Thorne Rooms South Carolina Ballroom

The Georgian Style

Susan’s Note:

This article by Julie Ann was one of the most popular posts of the last few months and is well worth repeating. It is a must-read for anyone working on a Georgian dollhouse.

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How to Achieve a Genuine Georgian House

by Julie Ann

Influences and style

To achieve a genuine Georgian house style when building or decorating your own Georgian dolls house it is important to

understand the influences and style during this period which spanned from 1714 to about 1830. During the Georgian period, people really began taking an interest in fashion and interiors. The upper classes would often enjoy a Grand Tour of Europe for a

Thorne Rooms English Drawing Room

year or two and during this time were heavily influenced by the fashion & interior design they saw on their travels. This influence also extended to the design and style of the Georgian dolls house. Other major influences included the architecture of Inigo Jones and the Orient.

The style of the time was all about delicate colour schemes and woodwork, dainty furniture, harmony, balance and a sense of light and airiness to the rooms.

Characteristics of a Georgian dolls house

The most popular color schemes evolved from the heavier burgundy, sage green and blue greys of the early Georgian period to much lighter greens, sky blues, and dusky pinks. Floors of Georgian houses were typically bare boards covered with Oriental rugs. Or, if the property was a more up market, the floor would have been a pale colored stone or marble.

Walls

For a genuine Georgian effect dolls house walls should be paneled up to the dado rail and then painted or papered above.Repetitive patterns in wallpaper such as trefoils and far eastern designs were very popular. Wallpaper also reflected the trend for block printing towards the end of the Georgian era and featured simple, bold geometric patterns such as squares and stripes.

Narissa Niblack Thorne – 1930s

Fabric

Cotton with a delicate floral pattern was the fabric of choice for soft furnishings. It was important to match the sofas, armchairs, and curtains, and the latter were often adorned with pagoda style pelmets. Often armchairs and divans were protected with loose covers made from cheap, striped linen and these were removed for entertaining on special occasions. Georgian lighting featured chandeliers made from glass, metal, and wood, as well as brass, silver, or silvered wood wall lights. In less expensive properties light fittings were often pewter or tin.

Furnishings

Furniture was delicate, for example, wing chairs and chairs with hoop or shield backs.

The Georgians loved their fireplaces and the grander the house the more elegant and eye-catching the fireplace! Carved surrounds with swags and shells were an indication of wealth and status. Ornaments and pictures would usually be grouped around the fireplace to emphasize the importance of the fireplace as the focal point of the room.

Thorne Rooms – English Entrance Hall, found on Amy Vermillion’s blog

Moldings on the ceilings often consisted of elaborate ribbons and swags, classical figures and urns.

Georgian front doors generally had central knobs positioned at waist height and no letterboxes. There was often a filigree fanlight with a canopy and pediments. Original Georgian properties had sash windows and shutters.

Julie Ann

Find out more about Georgian dolls houses, accessories and furniture and advice on building dolls houses at Julie’s website.

Susan Downing, with Patrick Owens

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I invite you to visit my Etsy Shop where I offer many accessories and pieces of furniture in 1:12 scale.