Georgian style spanned nearly 120 years, from 1700 to 1820.
Thus, it went through lot of changes. The upheavals in
socio-economic life in Britain during this era influenced
Georgian style to a great extent.
The early Georgian era was dominated by the Palladianism; a
style based on the classical purity of Andrea Palladio's 16th
century Italian villas. The Gothic influenced the mid-Georgian
era while lights and furniture and decoration characterized
the late Georgian era, also known as Regency.
Although, during 18th century this style dominated England,
its influence was felt throughout Europe and America.
The main characteristic of Georgian style was symmetry.
Houses always had square or rectangular plans. Symmetrical
motifs and decorations adorned typical entrance. Mirrors and
glass were used to enhance symmetry.
Before Georgian influence the stairways were always tucked
inside the special stairway hallways or in the walls. During
the Georgian era they became the part of the entrance hall.
They were decorated with special care. As the century
progressed, they became lighter and more elegant. Stone stairs
commonly had decorative ironwork in the form of scrolling
patterns, while wooden ones had unpainted mahogany handrails.
Georgian front doors were always treated with extra
decorations. Filigreed fanlights that allowed plenty of light
inside, canopies and ornate brackets were prominent features
of the doorways. Doors and windows were arched. The glass used
for doors and windows was of a better quality, thus admitted
more light. As the century progressed, moldings, bars and
decorations became more elegant and lighter.
Though a lot of attention was given to the entrance door,
interior doors were often paneled and left unadorned. Windows
did not have any special window treatment. Shutters, roller
blinds and very simple curtains kept the light off.
Interior hardwoods were left plain and simple while the
softwoods were painted or grained in dark colors.
Traditionally the walls were divided into three parts:
1)the frieze and cornice 2)the main wall area with or without
columns, and the 3)dado and wainscoting
A typical room was wainscoted. Earlier moldings were carved
in wood so they were very heavy, but as the plaster was
introduced, cornices and moldings became lighter. The ceilings
were always plastered with moldings or cornices. Moldings and
paneling were used to conceal joins and changes of levels.
Paneling went from crude and simple to highly decorative
and then returned to refined simplicity. Early Georgian floors
were bare woods such as oak or mahogany. They were either
polished or left raw. Some houses had elegant, colored plaster
floors. Grand rooms and hallways always had marble or rich
stones arranged in a keystone pattern. Rugs were expensive, so
they were restricted only to the grand rooms.
Soft gray, pale green, blue, pink and white were Georgian
colors. Colors were used to divide the walls into sections.
Sometimes walls were covered with fabrics such as silk, velvet
etc. The most commonly used wallpaper was made out of rags and
was textured and block printed.
Furniture was lighter and was made of maple, yew or walnut.
It was practical, beautiful and custom-made for the room. It
could be placed against the wall when not in use. It was
comfortable and stylish.
Fire was the only source of light. However, in summer
candles were used. Mirrors were used to enhance light. They
were often hung on the fireplace to reflect the light.
Palladian halls lacked in color. They emphasized
architectural elements but were not warm or inviting. Drawing
rooms were the rooms where the ladies would retire after
dinner leaving gents in the dining rooms. They were more
feminine in decoration. On the other hand dining rooms were
considered as the rooms for conversation. They were men's
domain thus, they depict masculine theme through tapestries,
wall hanging and plasterwork. Mirrors, scones and chandeliers
were used in these rooms.
Georgian style began with heavy decorations and became
lighter and more refined by the end of the era. Thus it became
more elegant and simpler by the end of the era.
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