The colonial era is one the most significant time periods of our recent history, since it basically managed to change the face of the planet in ways that might have seemed ridiculous not too long before the era began. There are very few nations that were not touched by colonial powers to some extent or another during the 1600s to the 1800s, and that means that various aesthetic elements that colonizers tended to favor can be seen very far away from the countries in which they were first invented.
Suffice it to say that many experts in interior design consider Colonial era architecture to be one of the pinnacles of the design world. That should come as no surprise given the immense wealth that colonization allowed the nations conducting it to acquire. They used this wealth to make their homes incredibly grand, but not in an opulent way like the French did during the same time period. Rather, colonial interior design has a somewhat understated aura about it. It has a quite sense of power instead of being loud and obnoxious.
Some of the things that colonial interior design tends to include are massive entranceways along with stairs that are not too far from the front door located right in the annex that people first enter when they step into the house. This massive stairway splits off in two directions, indicating the sheer scale of the home in question. Darker wood colors are popular for such design philosophies because of their subtle elegance, and the high cost of using darker wood tones during those years probably played a role in making them so desirable as well because that conveys power.