THE MIDCEYLON-TURY AT HOME: BALAGALLA, LIVING ROOM

Or as Sri Lankans like to call it, the "sitting room"! This is where guests are received and entertained, so it's usually the best-kept room in the house. In fact, in poorer and/or smaller households the living/sitting room is pretty much all guests will see when they visit, the back rooms of the kitchen, bedrooms, etc. being closed off from company for the most part. Unless, of course, a closer relationship is eventually established, which is when Sri Lankans let their guard down and visitors get to see the rest of the home. 

The Balagalla living room is one of my all-time favorite rooms in Sri Lanka! The mid century furniture takes center stage:

 

 

We can't wait to go back and visit our family here and see this beautiful home again! Our memories of it are still fresh in my mind. What a beautiful afternoon that was!

THE MID CEYLON-TURY AT HOME: BALAGALLA, FORMAL DINING SPACE

Even though most Sri Lankans eat at a kitchen table, like the one I showed before, in large estate homes like this there's usually a large, formal dining table too. This is where important guests or outside (non-family) visitors are served meals. Dining is a very important ritual when guests come to visit in Sri Lanka, so households try to keep a good-sized table for the purpose, no matter how small their homes might be.

This is the only truly mid century style dining table I've ever seen in Sri Lanka! It's even more magnificent in real life:

At the other end of the table stands the little display cupboard with all the important family photos, including my husband's uncle's 1950s wedding photo!

When we visited, we ate lunch at the kitchen table (shown in the previous post), which was much more cozy and convivial, but I can just imagine being served a huge formal meal at this table - truly a treat!

THE MID CEYLON-TURY AT HOME: BALAGALLA, BEDROOM

Here are some photos of one of the many bedrooms in my husband's uncle's estate house in Balagalla. I was just over-the-moon to see the beautiful atomic-era lines of the furniture here!

Here's an adorable vanity table (still in use today):

Detail of the distinctive '50s lines ... superb!

To the side was a little desk. You can also see a part of the bed. All are mid century pieces, made in what was then Ceylon:

 

A view from one of the bedroom windows into the grounds of the estate beyond! I love the fabulous '50s metal grill!

This was pretty much a dream room for me! I love the openness and airy feel of mid century Sri Lankan homes, with their many wide windows. Of course, this was a necessity those days because there was no air conditioning in private homes, and the open windows let the breezes cool the homes, which were also surrounded by trees and gardens (even in the cities). In fact, to this day there are no air conditioners at Balagalla: on the day we visited, the continuous flow of air throughout the house made it very comfortable.

THE MID CEYLON-TURY AT HOME: BALAGALLA, KITCHEN & LIGHTING

My husband's late mother's family hails from Balagalla, a tiny village near the town of Divulapitiya on the southwest of Sri Lanka. Last summer, we went there to visit the estate of his uncle, who was recovering from a minor fall at the home he built in the late 1950s.

I could not quite believe what an amazing mid century time capsule of a home it was! Everything was pretty much left as-is since the '50s, and it was beyond marvelous! To start, here are some photos of the informal dining area and overhead lighting:

In Sri Lanka, such beautiful home decor, with its sleek modernist lines, would probably be considered "old stuff" and not the gorgeous treasures they are. They were all either made in Sri Lanka, copying European and American mid century masterpieces, or sometimes the smaller items like lights were imported from abroad. I took many photos of the Balagalla house, and will post them in groups, so stay tuned!

THE MID CEYLON-TURY AT HOME, PT. 2: BREEZE BLOCKS

One of the most prominent features of mid century Sri Lankan architecture is the use of breeze blocks, or concrete masonry blocks that allow for airflow. These were used to make outer walls that formed a barrier for the home but allowed breezes to cool the home in the tropical heat.

During the 1950s and '60s, Sri Lankan breeze blocks came in wonderful "atomic" style patterns that are both striking and beautiful even today. Like these, from one of the outer walls of our brother-in-law's home in the Colombo suburbs:

This "starburst" pattern was very popular in '50s Ceylon, when this home was built. Today, you can see a motor mechanics' shop courtyard on the other side of the wall. It goes to show that everywhere in the world, nothing quite said "1950s" like the starburst!


Another popular mid century breeze block came in a sort of "inverted diamond" pattern, like this one found in my great-aunt's home along the southern coast of Sri Lanka. This breeze block wall was built on the side of a more old-fashioned, colonial-style home, so you can see both the traditional architecture of 19th-early 20th century Ceylon right next the modernist wall! I found this fascinating: 

Seeing all the beautiful breeze block patterns made me long for a wall made of them in our own home in California! If we have a home in Sri Lanka one day, it will definitely be a must. These mid century walls brought back so many memories of my childhood, when they were everywhere! What a shame you don't see them in Sri Lankan homes built these days.

