English Style in Interior Design: 5 Key Features

The English style in interior design was fully formed in the second half of the 19th century, incorporating elements of two royal styles - Victorian and Georgian. This style reflected the lifestyle of a respectable Englishman, absorbed the values of its time, and gave status even to tiny apartments and houses in England.

Modesty, leisurely pace, peaceful reading, and long tea time - pure English style of behavior in their cozy little world. And surely many would like to feel a bit more English, if not in soul, then at least at home: settle into a soft armchair after work and disdainfully raise an eyebrow in response to absurdities encountered during the day.

You can actually create a pure English atmosphere even in a typical Russian apartment if you properly manage every square meter and feel the character of the style. We will help you remember its main features.

1. Tradition

The purpose of the space in English style is understood literally and with the same precision as the English: the kitchen invites you to cook, the bedroom charms with its comfort, and the living room contains all elements of traditional classical decor - it is filled with armchairs, tables, console tables, footstools, and buffet tables, bookcases, and wardrobes, and unchanging soft armchairs arranged near the fireplace. Arranging furniture in the living room with an empty center - such a thought would never come to an Englishman's mind.

Also, you will rarely encounter various tall partitions and dividing structures in English interiors: space designation and division occur through lighting. Small light sources of various formats, including fireplace flames, make the room deep and enveloping. The composition of sofas and armchairs is of a closed character, and if the room is large enough, several such zones can be created.

2. The Legacy of William Morris

The canons of English style were set by William Morris, an artist and designer who created unique plant motifs for fabrics and wallpapers. Colorful yet restrained, Morris's motifs became the prototype of recognizable English decor style. Modern styling adopted the special English charm of Morris's interiors - a flowered wallpaper pattern creates an elusive romance, and ornate windows add magical mystery. This is how we imagine the perfect bedroom in English style. As for living rooms and hallways, wallpapers with horizontal stripes have become widespread to visually raise the ceiling height of the room.

3. Substantiality and Elegance

The main feature of English-style furniture is the combination of Classicism and Rococo elements: symmetry and staticity coexist with light curves on sofa legs or playful "ears" on armchairs. The technique of capital (rhombus-shaped ties) makes voluminous furniture items appear refined and sophisticated. The legendary Chesterfield sofa, made using this technique, is massive yet elegant, setting a high standard for the entire interior, just as the production of Thomas Chippendale.

Upholstered furniture with tacks and decorated massive wardrobes with carving contrast handcrafted work with mass production, adding elegance and aristocratic charm to simple, minimalist comfort. Using tapestries with floral patterns makes voluminous furniture seem weightless and more feminine.

4. Materialism

The main thing in any room is not the space, but the object itself, and the British are known for the quality of their products. Perhaps that is why their homes are filled with open shelves and wardrobes with jars and vases, teapots and cups, and libraries with good books and status office supplies?

The character and origin of objects can be completely different, as the English style echoes colonial times. Things brought from all corners of the planet coexist in one interior, but the authenticity of the English interior is often made up of paintings with classical art, antiques, hunting trophies, and family relics. Wall-mounted picture frames and tall wardrobes that reach the ceiling occupy almost all of the wall, and if there are free corners, they are filled with lamps or small shelves.

The hospitable host tries to accommodate everything that can interest the guest and help sustain an intellectual conversation by the fire on long winter evenings.

5. Unity

English-style interiors are full of silence and calm, which makes them cozy and intimate. This effect is achieved through the use of wood as a connecting material for floors, ceilings, walls, and furniture. Even modern interpretations of this style assume the presence of interior items made from dark wood, which alludes to medieval England.

Today, wall panels and wooden ceiling finishes are rarely used, especially in standard apartments; instead, accents and hints are made through antique chests, geographical maps, globes, and animal taxidermy. Despite the variety of finishes and space fillers, a few characteristic details, when used skillfully, can unite all present elements into one cohesive stylistic solution.