Identifying Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian Homes (2024)

Most British cities have period homes built in key historic periods, but have you ever wondered in what era your home was built. How often have we heard Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian homes all referred to as a “classical home”? This guide should identify the period your home was built.

Georgian homes 1714 to 1830 / 1837

The Georgian period - 1714 to 1830 reigned by George I, George II, George III, and George IV and the late Georgian period from 1830 to 1837.

Georgian properties were built to be spacious and comfortable, with grand proportions and a heightened sense of space and light.

Identifying Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian Homes (1)

Externally these homes are of symmetrical proportions with high ceilings, flat or shallow roofs partially hidden behind parapets, stucco-faced external ground floor elongated rectangular windows with fan windows frequently positioned above the main entrance.

Georgian homes are typically three or four storey historically occupied at first and second floor by the owner and their family. Staff lived on the top storeys, these rooms are smaller with lower ceilings and smaller windows. Kitchens were on the lower ground floor, away from the main house for servants.

Identifying Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian Homes (2)

Probably the most famous Georgian home in London is 10 Downing Street, some of the finest examples of Georgian architecture in London are the white painted mansions along Regents Park.

Georgian home key features

  • Three or four storey townhouses.
  • Sash windows with smaller panes – tall windows on the first two floors and smaller windows on the top storeys.
  • Symmetrical flat exterior and balanced interior layout.
  • Stucco-fronted exterior, meaning it is rendered in a plaster material. In earlier Georgian designs, the ground floor was rendered and the rest of the exterior was exposed brickwork, while later in this period houses were rendered from top to bottom.
  • Render painted white or cream.
  • Built around garden squares without their own garden.

Identifying Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian Homes (3)

Another typical Georgian / Victorian feature is bricked-up windows due the window tax which was in place of income tax between 1696 and 1851. To reduce tax many homeowners bricked up some of their windows, after the tax was lifted many windows were left bricked up.

Victorian Architecture (1837–1901)

The Victorian period - 1837 to 1901 reigned by Queen Victoria saw increased houses production for the growing middle class in response to the industrial revolution characterised by rows of terraced housing on narrow streets.

Identifying Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian Homes (4)

Victorian home key features,

  • Victorian home key features
  • Coloured brickwork
  • High pitched roof – often ideal for conversion.
  • Ornate gable trim.
  • Geometric tiled hallways.
  • A brickwork porch.
  • Front door to the side of the façade.
  • Narrow hallway.
  • Stained glass windows.
  • Bay windows seats for reading and writing.
  • Wooden floorboards.
  • A fireplace in every room.

Identifying Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian Homes (5)

Although terraced housing was common before this period the Victorians introduced ‘back-to-backs’ these terraced houses were built close to factories for workers to live in and were erected relatively cheaply and quickly for the period, with no garden or proper sanitation. Building ‘back-to-backs’ became illegal in the late-19th century, which made way for the byelaw terraced houses that we see today.

Internally Victorian homes have high ceilings and large windows and layout within a long and thin footprint much smaller than Georgian homes. Victorian homes are typically one room wide, with a narrow hallway leading off into the different rooms, two up, two down with just two rooms on each floor.

Identifying Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian Homes (6)

Examples of Victorian properties can be found in London’s Knightsbridge, Chelsea, and Primrose Hill and Hampstead.

Edwardian Architecture (1901 to 1918)

The Edwardian period - 1901 to 1910 extending beyond King Edward VII heavily influenced by The Arts and Crafts Movement but came to an abrupt end with the outbreak of the First World War in 1914. The movement promoted simple design in response to a rapidly increasing population and completion of new railway lines, which gave rise to the ‘suburbs’ of larger homes on green field sites.

Identifying Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian Homes (7)

Edwardian properties often have a front garden and are set back from the pavement for privacy. Living rooms usually have windows at both ends, covered by a small sloping roof on the outside.

Edwardian homes tend to be shorter than Victorian residences, partly because the middle classes who lived in these homes had less of a need for servants, unlike the Georgian the Victorian generations before them. Gone were the cellars and the second floors, but in came larger halls and spacious gardens.

