Elegance, class and a simple, classic style. In terms of décor, the Georgian era is still being emulated today. So what steps should you take if you want your home to mirror the days between about 1714 and 1837?
Georgian Style
The Georgian period reflects a time when people with money were becoming much more interested in interior design, fashion and architecture. They began to appreciate clear lines and a sense of symmetry in both their homes and their furniture. Rooms were given larger windows as light became more important. Colours became lighter and pieces of furniture became much more delicate.
Choosing Georgian Colours
If you are seeking to recreate a Georgian colour scheme then you have a few options. Firstly, have a look at some of the major paint manufacturers’ colour ranges. Some of them have heritage selections, which include specific Georgian ranges. Otherwise, you can make up your own Georgian-style shades.
Whites and off-whites will emulate the hues of the era on paintwork and woodwork. Ceilings should also be white. Colour, however, can be brought in on the walls.
Use stone and soft dove grey colours, gentle sage greens and duck egg blues. Light pinks can also be used. In very formal drawing, sitting and dining rooms, heavier dark greens and burgundies were sometimes used.
via Hamilton Weston
Papering the Walls
Don’t forget the Georgians were keen on wallpaper. Typically these might have featured a vertical stripe or some simple squares, or repeat patterns. They would also have features some of the subtle colours mentioned above.
Again, you will find certain designers and major manufacturers that sell specific Georgian-style wallpaper prints. Otherwise, seek out modern day patterns that replicate styles of the era.
Think About Flooring
If you do want to go for a wall-to-wall carpet then choose something is a light or neutral colour that will complement the rest of your colour scheme.
Very large Georgian houses would, of course, have featured stone or tiled floors. These could well have been laid in a simple pattern.
Use White Paint
Woodwork on walls, particularly panelling, would have been painted. Georgian houses could well have featured built-in cupboards and shelves. Paint these white or off-white too to complete the look.
Remember that many houses would have featured moulding, cornicing, dado and picture rails. Some would also have had shutters adorning their Georgian sash windows. If your home does feature any of these then pick them out in white or off-white too.
Fireplaces could well have featured ornate tiles but the wooden surrounds themselves would have been painted in a plain white.
Furniture and Fabrics
Finally, bring in your furniture and fabrics to complete the look. Choose drapes and upholstery to match the colour scheme of your room.
If you have used plain colours on your walls then perhaps some simple Georgian stripes in the fabrics could work well. Here you can be a little bolder in your colours. Bring in golds, oranges and darker blues, for example.
Furniture should not be too ostentatious but if you do want to add a little flourish to your space, a reproduction Georgian-style chaise long or armchair could really set the room off.
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