English style in interior design

Recommendation points

• Features and characteristics
• Hallway
• Living room
• Library and study
• Bedroom
• Children
• Bathroom
• Kitchen

The attitude of the British to their home can be very briefly and succinctly described by the saying invented in Foggy Albion: “My home is my fortress”. Only outside the door of his always cozy, warm and closed house for strangers can an Englishman completely relax and feel comfortable and calm.

Perhaps such a reverent attitude to their home arose in Great Britain because of the climate, which is not too indulgent on warm sunny days. At least this is what the British themselves say, who do not understand the desire of the French or the Spaniards to spend evenings sitting at a table in a street cafe or on an open terrace..

Or maybe the desire to turn the house into a fortress, closed from everyone, at the same time comfortable and beautiful, is connected with the very nature of this country occupying an isolated island, as well as with conservatism and the desire to preserve its traditions.

In any case, a tour of the house of a real English gentleman is always very interesting. The residents of Great Britain themselves love to visit the mansions of aristocrats open to tourists, so they will not see anything reprehensible in foreigners wanting to see their home from the inside. At the same time, you will have to wait a long time for an invitation to visit – the English will not let anyone in their beloved home..

What makes the English style different from all the others? Thanks to what has managed to maintain its charm over the centuries? Is it possible to create an interior design in the English style in an ordinary city apartment? will help answer these questions.

The first associations that the combination “English style” evokes are a burning fireplace, a cozy blanket, a soft sofa, a book on a dark wood coffee table and a cup of tea. And outside the windows, of course, it is raining, only emphasizing the coziness and comfort of a dear and beloved home

Features and characteristics

Before going on an excursion to an English-style house, it is worth highlighting its main features and characteristics in order to prepare in advance for what awaits us outside the door..

So, the English style can be described in two words: luxury and restraint. In the house of a real gentleman, everything should be solid, respectable and rich. But at the same time, luxury should not be deliberate, conspicuous.

The British have a sense of taste and measure, their style is an elegant embodiment of classics, traditions and, at the same time, imperial pride. Yes, yes, we must not forget that during the formation of the English style in the interior, Great Britain was the largest empire on the planet, and its possessions extended to the most distant islands..

Such a colonial past could not but influence the formation of the English style. On the one hand, the inhabitants of Foggy Albion sought to create a corner of “good old England” in the country where they found themselves on duty. On the other hand, Indian and Asian motives can be unexpectedly seen in the most respectable living room..

It is customary to distinguish between two varieties of the English style – Georgian and Victorian. The style, which was formed during the reign of George the First, is distinguished by a noticeable influence of Ancient Rome and Greece, but the Victorian style – its main features developed in 1837-1901 – managed to combine the luxury of aristocratic castles with the latest trends brought by the rapid development of industry. It is more modern and has all the strong features of the traditional English style..

The main differences in this area of ​​interior design:

• Use of interior details such as spectacular carpets, active fireplaces, wrought-iron candlesticks, gilding, brass, lush framed paintings, mirrors and crystal.
• Wallpaper with large patterns, vertical stripes, floral and plant patterns.
• Solid, respectable furniture, usually of dark wood, with carvings. In general, there is always a lot of furniture in the English style, so this design direction is contraindicated for fans of minimalism. Typically, English-style furnishings feature gracefully curved, inverted-point legs..
• Abundance of textiles. There are always a lot of fabrics and draperies in the English style. Velor, velvet, silk, damask or chenille – all can be used to enhance the cozy luxury of the interior. The windows are also always richly draped – curtains and drapes are required, and with folds, lambrequins, tassels and cords. By the way, English-style window sills are usually wide and low, often a pillow is placed on them for those who want to admire the landscape in a calm atmosphere of a warm home.
• Natural lighting is welcome, but since you don’t have to rely on sunlight on gloomy autumn and winter days, there are always many additional light sources in the English interior: sconces, floor lamps and chandeliers. No fancy halogen lamps! The dim light of a floor lamp under a fabric lampshade is exactly what you need.
• The flooring is wood, parquet flooring or ceramic tiles with patterns. But too cold tiles just need to be covered with a warm carpet..

Furniture plays a very important role in the English interior. Made of wood, usually dark, solid, solid, it not only fulfills its main functions, but also helps to create coziness in the room

And one more important difference between the British-style – in a typical English house, the rooms are usually not very large, it is not accepted to connect the kitchen to the living room, a free layout is not welcome. A separate room allows you to be alone with yourself in your own house, and the British really appreciate this opportunity. That is why the English style is perfect for decorating not only a country house or a spacious mansion, but also for an ordinary apartment, whose rooms are not large in size..

Hallway

So, welcome to the home of a true gentleman. Any home, and English is no exception, begins with a hallway or hallway.

Already in this small room, the owners’ affection for old solid furniture is reflected, an umbrella stand is appropriate here, the entrance to other rooms can be draped with heavy curtains.

In rare cases, an English-style house can welcome guests like this – a huge, almost empty hallway. But more often than not, this first room is still small, with a traditional set of functional furniture.

Living room

After the hallway, of course, the next guests will be greeted by this, the largest and most representative room of the house..

