The British countryside is full of gorgeous stately homes, with interiors most of us only see on the pages of magazines, or recreated in the Bridgerton-esque Netflix series. It’s hard to deny the beauty of the stately home, the reflection of its rich history in the stunning architecture and evocative interior design.
The basic principles of lavish interiors are instantly recognizable: soaring ceilings and double-height windows, a mix of heirloom furniture, oversized pictures hanging in every room, an abundance of color, and seemingly a deliberate mismatch between styles. It is a game that is fun and steeped in heritage at the same time.
The look of a stately home can be achieved on a smaller, more personal scale with a few well-placed antiques, lots of color prints, and a few clever tricks to imitate period architecture. Read on for some inspiration…
1. Show real paintings
Search the English countryside, and you’re unlikely to find a single stately home that isn’t filled with great portraits of former homeowners and family members, or beautiful landscapes that depict nearby views.
“Art adds character and a sense of personality to a space that you can’t always achieve entirely through materials and colors in a room,” says Camilla Clark, creative director at Albion Nord. “An art-free room is an unfinished room. Remember that art doesn’t always have to be hung in the middle of a wall. It can be placed above tables, placed next to sculptures, or on bookshelves and carpentry.”
“We love using furnishings in hallways because it adds richness and warmth to a space that might not have a lot of furniture. They also come in generous landscaping sizes which make them great for long hallways or entryways.”
2. Be classic with furniture
Traditional furniture with clever wooden details and sumptuous furnishings is a well-recognized decorative trope in English stately homes. Furniture is meant to be passed on from generation to generation, found at local antiques markets or picked up on charming trips abroad—it’s a style that happily embraces a little wear and tear.
If you don’t have inherited treasures, it’s easy to recreate the look with a few carefully selected pieces – pay special attention to the silhouettes, which should be solid and chunky but with curved legs or arms, and upholstery, which can be worn, and fragile leather. Linen, or something heavily patterned.
3. Use paint to fake period architecture
There are many tricks to recreating the stately architecture of stately English homes if your home lacks a bit of crown formation. Some sophisticated wallpapers – such as the Cole & Son Grand Masters set with Historic Royal Palaces – can recreate the look of classic arches or wood paneling.
Or, for a DIY version with a bit of humor, we love the casual, hand-painted paneling and curvy olive green door frame, both created with Annie Sloan paint.
4. Choose the highest quality flooring possible
There’s little leeway when it comes to typical flooring in a luxury home – they run in gamut from sturdy wood stone to original wood floors (stacked with patterned rugs) and luxurious carpets. However, all the options are of high quality – a palatial home is supposed to hold steady for centuries, after all.
We tend to lean more toward comfort underfoot — because while we want to recreate the look of a stately home, we don’t necessarily want to emulate its infamous atrocity. Keep stone floors, or similar tile for the kitchen and amenities, and go for a bit of luxury in your living room and bedroom with a deep rug.
5. Pattern input
A degree of informality in stately homes means colors and prints blend in with letting go – and so the outlines, delicious flowers and rainbow ikat sit side by side. This is perhaps the most delightful aspect of stately homes, which can be drowned out a bit in the dark wood and exaggerated decorative details.
It’s definitely the funniest aspect of this design scheme, because you have the eclectic mandate to throw anything you really like together, whether that’s a sea-shell print cashmere, or a Jemima Duck lampshade…
6. Mix in antiques
Last but not least, adding a few antiques to the mix is absolutely essential — and according to design experts, antiques are a huge trend for 2022.
“We’ll see the AW21 and beyond resurrect in 17th century styles embellished with thoughtful details like hand-rolled spools or barley legs,” says Camilla. “We’ve seen the increasing popularity of pristine furniture in the antiques and auction markets, and this is reflected in some of the recent collections of homeware companies including the Alfred Newell, Swan, and Soho Home collections.”
And not only will antique furniture be useful in recreating the character of a lavish English home. Interior designer Andrew Martin says: “Vintage and collectible accessories will also add timeless whimsy and provide a space that may be fashionable but lifeless, and a true sense of depth, personality and soul.”
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