Stylistically speaking: The Edwardian home | Strutt & Parker (2024)

FAQs

What defines edwardian style? ›

Edwardian fashion from the late 1800s continued to influence the early 1900s. Women still wore corsets and long skirts. Men still wore suits. A complete wardrobe included hats and gloves and, for women, often an umbrella. Edwardian fashion was opulent and formal, with expensive fabrics and trimmings.

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.

Typical details of Edwardian Baroque architecture include extensive rustication, usually more extreme at ground level, often running into and exaggerating the voussoirs of arched openings (derived from French models); domed corner rooftop pavilions and a central taller tower-like element creating a lively rooftop ...

To capture the essence of an Edwardian interior, consider using colours like soft pastels, pale blues, delicate pinks, and muted greens. These colours evoke a sense of tranquillity and sophistication that was synonymous with the Edwardian era.

Edwardian interiors favour bright pastel colours, floral designs and are very spacious – escaping from the darker colours and cluttered-look from the Victorian era. Enhance the natural light coming into your home with bright, reflective surfaces and plenty of glass and mirrors.

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.

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.

The term Edwardian refers to the reign of King Edward VII in the United Kingdom from 1901 to 1910. This period is associated with the idea of restrained elegance in art, fashion, and architecture. The Edwardian era was characterized by a focus on elegance and luxury, with an emphasis on simplicity and refinement.

Edwardian-style homes are associated with the first two decades of the 20th century, reaching the height of popularity during King Edward VII's reign. They are known for being spacious and well-suited to families.

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.

What is Edwardian architecture style? ›

The Edwardian architectural style is often described as neo-Baroque, influenced by a combination of the thriving French architecture of the 18th century and English baroque architecture from the early 17th century. However, it was also heavily influenced by the Georgian period and the Arts and Crafts movements.

Appearing from 1890 to 1910, Art Nouveau was a very distinct, decorative style that became popular, bridging the Victorian and Edwardian eras. The term 'Art Nouveau' means “new art” in French.

If your home was built in the Edwardian era of 1901-1910, then it is an Edwardian-period property. Though this was a short period, it was still an important one.

Flooring. Ceramic tiled floors were very popular in Edwardian hallways as it was decorative, hygienic and easy to clean. Mosaic tiled floors were often seen in expensive houses, but tessellated floors were more common in middle class homes.

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.

High lace collars, loose fitting skirts around the hips. Evening and tea gowns in the Edwardian era featured evening dresses of silk satin fabrics with the empire waistline with statuesque column silhouette. Silk fabrics were embroidered with colored beads arranged in linear motifs, trompe l'œil (pretend tassels).