English style in the interior of the rooms

English interiors are unconditional elegance, which is based on the interweaving of aristocracy, specific sophistication, luxury and almost ascetic restraint.

This direction is akin to classicism. It also requires space for its implementation and generous investment. Despite its rather ancient origin, the English style in the interior of our houses is a fairly frequent visitor. He is revered for his strict adherence to tradition, naturalness and functionality. There are no special totemic canons in the design of such interiors. Stylistic decisions cannot be driven into any strictly defined forms, however, the commitment of the interior decoration of the house to the English direction is determined instantly, because the style has a number of characteristic features. Here we will meet them today.

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Who will like an English-style room

You will be surprised, but, first of all, to the residents of small apartments. The Englishman's house is small. It can even be called quite tight. His tiny little rooms are no more beautiful than our Khrushchevs, so the lack of space is not a hindrance to this stylish decor.

Naturally, fans of the classics will not pass by such beauty. Maybe someone will speak out about English interiors as old-fashioned, but not adherents of conservatism in home comfort.

The third category will be lovers of an abundance of accessories in the setting. The English interior for them will be a real balm for the soul, as it allows you to make every free centimeter of all kinds of trinkets like porcelain elephants, napkins, vases.

Connoisseurs of comfortable furniture, bibliophiles and just those who are happy to sit by the fireplace will not remain indifferent to the English style in the interior.

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Characteristic stylistic features of the English direction

“The furnishings of the English-style room are devoid of the stiffness, restraint and conservatism inherent in the nation”

In order to understand the intricacies of English interiors, one must at least realize that this style is a hodgepodge. The fact is that during the formation of the direction, England was a colonial empire and did not hesitate to enrich its culture with the traditions inherent in other peoples.

Cultural exchange found its greatest reflection in the decoration of residential buildings. The furnishings of the room in the English style are devoid of the stiffness, restraint and conservatism inherent in the nation. The British were the first to risk combining the incongruous in the situation, and it should be noted that they succeeded. What are typical English interior features today?

Decor details from ancient architecture

Meaning:

1. Arches.

2. Columns.

3. Borders.

4. Pilasters.

With the trend towards the Victorian period, the interiors will have a lot of signs of classicism, grown on the architectural and cultural canons of ancient Greece and the Roman Empire.

Symmetry

The room in the English style attracts with the absence of broken lines, simplicity and elegance of the forms of furnishings, typical of the Georgian era.

eclecticism

It manifests itself in a mixture of heterogeneous stylistic trends. Best tracked in decor. A feature characteristic of Victorian interiors.

Furnishing Density

In English interiors there is always a lot of furniture. It seems that all the objects were squeezed in here with the last of their strength, however, there is no piling up effect.

Layout feature

In the English style, rooms are divided according to functionality. Living room, dining room and library - the premises are always different and certainly available in the house.

An abundance of textiles

The presence of the English style in the interior gives out a huge number of accessories made of fabrics, up to the wall upholstery with textiles. The traditional material for this direction is chins - dense cotton with a floral print.

Expensive materials

Furniture and interior decoration is made only with valuable wood: oak, walnut, red wood. Carved decorations are often used.

Window

Vertically elongated structures with a lift-and-slide opening method.

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English style in the interior: what will help to recreate it

Harmonizing pretentiousness and austerity in Victorian decor is not easy, but the result is worth all the effort. So, what to look out for?

Color solutions

English interiors are impressed by natural colors and natural tones. Most relevant:

• Brown;
• shades of red;
• golden;
• sand;
• rich emerald;
• terracotta;
• bronze;
• Ivory.

Additional spectra can be red, gray-green; yellow. Often and in large quantities in the design of the premises there is white. But still, the British have a special love for red shades. According to their concepts, they should be saturated, but rather deep than catchy. An English-style room can be decorated with upholstered furniture in a similar design, carpets, rugs, pillows, curtains, containing notes of red in their colors.

Cell and floral ornaments are characteristic of the style. The first is quite active in terms of emotional load and is clearly visible in the interior, so you need to add geometry in moderation.

Plant themes can be present in unlimited quantities. Literally everything is decorated with such patterns. Only in an English-style room can you see floral prints in wall decoration, on curtains and furniture upholstery at the same time. And no one thinks this is nonsense. Moreover, such an “overload” looks very inspiring and organic.