Identifying Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian Homes (8)

Edwardian home key features

  • Houses built in a straight line.
  • Red brickwork.
  • Porch with wooden frames.
  • Mock-Tudor cladding and timbers at the top of the house.
  • Wide hallway.
  • Parquet wood floors.
  • Wider, brighter rooms.
  • Simple internal decorative features.

Identifying Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian Homes (9)

Edwardian homes can be found in London’s garden suburbs such as Hampstead Heath, Dulwich, Blackheath and Richmond.

Category: Architectural Styles

Tagged with: Georgian, Victorian, Edwardian

Identifying Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian Homes (2024)

FAQs

How to tell if a house is Victorian or Georgian? ›

Internally Victorian homes have high ceilings and large windows and layout within a long and thin footprint much smaller than Georgian homes.

What is Edwardian vs Georgian vs Victorian architecture? ›

For example, Georgian homes typically have grand rooms with high ceilings, especially on the first and second floors. Victorian homes often feature detailed plasterwork and have bay windows. Edwardian homes usually have light and airy rooms and have the addition of a front garden.

How to tell the difference between Victorian and Edwardian houses? ›

So, unlike the smaller, darker Victorian homes, Edwardian houses were more squat, wider and roomy, with bigger hallways and more windows. It's common for an Edwardian property to have a front garden and be set back from the pavement, as there was an ever-increasing desire for privacy at that time.

What does a typical Edwardian house look like? ›

Therefore, many Edwardian homes are set back from the street and benefit from beautiful front gardens. Unlike the smaller, darker Victorian homes, Edwardian houses were more squat, wider and larger, with bigger hallways and more windows to allow in plenty of natural light.

What defines a Georgian style house? ›

A classic Georgian home is square or rectangular, made of brick, and features symmetrical windows, shutters, and columns. “Grand entrances were often embellished with pediments, arches, and columns, and interior spaces featured high ceilings, window headers, and crown molding,” says Muniz.

What does a Georgian mansion look like? ›

These houses typically have a large central main body, smaller hyphens (connectors between the main body and wings), and symmetrical wings. Floor plans are most commonly two rooms deep and are one or two stories tall, with pitched roofs.

Is a 1930s house Edwardian? ›

The majority of house design in the UK within the 1930's continued the Edwardian principles as the Modernist movement failed to take mainstream force. At the end of the war, slums remained a problem in many large towns and almost 500,000 houses had been destroyed or made uninhabitable.

Do Edwardian houses have cellars? ›

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.

What does a Victorian home look like? ›

Victorian homes are usually large and imposing. Wood or stone exterior. The majority of Victorian styles use wood siding, but the Second Empire and Romanesque styles almost always have outer walls made of stone. Complicated, asymmetrical shape.

What characterizes a Victorian house? ›

“Recognizable characteristics are steep, tiled roofs, painted brick, bay windows, and asymmetrical design,” Dadswell says. “Wooden floorboards, plaster cornicing, sweeping staircases, wooden sash windows, and tiled entrance hallways would have been incorporated into most Victorian homes.”

Is Georgian the same as Victorian? ›

Whilst Victorian properties do often retain some of the features introduced by the Georgians, such as a balanced exterior and sash windows, the Victoria era also inherited styles from the Gothic revival architectural movement which really make them stand out from Georgian properties.

What makes a house look Victorian? ›

Features of a Victorian House

The houses usually have two to three stories with steep, gabled roofs and round towers. On the exterior, there are towers, turrets, and dormers, forming complex roof lines as architects sought to create designs that would pull the eye to the top of the house.

What is the difference between Victorian and Georgian doors? ›

While Victorian door designs are usually simpler and more understated than Georgian front doors, they are also well suited to classic colours such as black and red. Victorian brickwork typically has a richer colour than Georgian brickwork and so Victorian front doors often suit deeper colours.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Annamae Dooley

Last Updated:

Views: 6599

Rating: 4.4 / 5 (45 voted)

Reviews: 92% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Annamae Dooley

Birthday: 2001-07-26

Address: 9687 Tambra Meadow, Bradleyhaven, TN 53219

Phone: +9316045904039

Job: Future Coordinator

Hobby: Archery, Couponing, Poi, Kite flying, Knitting, Rappelling, Baseball

Introduction: My name is Annamae Dooley, I am a witty, quaint, lovely, clever, rich, sparkling, powerful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.