PERIOD PROPERTIES: HOW TO DECORATE A GEORGIAN HOME

WHAT MAKES A HOUSE GEORGIAN?

Technically, any house built during the reigns of George I, II, III and IV – between the years 1714 and 1837 – is Georgian. But what is so special about the houses built during this era?

Georgian homes are popular and often romanticised in the UK, with the architecture of the Georgian era portraying the classic English country home, exuding elegance and charm through its distinctive design.

The epitome of essential English design, Georgian architecture is recognised for its symmetry, simplicity and classical motifs. Often with tall sash windows, painted front doors, high ceilings, and grand staircases, Georgian homes are full of character and kerb appeal, making them beautiful renovation projects. The harmonious proportions of a Georgian home make for a practical space that can be transformed into the perfect family home, so it’s no surprise they have been voted the UK’s most desirable homes! 

HOW TO PRESERVE YOUR HOME'S GEORGIAN CHARACTER

If you want to update and modernise your Georgian home, it is important to prioritise: whilst some original features may not make the cut, think about your project as a whole and decide where compromises are worth making. Don’t just gut the interior and replace with new – renovating a period property means spending the time and effort to restore its former glory!

Removing too much of the original architecture can leave the property feeling devoid of character and charm. New is not always better: in fact, period properties were built with high quality materials and designed to last, unlike today’s mentality of fast fashion and budget materials.

If you are planning to approach your project in stages, take a look at the bigger picture and start with the end in mind. It may even be worth living in the property for a while before making any drastic decisions, to see how you use the space. For more on tackling a large project in stages, see our previous post on the period property we are helping our clients renovate – Modernising your Edwardian Home.

When it comes to the layout of your home, it is vital to consider the future of your home, and how your lifestyle may change in the years to come. Open plan spaces are a popular option for creating a flexible and future-proof layout that can be adapted to suit multiple lifestyles. 

HOW TO UPDATE AND MODERNISE WHILST MAINTAINING THE GEORGIAN CHARM

Not only is it crucial to preserve some of your home’s stunning classical design features, but you can enhance your home’s Georgian character by accentuating the architectural elements that you plan to keep. You can do this through restoration of the existing features, or finding Georgian furniture, Georgian fireplaces, and other items in antique shops to upcycle and renovate. To emphasise the Georgian character in your home, use complementary styles in your interior design – traditional panelling, authentic fittings and finishes, vintage accessories, and a cohesive colour scheme that signifies your home’s extraordinary heritage. 

Don’t worry, this doesn’t mean everything in your new home has to be old! Old and new can work well together, and creating this balance is all about complementary design – the styles should not compete against each other, but work in harmony to create an elegant and calming interior. Soft furnishings and accessories are key to creating a homely environment, and they should be chosen wisely to accompany the Georgian style. Choose styles of fabric that are influenced by the Georgian era and find coordinating accessories that you love, because the most important thing about your home’s interior is that YOU love it.

Don’t forget to consider the practical aspect of your home: combine function and aesthetic in plenty of storage and clever design. Modernising your home should make it work perfectly for the way you plan to use it, and whilst we suggest keeping original period features, modernising the interior provides the opportunity to use contemporary design to your advantage, creating the perfect layout and maximising the function of each room. 

Georgian families had very different lifestyles, impacting the typical layout of a Georgian home. You will often find the second or third floor to have smaller rooms and lower ceilings, as these would have been the servants’ quarters. For a modern family, the existing layout is likely to be impractical, and it is common for renovated homes to have smaller rooms knocked into larger, open plan spaces – particularly with Georgian kitchens. Whilst today, we all dream for a spacious, sociable, family friendly kitchen, Georgian families kept the dirty, hard-working areas of the home separate from the comfortable living areas. 

With its symmetry and simplicity, Georgian buildings and architecture provides the ideal opportunity to create the perfect family home, as the large, square rooms can easily be optimised for family life without worrying about the small nooks and crannies or narrow hallways more commonly found in Victorian homes.

Unique and original items add interest and ensure your home is not the carbon copy of some Instagram ‘dream home’ – finding inspiration from social media, websites, blogs and magazines is brilliant, but don’t be afraid to mix and match, and only ever include things that you love. Ignore the latest trends; they go out of fashion so quickly and you will be left with an outdated and uninspiring interior. You will never grow bored of a design filled with things you LOVE!

The best way to make your period home’s interior stand out from the rest is with upcycling and restoring. Get interior inspiration by trawling antique shops, car boot sales, Facebook Marketplace, eBay, and Etsy for some truly unique discoveries. Breathing new life into old furniture and accessories will not only create stunning features for your home, but provide the opportunity to customise them with your own personal touch. 

You can find inspiration from the existing Georgian features in your home and restore your antique finds to coordinate with the rest of your interior. As a bonus, upcycling is a fun and sustainable way to help save the planet!

Ultimately, this is YOUR home and should reflect your tastes and personality – the best way to add character and originality to any home is with a personal touch. The best accessories you can add to your home are those that inspire you and make you happy!

If you are renovating a period property and looking for advice, watch this space – we will be regularly updating our website with more period home tips and ideas in our new PERIOD PROPERTIES blog series.

Alternatively, get in touch! We would love to help you with your exciting renovation project. 

~Nikita & Katie,  October 2022