When creating English interiors, do not neglect the color rule: attach pastel-colored furniture to bright walls and vice versa.

The nuances of finishing room surfaces

“A characteristic sign of the presence of the English style in the interior is the two-level decoration of the wall areas”

Walls

You can use any materials for wall decoration in an English interior.Both wallpaper and paint will do the job equally well. It is not the texture that is important here, but the color and pattern. Background surfaces should not be bright and full of catchy large-scale prints. It is better to give the walls monotony, although, for a change, you can use vertically directed stripes or apply a floral ornament that goes in the same way.

A characteristic sign of the presence of the English style in the interior is the two-level decoration of the wall areas. This can be considered a signature stylistic device. Moreover, the lower part of the surfaces in this case is decorated with wooden panels, and the upper sections are pasted over with wallpaper, mainly of a fabric type. The theme of the latter may differ in variety. Not only a floral print would be appropriate, but also heraldic signs or a Scottish cage. As an option, a full-length decor of the wall of the room in the English style with wood paneling can be considered. Most often, offices are designed in a similar perspective.

ceilings

In the design of rooms, they are often left light, painted in beige, cream, white tones. There can be several ways to decorate the ceiling surface in English interiors.

Firstly, it can be smoothed out. Wall joints in this case are decorated with stucco borders or beaten off with a strip of wallpaper with a pattern. The method is universal, suitable for decorating rooms of any purpose.

Secondly, stucco decorative elements can be placed on the ceiling itself and highlight them with color. This option is acceptable for halls and living rooms, that is, solemn, spacious rooms visited by guests.

Thirdly, the English style in the interior is very suitable for beams. An important element, carrying with it mysticism, vintageness and requiring a corresponding continuation in the rest of the finish.

Fourth, the surface can be decorated with stained glass inserts. It turns out no less original and stylish.

floors

For finishing floors in English interiors, parquet or board is used. Parquet lamellas are laid with a characteristic pattern. The floor is often carpeted with a solid color or a printed geometric pattern, which will simplify the task of harmonizing the space.

In rooms of a certain specificity, the floors are finished with ceramic tiles. It should also be distinguished by natural shades. Combination options with a checkerboard arrangement of elements are possible.

Ornamental layouts of floor tiles are popular. The geometric pattern obtained in this case is considered the simplest version of the floor mosaic characteristic of English interiors. This decorative technique is called the Victorian layout and is actively used in our time.

English style room furniture

“In the interior of an English-style room, there must be a Chesterfield sofa”

The British love comfort, so they have a special relationship with furniture. As a rule, they fill their interiors with good-quality furnishings. They do not skimp on expensive, natural wood headsets. The English style in the interior can be identified by chairs and tables made of bog oak or luxurious mahogany. Unfortunately, such a luxury is not available to a modern middle-class man in the street, so pompous models are replaced by high-quality MDF counterparts.By and large, it is not so important for English interiors what the pieces of furniture will be made of, as that they meet the basic stylistic requirements. The first thing the design should have is a special shape of the legs. Although the style is characterized by straightness, these pieces of furniture should be slightly curved, like an inverted comma. The presence of a characteristic decor makes the furniture exterior elegant.

If we talk about upholstered furniture for a room in the English style, then the emphasis here is on the upholstery, more precisely on its texture and color scheme. Do not forget that the English style in the interior is chic, charm and luxury, so do not try to save money here. It would be very correct to dwell on headsets with velvet upholstery, damask or leather trim.

Rich fabrics do not have to be monotonous in order for the furniture to match the severity of the situation. On the contrary, preference should be given to bright colors, perhaps even upholstery with very catchy and large patterns.

What kind of furniture to put in your home is an individual decision. You are free in your choice. Free in all but one. In the interior of the room in the English style, there should certainly be a Chesterfield sofa. It is a stylistic business card. Sofas of this series are known and popular all over the world. They cannot be confused with anything. These characteristic forms, the presence of quilted elements make the designs completely different from their counterparts.

Due to its uniqueness, the sofa very often becomes the compositional center in home interiors. If you want to make it a bold accent point that emphasizes the stylistic direction of the room, then buy a model covered in dark leather.

