them, specifically, during the times of the Sri Lankan kings. The term ‘sesath’ means ‘white umbrella’. And yes, these Sesath have been a part of the Sri Lankan heritage for numerous years.
It is a symbol of respect, status, and privilege. It consists of woven palm leaf strips with multiple colors which are fixed onto the mica and palm base which is attached to a lacquered pole. However, in modern days, the sesath is common as a decorative item in households.
The Bottom Line
Sri Lankan is famed for its adorable natural resources including stones, clay as well as skilled labor. So, combining all these together, Sri Lankans have been able to come up with various unique home decorations, from the past.
Discussed above are several Sri Lankan home decorating styles and traditional items used in the decoration process. These designs and decorations have always been an integral part of the culture of Sri Lanka. And yes, these concepts have indeed been a reason to attract tourists to this island as well. Besides, most of these decorative items would be perfect souvenirs. A visit to Laksala, the state-owned gifts and souvenir shop will surely prove this fact. So, if you arrive in Sri Lanka, make sure you take back some of these wonderful decorative items with you. Happy and safe traveling!
