If you’ve chosen an Edwardian style for your home, you’ve chosen an elegant, traditional design that has a long European history. Edwardian style homes today and teamed with the Georgian style, and allow for some modern influences (which will enable you to ensure your home never looks outdated), however still mainly take their inspiration from the chic, clean and luxurious interiors of the Edwardian age.
If you’re looking to add some Edwardian influence to your home, or if you’re looking to spruce up your already existing Edwardian style home, then we have some great Edwardian interior design tips and tricks for you!
Let’s explore the Edwardian style and see how it has evolved over time…..
The History of Edwardian Style
The Edwardian interior design style has a long history, originally dating back to the 1890s, remaining heavily popular throughout the 1920s. It has been described as a revival of Georgian design interiors, which was a typical home-style previous to the Edwardian style.
Many of the stately homes in the Edwardian era were revamped editions of the Louis XVI style, which was made famous by The Ritz. The Edwardian home is known for being luxurious in an extremely ‘over the top’ and ‘in your face’ way, especially from the exterior. This style is not for the faint of heart, but when it’s carried through in the right way and with a few modern takes, it can look magnificent!
Inspiration for an Edwardian Style Interior
When going for an Edwardian style, it’s important to make sure you’re choosing interior elements that complement the design of your building’s exterior. However, with this style you’re also free to explore, get creative and have some fun, so don’t be afraid to experiment with bold and luxurious styles, textures and colours!
In your Edwardian style home, it will be all about letting light in to maintain a sense of crispness and freshness. When it comes to light, the more the better (this is especially true if you’re looking to sell or wanting to create open plan living).
Always remember that adding modern elements to your home is a great way to make it feel more in-style, and will eliminate any feelings of outdatedness or stuffiness. Be sure to keep a good balanced mix of traditional and Edwardian elements in your Edwardian style home.
Edwardian Style Architecture
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.
Many modernised Edwardian homes are a light, pale tone and fresh white on the exterior. However, the older styles can be darker tones of blues, greens and greys. In Edwardian style homes, colour schemes tend to flow from the exterior to the interior, complementing and enhancing each other.
Edwardian Style Colour Schemes
The colour scheme in an Edwardian home can be stripped right back to a simple fresh and crisp white look for a more modern vibe. However, muted shades of off-white, olive, yellow, red, pink, indigo, turquoise and pale blue are also known to be used for a more colourful and bold look. These colours are more traditional, but white will work if you’re looking for a cleaner, more modern take, then complimenting it with Edwardian fixtures and textures.
It all depends on the unique style you’d like to embrace in your home, however, the simple white shades can be used to easily keep your home fresh and on-trend. Colour is added through the furniture, features and decor, which is very easy to pull off even in a more modern home.
The Edwardian style can often be plain and straightforward, unlike the Victorian style. Patterns are not a common or prominent feature of the Victorian style.
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Edwardian Textures and Patterns
When it comes to the Edwardian style, you need to rely on straight lines and symmetry for a clean look and feel. Within your home, patterns should be kept to a minimum to maintain the classic and elegant style.
For a modern take on the Edwardian home, the use of marble can play a big role, along with wooden textures painted to look white to maintain a fresh appearance.
As well as the textures and patterns within an Edwardian home, less is always more when it comes to styling, so remember not to go overboard with furniture and decor.
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Edwardian Home Styling
Styling is usually the most exciting and engaging part of renovating or moving into a new home, where you can experiment with designs, styles and creating moods. For the Edwardian design, you will find you don’t need to add a lot in terms of furniture, decor and accessories to a room in order to pull off this style.
Aim for elegant light fittings as key features of the room, whether it’s a chandelier or steel-framed pendant light. This will be a perfect addition to a plain room and will draw attention to the centre of the room, making it appear larger.
Aim to buy plush couches and generally ‘bulky’ furniture for your Edwardian style home. Wood feature pieces (like a big cabinet or buffet) are always perfect as they are chunky but still add a level of elegance to any room.
You can also always add some colour to each room of the house with some coloured cushions or fresh plant greenery, but remember that less clutter means a more modern vibe, so keep it minimal and choose your styling items carefully.
When it comes to mixing the old with the new, the key is to choose simple and elegant lines that don’t clash with your Edwardian home’s older period style features. You can also aim to add old photos to your walls with modern frames to give some decor to the home.
You don’t have to add a lot of detail to an Edwardian home to give it a traditional style. The bulky furniture and feature pieces (including light fittings and pictures) will give any room a fresh, stylish and almost industrial feel.
Give each room some life and a bit of a spark by adding heavy drapes to the window frames and a patterned rug on the floor to dress up the space and make it feel like a home.
A tall boy or table lamp plus a few plain candles and plants will make the room feel both comfortable and inviting.
With an Edwardian designed home, you want to ensure the rooms are open and light, even if you have dark features within the room. Natural light works best, as well as some big, dramatic, elegantly framed mirrors.
The Edwardian style is all about class, luxury and crisp finishes, so don’t be afraid to leave some spaces empty – the room will speak for itself.
At Intrim we have a range of Edwardian and Georgian inspiration for you. To see more, please click here!