Essential accessories and accent solutions for English interiors

Fireplace

If the conversation turns to an English house, then fantasy immediately draws a cozy pastime by a huge, with crackling firewood, fireplace. This is another piece of home furnishings that clearly characterizes its stylistic affiliation. For the dank English climate, this interior element, even today, remains a real hearth that performs the function of heating the space, and does not serve purely decorative purposes.

If in Foggy Albion they try to make fireplaces the old fashioned way, with stone or wood cladding, then in our country, when reproducing the English style in the interior, they increasingly use electrical analogues. It is customary to surround the area in front of the fireplace with upholstered furniture, turn sofas in its direction and be sure to move a coffee table so that you can have a comfortable tea party. The mantelpiece is filled with photographs, countless souvenirs or exquisite figurines.

It is customary to decorate the area above the fireplace in English interiors with mirrors, but in a modern interpretation of design they can be replaced by a plasma TV panel.

contrast staircase

The presence of stairs in the house is another opportunity to focus on the style of its design. To do this, you will need to make a structure from natural wood and paint the risers or railings with white paint. Treads remain a natural dark tone. Such sophistication of contrast will add charm to the stairs.

Library

An English-style room is a must. If it is not possible to allocate a separate space for it, take one of the walls under the bookshelves. Shelves for books are also made of wood. A good addition to this area will be comfortable chairs, a miniature coffee table and a floor lamp.

Decorative aspects

English interiors are distinguished by meticulous detailing. A special role in them is given to ethnic details:

1. Chinese porcelain.

2. Crystal.

3. African figurines.

4. Forged candlesticks.

5. Chandelier.

All these elements are designed to create a traditional atmosphere for English houses.

The living room and bedroom in the English style are characterized by the presence of large volumes of textiles in the form of bedspreads and embroidered pillows, curtains and rugs, tapestries and canopies.

Wall decor is done with paintings, family photos. They are designed according to the “mirror” principle, that is, expensive works are framed in simple baguettes, and cheap reproductions are framed in rich, gilded, heavy frames. The principle of their placement is also characteristic. All elements must be arranged in strict symmetry.

The English style in the interior is close to the subjects of sports life, hunting, drawings of animals, in particular horses and dogs. Often there are images of cars, heraldry. Hunting trophies are hung in the central rooms and halls. In the living room they find a place for a wall clock.

Lighting

English interiors do not tolerate blinding light. To organize lighting in them, you can use a variety of lighting devices, but halogens and other newfangled directional light designs should be avoided. It is better to opt for floor lamps and table lamps, framed by fabric lampshades, which will give diffused soft light fluxes.

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Overview of an apartment decorated in the English style

Living room

The main element of decor is a fireplace. Its design option sets the tone for the rest of the room. A library area may appear in the room. Shelves with books can occupy the entire space of one of the walls and be located so high that you will need to use a stepladder to find books. A ladder for a living room in the English style will require a difficult one. It will have to be made of real wood and the color scheme should be in harmony with the surrounding space.

Bedroom

The accent piece of furniture here will be the bed. It should be a massive and dimensional item with a luxurious headboard. The list of required furnishings includes:

• dressing table;
• rocking chair;
• bedside cabinets.

The English style in the interior of the bedroom is always an abundance of textiles with openwork patterns and unique hand embroidery.

Kitchen

There should be no mention of modern technology here. Everything in the interior should breathe old-fashioned, so gadgets are hidden behind carved wooden panels, and steel elements are replaced with ceramics.

Furniture - a mix of wood, marble, stone with gilded fittings. From decor: carving and dishes.

Bathroom

The English style bathroom is just gorgeous. Ideally, it has a high window or its imitation. An indelible impression is made by the quality and design of sanitary ware, as well as the brilliance of copper pipes. Elegant handles, original towel holders and other accessories, traditional for the direction, complete the decor.

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Conclusion

As you understand, the English style in the interior of the house is a kind of mix of classicism and country. Recreating it is not so much difficult as expensive, but if you have already got down to business, then follow the color and texture balance of the materials, and there will be no problems with the rest.

Photo gallery - English style in the interior

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