Photo: decorilla.com The English style combines several trends and manifestations of art that have flourished in England from the Middle Ages to the present day. In fact, it is a mixture of different eras, especially Victorian and Georgian styles, which over time became classic. Interiors in the English style evoke thoughts of majestic and noble aristocratic castles.
Features of the interior in the English style
An ideal home for an ideal life - this is how British housing can be characterized. This means that everything that surrounds the owner of the house and his guests should be solid, high-quality, but at the same time practical to use and comfortable.
The British understand it this way:
- choose armchairs, poufs and sofas, round in shape. Plain or with a simple pattern: checks, stripes, Turkish paisleys, flowers;
- the interior should be rich in wood of different species. Most often oak, walnut or red. The decor should be rich, but not pretentious;
- and the main thing in the house is a real fireplace;
Correct selection of furniture
The furniture has rounded and soft shapes. An ottoman for the feet in front of the chair is appropriate.
All household items are put away in the closet. Only beautiful service and accessories are visible.
Let's not forget about the carpet brought from the English colonies.
Wall decoration
Wallpaper in English-style interiors is often chosen in plain colors or with patterns that are not very noticeable.
When choosing wallpaper with a pattern, you must take into account how it will fit with the furniture and choose the most harmonious option.
In the bathroom, the walls are often decorated with ceramic tiles. Plain or natural colors.
History of origin
The philosophy of English style in the interior is learned through the history of Great Britain.
The 18th century can be considered the starting point in the formation of national outlines in the arrangement of residential buildings. Great Britain of that time was a colonial state, and therefore combines an aristocratic European gloss and overseas materials from Africa and Asia used to create it.
During the reign of Queen Victoria, who gave preference to the classics, colonial style and a light touch of baroque in the design of living spaces, that unique charm of the English interior was formed.
Ceiling finishing
The color of the ceiling is often white or light beige. They are finished with a perimeter cornice, stucco molding or mosaic. Less commonly, caissons are individual cells of different shapes located between the beams.
It is important that the stucco molding is painted one tone brighter than the ceiling, but in the same color of the ceiling. But the cornices match the color of the walls or are covered with gold paint.
English curtains: interesting options
In British fashion for interiors, English curtains are a must. They first appeared in the mid-VXIII century. Today you can often find them in rich houses and cottages. Such curtains have some distinctive features.
English curtains in the interior Source www.gold-interior.ru/
What are they?
By design, “London” curtain models are lift-up window decorations. When folding such curtains towards the top, spectacular voluminous folds are formed. The lower part of such models has an interesting braid in the form of embroidery and small bells.
A modern approach to decorating a living room Source design-homes.ru
There are also laces along the edges of such fabrics. They help give the curtains the correct shape during the lifting process.
A few words about the advantages of curtains
Comfortable, weighty and airtight curtains are often used at night. They also do an excellent job of blocking the wind during strong drafts. In addition to these useful qualities, English curtains have a number of positive characteristics:
- fit well into the interior;
- emphasize the stylistic direction of any room;
- universal (can play the role of night and day curtains);
- They have a simple cut, so they can be easily repaired with their own hands;
- The material is easy to care for.
Abundance of wood in the room Source comfortoria.ru
The fastenings of English curtains are also considered universal, since they are perfectly held both in the ceiling and inside window openings. To install such curtains, you will need to install a special profile cornice.
Design option with English curtains Source myhouse.in.ua/
Windows and doors
An interesting feature of English-style windows: they do not open wide, but upward and are secured with a special lock. This format allows you to save space, especially in small areas. Place fresh flowers or decorative ornaments on the windowsill.
Windows, like entrance doors, are made of natural wood. Doors are often decorated with small stained glass inserts. This is also a historical feature of the English style. After all, several centuries ago there was no talk about plastic, and glass cost a lot of money.
Color scheme and interior design
The modern interior of Britain is very different. In and around London, small apartments are infused with color through brightly colored furniture and lightly painted walls. Prim, seasoned classics with antique colonial-style furniture - this is a Welsh house in Wales. Living spaces are also decorated in white with very little color accents, or filled with vintage or antique details.
Walls
Despite the conservatism, walls decorated with English taste offer a variety of options, dictated by the colonial style and combination with African, Asian and Australian details:
- plain plaster in pastel colors;
- checkered or striped wallpaper;
- small plant patterns, both on light and dark backgrounds.
It is popular to divide the wall into two components: the lower part is decorated with wooden edged panels, the upper part is decorated with contrasting wallpaper.
Walls in an English interior offer a variety of choices, despite the apparent limited design. Stripes, checks, a wide palette of pastel colors and floral patterns. You won't be bored when choosing finishing options.
