Everything to Know About the Edwardian House Style (2024)

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Everything to Know About the Edwardian House Style? ›

Edwardian houses

"Houses during the Edwardian period show a departure from the overly ornate and stuffy," says Ibarra. They are also more airy in style—rooms are larger with tall ceilings and an abundance of light due to double hung windows.

The main characteristics of an Edwardian style home are a tiled roof (generally made of terracotta), asymmetrical rooflines with gables and motifs, lead lighting in the windows, plasterwork and high ceilings.

Edwardian houses are 1-1/2 storey with a very steep-pitched front-gabled roof above an integral porch and (typically) saddle-bag dormers. The roof skirt gives a strongly triangular look to the gable and usually frames a sleeping porch.

This 'Ideal Home' had eight rooms: a hall, living room, four bedrooms, a bathroom and a kitchen. Health and hygiene became hugely important and houses now had to be lighter, airier and more comfortable than before.

Edwardian Interiors:

These pastel colours included primrose yellow, lilac, gray and leaf green mixed with cream walls and slightly darker colours for the upholstery. The floors were simple with polished floorboards in light wood stains accented with oriental rugs.

Edwardian interior colours are known for their soft, muted tones and a preference for lighter shades. These colours reflect the elegance and grace of the period. To capture the essence of an Edwardian interior, consider using colours like soft pastels, pale blues, delicate pinks, and muted greens.

The Edwardian period marked a peak in British building standards and homes have a reputation for being well designed and constructed using high-quality materials. People buying an Edwardian home can have a period property without the worry and maintenance costs that older properties can sometimes bring.

The Edwardian era stands out as a time of peace and prosperity. Britain's growth rate, manufacturing output and GDP (but not GDP per capita) fell behind its rivals, the United States and Germany, though the nation still led the world in trade, finance and shipping, and had strong bases in manufacturing and mining.

Do Edwardian houses have cavity walls? ›

Cavity walls started to appear in Edwardian buildings, but the vast majority were still built from solid brick. By far the most important part of caring for a solid brick wall is allowing it to “breathe”, which refers to the passage of moisture through porous masonry.

The interiors of Edwardian properties typically feature high ceilings that create a sense of spaciousness. This design element contrasted with the lower ceilings often found in Victorian houses. Edwardian houses aimed to create brighter and more open interior spaces.

Many Victorian/Edwardian homes have partial full cellars, with a crawlspace beneath part of the house. The reason why some houses were given basem*nts and others weren't isn't to do with personal preferences or differences in the technical ability of their builders.

Edwardian houses are known for ornate decorative details, including floor tiles, stained glass, and timber, as well as large rooms with high ceilings. After the end of the war, the Interwar Period covered the 1920s and 1930s, leading up to the Second World War in 1939.

The Edwardian era was a pivotal time in design history and while taking inspiration from the Victoria period, Edwardian's favoured simpler styling. Classic bathroom designs of the time (1901-1910) valued light and open spaces, simple patterns and colours, as well as the necessary luxury finishing touches.

Edwardian houses have gabled roofs with softer angles

Edwardian roofs also have a steep pitch and are usually made of slate, except they tend to have a moderate slope for a less dramatic look. Some also have dormer windows that extend from the roof.

While less ornate than the Victorian era, Edwardian properties still exhibit decorative elements. These might include intricate brickwork patterns, delicate mouldings, and decorative corbels. The interiors of Edwardian properties typically feature high ceilings that create a sense of spaciousness.

The Edwardian era in British history, spanning from 1901 to 1914, was a time of significant social and technological changes. It witnessed the continuation of the Industrial Revolution, urbanization, and shifts in class dynamics. The period was crucial for the growth of the suffragette movement and social reforms.

1910s: Prairie

Prairie-style homes emerged as a defining architectural style in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, particularly in the Midwest.