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:
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:
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):
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!