Ceiling
The classic component in the interior style also applies to the design options for ceilings in an English house:
- coffered wood or white ceilings
- matte monochromatic light coating
- neat, not too bulky beams
- wide ceiling plinths, moldings, baguettes
- presence of classic relief patterns
Advice! When choosing a design option, consider the ceiling height in the room. Remember that coffered structures or beams only look impressive if the walls are high enough.
Ceilings in an English-style house are distinguished by a variety of designs depending on the size of the room and the color scheme of the walls.
Floor
A classic of British interiors is a dark natural wood floor laid in a herringbone pattern or stone floors in the hallway, bathrooms and kitchen. But in modern conditions, a variety of shades and flooring materials are acceptable, and almost all of them can be harmoniously integrated into the interior style. The only requirement for the coating is that it should not be glossy. Remember that the floor in the design of a space is the canvas for the work. Think about what kind of picture you want to see in the end, and then openwork porcelain tiles, dark wood or a plain soft carpet will look appropriate and elegant.
Classic English floor in the interior
Windows and doors
Frequent timber sashes are a characteristic feature of UK windows and doors.
The openings are decorated with dark or white wood. London's famous red front doors are a distinctive symbol of the country. In a modern style, almost any color scheme for this part is possible. The main thing is the consistency of the interior. If you are planning massive dark furniture, then doors in this color scheme will be more appropriate. The light, light decoration of the room will go perfectly with white doorways and window frames.
English windows and doors in the interior
Ladder
The English staircase is a decoration of the whole house.
It must certainly be wooden. It is mandatory to have carved handrails and columns in the structure.
Another condition is a contrasting combination of steps and railings.
If possible, use a 90 or 180 degree rotation of the stairs. Or install a screw structure.
Important! When designing such an unusual interior element, remember not only its beauty, but also, above all, safety. Pay attention to the width of the steps, their height and, of course, the fence.
Staircase in English style
English style spiral staircase
Staircase in English style
If there is a staircase in an apartment or house, it must be in harmony with the shade and texture of the floors, doors and wall panels. The staircase is made of wood and decorated with carvings.
The color scheme is light and warm. The ideal combination is the contrast of the shade of the steps and railings. For example, beige and dark brown.
Colonial British style
British style comes in several varieties. If country style is more appropriate for bedrooms, then colonial surroundings are also suitable for the corridor, living room or hall.
The British colonial style can be traced back to the late 19th century, when the British Empire actively colonized the New World. The colonists ordered furniture based on their designs from local craftsmen. Furniture was made from local materials and hardwoods - dark or red.
Characteristic high ceilings
Craftsmen also added their own motifs, such as patterns of pineapples and palm trees. All this formed a special style, consisting of a fusion of British, Asian, African and Indian tastes. In interior design it is called colonial.
It is characterized by high ceilings, tropical motifs and light colors that were chosen to create a cool and airy atmosphere in a hot climate. Botany was popular in Victorian England, which also absorbed colonial decor.
Dark wood furniture is used
Lighting organization
To give the interior the spirit of Old England, you should choose devices with soft and warm light.
Living rooms usually have one large chandelier and several spotlights - sconces, candlesticks with real candles, floor lamps.
A classic option is the “basket” chandelier. It has a lot of glass elements and few bronze ones.
Accessories and decor
Classic English decor includes paintings and tapestries on the walls, a thousand little things on the mantelpiece, candlesticks and vases.
You probably looked at all these photos and thought that English interiors are a little old-fashioned. The traditional English house is often guilty of this. But it’s hard to come up with something more comfortable and homely. British design is not about impressions and outrageousness, but about limitless duobism. It’s not for nothing that Nina Campbell, the British design guru, says: “An English home is when you can climb onto the sofa with your feet up.”
Textile
The English style intricately intertwined Georgian and Victorian notes. Thus, preference is given to light upholstery - cream, pastel, sand tones. You should choose expensive fabrics - the British decorated the interior for many years, so they did not skimp on good quality.
For curtains choose dense textured fabrics. Traditional colors are welcome - the same paisley, stripes, flowers and squares. Mandatory design of curtains are lambrequins, tiebacks and neat drapery.
The British welcome carpets with oriental prints. The older it is, the more authentic the interior looks. But a carpet in the “shabby chic” style will also look organic, making the design more romantic, or a “patchwork” carpet, giving the room a modern look.
Little Old World: studio design
Small rooms use textured walls to enhance the room's aesthetics and distressed finishes that contrast with the polished and reflective surfaces often used in modern interior design.
Deep, rich and regal tones still dominate. If bright shades are used, they are always muted. Very bold or neon colors will never be part of this type of decor. Use burgundy, dark blue, green, ocher and cream.
Use muted tones
Large floral patterns or stripes are used, while small prints are often used in combination with heavy, complex textures. Accent elements and focal points in the interior come in the form of woven tapestries, forged railings and ceramic elements.
