French and British Colonial Interior Styles

Examples of Contemporary French and British Colonial Interior Styles

A Comparative Study Shaped by Lived Experience

I grew up in Hanoi, where French colonial structures are intertwined with daily life. Later, living in Malaysia and the UK, and times in France, deepened my understanding of how architecture, culture, and climate shape spaces. This article emerges from that lived experience, not as nostalgia, but as an analytical lens for interior design today.

Colonial interiors in Southeast Asia are often grouped under a single nostalgic label. In reality, French and British colonial interiors are grounded in very different spatial, climatic, and cultural logics. These differences are best understood not through surface ornament but through how space is organised, occupied, and experienced.

To illustrate these contrasts, we examine two comparable case studies from the same historical era and tropical environment: Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi in Vietnam and the Eastern & Oriental Hotel in Penang, Malaysia.

Shared Foundations

Same Era, Same Climate, Same Function

Both hotels were established in the late nineteenth century for European clientele in tropical Asia. They share a number of foundational characteristics typical of colonial hospitality architecture at that time: high ceilings to mitigate heat, tall openings for ventilation, and European construction techniques adapted for local climates.

The Sofitel Legend Metropole was opened in 1901, during the height of French Indochina architecture, and quickly became a social centre for administrators and visitors alike. The Eastern & Oriental Hotel was established in 1885 by the Sarkies brothers, who went on to found other famous colonial-era hotels such as the Raffles in Singapore.

These shared origins make them ideal for comparison, any differences that emerge are therefore intentional and cultural, not accidental.

French Colonial Interiors

Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi

French Colonial styled hotel - Sofitel Metropole Hanoi

The Metropole’s interiors reflect the French colonial emphasis on architectural order and hierarchical organisation. French colonial architecture in Vietnam began in the late 19th century, reshaping Hanoi’s streetscape through grand boulevards and neoclassical forms.

Inside the hotel, spaces feel formally composed, with circulation directed through corridors and rooms unfolding in a controlled sequence. This mirrors broader trends in French colonial architecture, where spatial order and monumental proportion communicated authority and permanence. Walls are structural and solid, contributing to enclosure rather than flexibility.

Formal and composed nature of French Colonial interiors

Furniture placement is deliberate and composed, reflecting Western formal spatial logic rather than local practices of flexible living. Climate comfort here relies on thermal mass, ceiling height, and proportion rather than the adaptive permeability seen in other colonial traditions.

Interior logic: French colonial interiors prioritise architectural definition and formal spatial sequencing. Comfort is achieved through structure, proportion, and solidity.

British Colonial Interiors

Eastern & Oriental Hotel, Penang

British Colonial styled hotel - Eastern & Oriental Hotel, Penang

The Eastern & Oriental Hotel’s design philosophy stands in contrast. Founded in 1885 by the Sarkies brothers, whose portfolio included the Raffles Hotel and the Strand in Yangon, the E&O represents the British colonial engagement with tropical living conditions.

Here, interiors are conceived as part of a climatic system. Verandas function as key living spaces, blending interior and exterior in a continuous spatial experience. Large openings and operable partitions promote cross ventilation, while ceiling fans and shaded edges support comfort against heat and humidity.

Furniture within the E&O is loose, movable, and comfort-oriented, rather than spatially anchored. The atmosphere feels relaxed and inhabitable, designed for long-term tropical living rather than strict formal representation.

Interior logic: British colonial interiors prioritise climatic response and daily use. Architecture supports living rather than dictates it.

British Colonial Veranda Space - Wicker furniture and veranda connection to landscape.

Aspect	French Colonial Interior	British Colonial Interior
Spatial planning	Formal, hierarchical	Open, climatic
Interior–exterior relationship	Clearly separated	Soft and continuous
Furniture	Fixed and composed	Loose and adaptable
Climate strategy	Structure and mass	Ventilation and shade
Interior character	Urban and architectural	Relaxed and lived in

Why This Distinction Still Matters Today

For contemporary interior design in Southeast Asia, understanding these historical logics is less an academic exercise than a practical necessity.

French colonial interiors offer lessons in proportion, clarity, and architectural discipline, while British colonial interiors offer enduring strategies for comfort, airflow, and adaptability. A thoughtful blend of these approaches allows designers to create spaces that are both structured and humane.

Rather than copying aesthetic tropes, designers should extract the underlying logic of each tradition. This enables colonial references to be reinterpreted into climate-responsive contemporary interiors without nostalgia or pastiche.

Conclusion

The Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi and the Eastern & Oriental Hotel Penang share a historical moment and similar environmental challenges, yet arrive at opposite interior solutions. One treats interiors as architectural statement; the other treats them as climatic living systems.

Their comparison reveals that colonial interiors are not a single style, but a spectrum of responses shaped by culture, climate, and intent. For design practice in Southeast Asia today, this distinction provides both historical insight and practical guidance.