THE MID CEYLON-TURY ... LITTLE DETAILS

I just loved seeing all the little mid century details in Sri Lankan homes! They were everywhere, like little whispers from the past. 

Here, the hexagon-shaped metal window grills in my sister-in-law's home. These are invaluable for letting the breezes in while keeping intruders out:

Details from an adorable mid century-print tablecloth that used to belong to my mother-in-law:

A "hairpin" balcony on a storefront near my sister-in-law's home (I remember so many of these from my childhood): 

I also loved the striking circular tilework on the walls of a house near the place we stayed during our holiday: 

There were so many other amazing mid century details we saw everywhere. Alas, I just couldn't get photos of them (traveling with a toddler doesn't allow for many photo-ops, unfortunately). But next time we go to Sri Lanka I'm determined to take those pics. Can't wait to share them, but until then I have a lot more mid century goodness to show you in the days to come.  :-)

THE MID CEYLON-TURY AT HOME, PT. 1

Unlike Americans, Sri Lankans tend to hold on to antiques passed down from family or friends. Thus, it's not uncommon to see modern homes with 19th century furniture! There are no thrift stores or charity shops in Sri Lanka, probably because people never donate their possessions for public sale. They may pass them on to family or donate them to their local Buddhist temple instead.

However, in the 20th century people began to build their own homes when they got married and started families, and needed new furniture because the old family furniture remained with their parents. Or the old furniture may have not survived the passage of time. Hence, you can find a lot of mid century homes with matching furniture from that era. 

One such house is the ancestral home of my husband's brother-in-law, who inherited his parents' 1950s furniture because he was their only child. I was thrilled to see these pieces because they were built of solid wood in a wonderful '50s style!

Here, their living room set, recently reupholstered. In contrast is the traditional brass oil lamp that stands at the entrances of many Sri Lankan homes. 

The sofa and loveseat are arranged around the television, and in this pic you can better see the curving "atomic" lines of the chairs:

 Another view of the armchair:

My favorite chairs from their home are these graceful canework chairs at the front entrance. Note too the mid century style geometric metal grills on the windows. These were present in most houses to keep out intruders. This home, especially, is right on the very busy main road so that's a needed precaution.

Seeing this home brought back many fond memories of my grandfather's 1950s home, where I grew up, and made me realize why I'm so obsessed with mid century decor! It's a great example of how well-built and beautiful (not to mention stylish!) Sri Lankan furniture from that era was ... and still is!

THE MID CEYLON-TURY AROUND THE CITY ... PT. 2

You can't talk about mid century architecture in Sri Lanka without mentioning the magnificent Sri Lanka Planeterium in the heart of Colombo, the beautiful and lovely colonial neighborhood of Cinnamon Gardens, or Colombo 7. I'm very fond of this area because it's where I was born and grew up! The Planetarium was one of my all-time favorite sights when I was a little girl, and it remains so to this day.

It was built in 1965, and was designed by architect Pani Tennakoon. The inspiration for the innovative and elegant structure was the Metropolitan Cathedral in Liverpool, England.

Although we passed the Planetarium almost every day during our stay in Sri Lanka, I was not able to take photos, so these are ones I found online. 

Here's the entrance to the Planetarium building:

A closer look at the triangular structure and the walkway around it:

 The view from the triangles!

 The little "moat"-like waterway around the structure:

The Planetarium is to undergo major renovations in 2015, and I'm really excited to see how that will turn out! I can't wait to take our son to visit this amazing place, and hope he will love it as much as I did at his age.

THE MID CEYLON-TURY AROUND THE CITY, PT. 1

Traveling around Colombo, the former capitol of Sri Lanka (and also its biggest city), you can see what a vibrant, modern and exciting metropolis it is. But it's also a historical place, known to travelers for thousands of years. If you explore the far-reaching neighborhoods of Colombo, you can see all kinds of historical sites and architecture, from places of worship (Buddhist and Hindu temples, Muslim mosques and Christian churches) to the canals built by the Dutch in the 16th century, as well as quite a few British colonial era buildings.

You can also see a lot of amazing mid century architecture throughout Colombo and its suburbs, from government buildings to private homes. I wanted to get pictures of these buildings, but it was not easy to stop for photo breaks when traveling with a rambunctious toddler! However, I did manage to capture (and find) some. On our next trip to Sri Lanka I'm going to try and get many more pics of Sri Lanka's mid century architectural heritage, but for now here are some of the images I captured (or found).

