instruct the characteristic of Spanish Colonial computer architecture , and get cheer to comprise the look into your space .
Ed Gohlich
Spanish Colonial architecture is warm and timeless , qualify by electroneutral spirit and natural texture . Homes in this architectural dash are vulgar throughout Southern California and Florida , where the fond weather condition and tropical temperature are ideal for dwelling house built with this invention .

Credit:Ed Gohlich
Taking cues from traditional Spanish architecture , Spanish Colonial - style home feature natural materials like adobe , woodwind , and terra - cotta . The style ’s hallmarks are both esthetically pleasing and pragmatic , include long ordeep covered porches , historically used to connect rooms in a narrow floor design , as well asarched elementsand low - pitched roofs .
“ Spanish Colonial is a distinctive architectural elan qualify by a proportionate portmanteau word of classic details both inside and out , ” tell couturier Kristen Fiore of Kristen Elizabeth Design . “ Typically , Spanish Colonial style is easily name by its low - pitched , clay roofing tile roof , round arches at entryways and windows , and a porch colonnade with columns , or today , wooden posts . ”
Other architectural particular often base on Spanish Colonial - style house are molded iron Juliet balcony , loggias ( out-of-door suite ) , and in spite of appearance , oversize fireplaces with a tile surroundings .

Credit:Ed Gohlich
Elements of Spanish Colonial Style
The combination of sluttish and non-white elements and simple and elaborate architectural feature gives Spanish Colonial - style houses heat , appeal , and timeless appeal . Houses in this style often comprise lustrous white exterior wall , a classic component of Mediterranean computer architecture . They ’re also influenced by Mexican , Pueblo , andMoorish design styles . The following are classic constituent of Spanish Colonial style .
Adobe Walls
Adobe bricks — essentially baked clay brick — are a innate edifice material used worldwide for millenary . These compact bricks were used to construct equally compact walls , leave lifelike insulating material tokeep warmth out of the dwelling . This is especially helpful in the red-hot , dry clime found across much of the southern United States .
lily-white stucco over adobe brick brick gives these Spanish Colonial - mode domiciliate a legato exterior appearance and help oneself reverberate heat , which is whywhites and light neutralsare popularexterior color choices . Most Spanish Colonial - trend homes in the United States today are not made from genuine adobe , which take a month in the Sunday to dry out and is labor - intensive and expensive to get . or else , they have plaster or stucco walls over adobe brick , providing the same iconic look .
Wood Features
Offering a striking direct contrast to whitewash wall , elegant Natalie Wood featuresare central to Spanish Colonial - style family . “ Inside , you will noticewhite plaster wall , often with a lime finish , woodwind dress around passageway , and substantial reclaimed wooden ray of light in primary living spaces , ” Fiore says . Thoseexposed wood beamslend a certain gravitas to a way in gain to allow structural sustenance .
Other areas where Natalie Wood is used — floor , door , and spare — offer the opportunity for creativeness . Hearty wooden door match the strength of adobe brick walls . Fiore notes that in some homes , detailed carvings on Grant Wood doors indicate sure rooms of grandness .
Underfoot , Sir Henry Joseph Wood flooringin Spanish Colonial nursing home is both practical and timeless . “ Flooring really get to life in Spanish Colonial design , ” Fiore say . dump patterns like grade insignia , parquet , or star sum up personality to a infinite .

Credit:Ed Gohlich
Exquisite Craftsmanship
The elementary beauty of light - colored wall and wood features in Spanish Colonial planetary house lets architectural and decorative ingredient take center degree . arch feature prominently in this style , but you might also rule ornamental window grilles made of Sir Henry Joseph Wood or iron anddetailed millwork . Hardware and carved doors leave additional opportunities to showcase exquisite craftsmanship .
“ I am enchanted by the individual personality that Spanish Colonial homes exude , ” pronounce intriguer Jill Norman of Studio Mesa . “ Whether it ’s a donkey arch front windowpane , wrought iron detailing on the railing or colorful handmade tiles on the step risers . No two are ever the same . ”
How to Decorate a Spanish Colonial-Style House
To channelise the Spanish Colonial look in your own dwelling , embrace neutral colorsand natural textures . Designer Cameron Shepherd of Studio Mesa suggestsstarting with a color palette . “ Most Spanish Colonial homes sport a creamy white exterior with a clay roof , while the interiors often boastoranges ( terra - cotta ) , John Brown ( wood tint ) , andeven aquamarine , ” he say . “ By employing a similar palette , you could invoke some of the warmheartedness of a Spanish Colonial house even if your home is of a different architectural style . ”
You might also considerusing model tileto tot an reliable Spanish Colonial finger to your space . “ add together original hand - painted roofing tile or keeping it simple with a hexagon terra - cotta on a floor can make a big shock , ” Fiore says . “ Adding a playfulness , colorful mosaic tilecan be a scream when combined with soft , more achromatic backgrounds . ”
Norman suggests incorporating wood , terra - cotta , or cured leather component into your space for a dot of texture . layer these ingredient adds affectionateness and graphic symbol . Sourcing handcrafted , reclaimed , and vintage items is another way to bring the timeless charm of Spanish Colonial stylus to your home .
Frequently Asked Questions
There are many different types of Colonial - style house , from Spanish Colonial to Gallic Colonial to Dutch Colonial . Although there are differences between each case-by-case flair , compound homes are generally proportionate in form , painted in neutral colors , and are two or three stories tall .
This mode of home first appeared in North America between the 1600s and mid-1800s . This was the period when Spanish settlers arrived and started to build houses with elements from their homeland .
Interior shutters are n’t as vulgar in Spanish colonial decor . However , instinctive wood shutters can sum a modern face to your home while still match in with this architectural expressive style .