I Want That Georgian Look!
Ball-and-claw feet, shapely cabriole legs, detailed fretwork and handsome case goods make the Pemberley Dining Collection a late-Georgian gem.
What you want: A traditional presentation defined by furniture that reflects Rococo, Gothic and classical styles and is complemented with Wedgwood china and patrician walls.
Colors: To achieve a Georgian look, use colors that embody refinement and impart a sense of timelessness. While neutral background colors like white, cream, gray and brown may seem like a boring start to your decorative path, once paired with your accent colors, your room will blossom with delightful hue.
Presenting your Georgian foundation neutrals…
Early Georgian accent colors include teal, olive, pea green, slate blue, mauve and rose, which create a soothing atmosphere of graceful dignity. More vibrant colors make an appearance in the Late Georgian period if you'd prefer a dramatic room. Picking out indigo, vermilion, golden yellow and red will echo the classical colors of the Renaissance. For a Rococo or Chinese slant on Georgian styling, opt instead for peach, pink, coral and rose red.
Add from these colors for an Early-Georgian masterpiece.
.Or select from these colors for Late-Georgian style.
Floor: Perhaps nothing is more classically lovely than a room covered in a beautifully polished wood floor. Set off the plank flooring with a varnish, a geometric inlay or stenciling to mimic floors in vogue during this time. These little details will add texture and interest for a more visually appealing room. Finish the floor with a hand-knotted Oriental or Turkish rugs like the kind offered in our expansive rug site for a truly authentic look. The Georgian look is flexible, however, so if you absolutely need wall-to-wall carpeting, this is one traditional style that will not suffer for its presence.
Now that the floors in your living room and bedroom are squared away, focus on your entryway and kitchen. Practical flooring that can stand up to the wear and tear of these areas requires something a bit tougher than wood floors. Georgian homes usually laid black and white marble or flagstone at their entrance way. For modern kitchens, place linoleum with geometric patterns.
Lighting: Light your rooms with a mix of modern lighting convenience and antique appearances. Because lighting fully by candlelight is impractical for most people, sprinkle a few real candelabras with candelabra fixtures finished in shining pewter, silver, porcelain and glass.
Additionally, select multi-armed chandeliers adorned with crystal drops, as well as French Rococo and Chinese porcelain lamps. Columns and fluting on all your lighting fixtures should be classical, with keep shades in plain fabric or paper.
All these lighting styles can be found by clicking here.
Furniture: Fast on the heels of the ultra-feminine and delicate Queen Anne period of furniture, the Georgian period retained much of that style's elegant shapes and decoration. You'll still find shapely cabriole legs, winged armchairs, ball-and-claw feet, gilding, lacquer and carvings with motifs like the scallop shell. Yet, you'll also see a slightly heavier proportion, and chairs typically possess pierced back slats and can come with casters.
For living spaces, stick with upholstered, winged and skirted armchairs and chaise lounges. The provide comfort and ring true of the Georgian concern of blending comfort and style. Dining rooms should include both arm and side dining chairs, and case goods like high, low boys or sideboards should be present. A Georgian living room will contain a sofa table, tripod tea tables and perhaps a desk with a roll-top, if there's not one already in the library. Furnish your bedroom with a four-poster bed with or without a matching canopy and an armoire to round out the Georgian style throughout the whole of your home.
Accents: Much attention is paid to walls during the Georgian era, which were awash with neoclassical elements and paneling. While the walls themselves were relatively plain in solid colors, elaborately molded cornice and frieze hug the tops of the walls and come with classical motifs like urns, ribbons, and acanthus leaves. Sometimes moldings even made their way onto the ceilings for an extravagant touch. Paneling called dado provides texture to the lower half of the wall, which is supplemented with crown and baseboard molding. Later in the era, designers become more adventurous with walls and included floral patterns or marbleized finishes. Chinese wallpapers were also chic back in the day, and the look can be easily replicated today!
As far as accessories go, stick with things that speak of luxury and sophistication: china, crystal, fine tableware, and chinoiserie, which are artful objects or decorations influenced by and usually from China. Place flowers in vases to keep things from looking too calculated and to lighten up a room with freshness.