First, the walls of St. Anthony's nursery school in Borella, Colombo's largest suburb. This little school was established in 1942 as part of the ministries of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary in Sri Lanka:

I took these photos from a moving car, so my apologies for the not-so-good images

Here's a photo from the school's Facebook page, where you can see the beautiful curving mid century architecture behind the staff: 

I hope we can see more of this school on our next trip!

THE MIDCEYLON-TURY: FURNITURE FROM THE PAST

Now and then you can find fascinating examples of the mid-century influence on Sri Lankan furniture. I grew up surrounded by this in my grandfather's home, but by the 1990s it had pretty much disappeared, to be replaced by ornate, heavy furniture in the antique and "British colonial" style.

But that didn't happen everywhere. In my grandfather's home, for instance, there were chairs like these in the front area, where guests sat when they came to visit:

I almost teared-up when I saw this photo on the OkayArt website because it brought back so many memories! Reminds me why I so love all things mid-century: I'm trying to recreate the look of the lively, happy place where I grew up.

You can get a similar look with these "Kennedy" chairs from Thrive Furniture:

We're saving up to get a pair of them! :-)

Many Sri Lankan homes also had chairs like these (and still do): 

As you can see in the above photos, cane seats were very popular. Cane is a traditional Sri Lankan material that's durable and easy to care for in the humid, tropical environment.

Without the cane they're similar to these "Arnold" chairs from Joybird Furniture:

The mid century influence could also be found in Sri Lankan school furniture when I was growing up, like in these old wood and metal chairs:

These were the kinds of chairs in my schoolroom! Nowadays this look has become quite trendy here in the U.S., with reproductions sold in stores and online, like this "Kyoto" chair by Dot & Bo:

I was very close to my grandfather, and his home was my favorite place to be in Sri Lanka. He passed away in 2007 and his house was sold off, but I cherish my memories of it to this day. And I'm trying to recreate the look and feel of it in our own home here in California. I think that's what makes it such a happy place, as people who come into our home always say. I know it would make my grandfather proud!

THE MID CEYLON-TURY: BUTTERFLY CHAIRS

BKF or "butterfly" chairs were first designed and manufactured in Argentina in 1938. They were inspired by late 19th century military furniture, which was used in wartime and needed to be both stable and portable.

This design has been popular since the time it was made. Here's an authentic mid-century version from an auction site: 

And here's a modern version sold today on CB2:

These chairs are still made in Sri Lanka! I saw one recently in a Sri Lankan family home here in the Sacramento area: the husband had brought the chair all the way from Sri Lanka! Like many butterfly chairs from there, it had an intricate cultural design tooled into the leather, as in this one found at the store NaomiPainting on Etsy:

You can also find plain ones like this at Laksala, the official State gift and souvenir store of Sri Lanka:

I love seeing interpretations of mid century designs from Sri Lanka (and all over South Asia): it's so inspiring!

THE MIDCEYLON-TURY: VINTAGE SRI LANKAN TV ADS!

Look what I found: a series of vintage Sri Lankan TV ads on Youtube! They're from the '80s and '90s, but what's interesting is how mid-century furniture styles were still popular those days -- you can see this in the Arpico ad around 3:34 on the video timer. Well worth checking out!

The furniture on the ad was made for the masses and affordable, so not "high end" in any way. Which is funny when you consider how trendy and pricey things like hairpin leg tables and Saarinen-style furniture are today, here in the U.S.

Sri Lanka has not caught up with today's mid-century mania yet. Decor trends hit Sri Lanka veeeery slowly, so it'll be fascinating to see if these styles will ever come back over there!

HAPPY SRI LANKAN INDEPENDENCE DAY!

Today, February 4, is Sri Lankan Independence Day! You can read more about it here. In short, the island-nation of Ceylon gained its independence from the British Empire in 1948. Its name was changed to Sri Lanka in 1972, the year I was born! After many years of foreign rule, Sri Lanka finally gained its independence. The years that followed have not been peaceful or easy, but now that there is finally peace in the country (after over 30 years of civil war), we all hope for a better future for every Sri Lankan.

Here's something intriguing: my grandparents were born in the British colony of Ceylon, my mother was born in the independent nation of Ceylon, and I was born in the newly-named Sri Lanka!

This is the flag of Sri Lanka: 

 

Midcentury Ceylon seems to have been a great place to live. I always love looking through photos of my family members from the '50s and '60s. 

Here are some wonderful midcentury images of Ceylon as an emerging tourist destination:

The above are TWA airlines' ads for its new service to the island of Ceylon, and below it a gorgeous mural by artist Mario Zamparelli depicting Ceylon, with a sari-clad lady and a detail of ancient lions statues. The Asiatic lion is an symbol of Sri Lanka.


I'm going to try and find some more Mid Century photos of family members, to give you some idea of what people were like in Sri Lanka those days. Stay tuned!