The English living room is primarily a fireplace. Without it, creating the necessary atmosphere of home comfort and warmth will not work. But it is worth remembering that in Great Britain itself, it was forbidden to heat fireplaces with coal back in the 60s of the last century, since the smoke from numerous stoves had a very bad effect on the already faulty air of cities. So the British in most cases are content with electric fireplaces or open stoves that run on wood or solid biofuel..

There is always a soft armchair near the fireplace with high ear-armrests. There is an ottoman next to it, where it is so nice to put your feet tired after a hard day’s work. A coffee table with traditionally curved legs takes place next to a massive sofa.

There are always many trinkets in the English drawing room. Hand-embroidered napkins, figurines, souvenirs from other countries and cities, shells, beautiful sea stones, porcelain, photographs of all family members – from the hospital to the golden wedding – everything that the inhabitants of the house are fond of and cherish is sure to be reflected in the interior.

The central place in the English living room is the fireplace. The TV has a right to exist, but only more modest, perhaps over an electric fireplace or on another wall opposite the sofa

Library and study

A real gentleman in his house will definitely arrange a room only for himself – to smoke a pipe or a cigar, read newspapers, finish unfinished business at work, take calls, check mail, talk with partners or sit with a friend over a glass of whiskey.

It is the study and the library that traditionally become the “male kingdom”, a place where the atmosphere itself leads to serious thoughts and reflections.

Designers note that at present, when arranging an office or library, in the vast majority of cases, it is the English style that is used. He is the most respectable and ideal for decorating this room at home.

Do not forget about the main features of this trend – the dark wood of furniture, a lot of books, the table is decorated with a solid set for writing and a few figurines, a massive armchair, made of brown or black leather. It is better not to advertise a computer, laptop, tablet, printer and other modern attributes of a businessman. Of course, one cannot do without them, but they cannot play a central role in the English cabinet..

In the English style, the principle of “more wood” works, if the floor is made of inlaid parquet or high-quality laminate that completely imitates natural wood, you can not hide it. Otherwise it is better to cover the floor with a carpet with a not too colorful pattern, in a color scheme that matches the curtains on the windows.

In the English interior, there is not too much not only wood, but also furniture. Illuminated bookshelves or cabinets can occupy all walls, the spines of volumes will become their main decoration

Bedroom

If you are not a close friend or relative, then most likely you will not be able to get into the Englishman’s bedroom. This is too intimate area, the quietest and most secluded room in the house..

However, if the guest still manages to get a good look at this room, he will be pleasantly surprised by the atmosphere of calmness, warmth and true home comfort..

The bedroom can be decorated with wallpaper in the traditional vertical strip of dark green or dark red color, which is traditional for this style. The bed is always large, with a high headboard, of course, wooden, with an abundance of pillows of various shapes and shades.

On the bedside table near the bed there is a lamp with a lush shade, books, photographs of children and “second half”. The walls, as in the living room, can be decorated with paintings with images of pacifying rural landscapes or copies of classic masterpieces.

A large number of pillows, lush multi-layered curtains, bedspreads, carpets, upholstery of chairs and ottomans – in the English bedroom, it is textiles that are responsible for creating coziness and comfort

Children

A room for a child, decorated in British style, can become a very cozy and functional room. A workplace will definitely appear here, that is, a real office, and a small library.

The abundance of textiles will help make the room more cozy and comfortable, suitable not only for a teenager, but also for a newborn.

In addition, the English style welcomes a lot of little things. And where, if not in a nursery, can there be such “decor” items as drawings, plasticine figurines, dolls, designer towers and whole castles for soldiers? All these details dear to the heart of a child fit into the interior calmly, only adding to his home comfort and warmth.

Bathroom

The traditional English bathroom is retro-style plumbing, a bathtub with curved legs that is not tiled or plastic, but displayed, a large number of swimwear, blue, white, beige, brown shades.

Today, of course, it is possible to pick up such plumbing fixtures, but it costs more than conventional taps and mixers, so English style is rarely found in the bathroom..

In addition, the British-style favors walls that are divided into two halves – a darker bottom and a lighter top. Such a pattern of ceramic tiles is also found in modern bathrooms, so that in general, individual elements of the English style may well be used in a regular bathroom..

Kitchen

As mentioned above, in the house of an English gentleman it is not customary to combine the kitchen and living room. Still, it is better not to show off the cooking process to guests. And it is much more pleasant to dine with the whole family here. The living room is intended only for a pleasant pastime, and not at all for eating.

The central place in English cuisine is occupied by a large dining table, at which all household members can gather. If the kitchen is too small, you will have to find a place for family meals in another room..

Above the table is a lamp with a lampshade, in the cabinets there is a huge number of jars for storing spices and cereals, the floor is tiles, the facades of the cabinets are wood, light or dark, it is not so important, the main thing is not gloss and not metal.

The stove or hob is often shaped like a real hearth, framed by a portal, the hood is reliably hidden, like the rest of household appliances.

In a small kitchen the furniture is arranged in the shape of the letter “P”, literally every corner is involved, and the sink is located just by the window. The hob is framed by a portal with stucco molding, which makes it look like a home, the role of which it, in fact, plays

The English style is perfect for homeowners who love classics in the interior, do not imagine how you can create comfort in a room with a minimum of furniture, love to collect collections and display them for everyone to see. And just for those for whom the words “home comfort”, “traditions”, “aristocracy” and “restraint” are not just an empty phrase.