If you combine aristocratic sophistication with elegant severity in the bedroom interior, you will get a bedroom in the English style.
When creating a room design in the English style, it is necessary to take into account the features of this style.
These features include: plank flooring made of natural wood, wallpaper and textiles with floral prints, decoration of wall surfaces with plinths or panels, furniture made from valuable solid wood and the mandatory presence of a fireplace.
When creating an English-style bedroom interior, wooden panels are often used to decorate wall surfaces. And to decorate the ceiling, stucco molding in the form of an original ornament is usually used.
If you are a connoisseur of the English style, then you may be interested in the offer from the Oxford School to study English. Trial lesson is free.
It is customary to decorate walls in the traditional English style with family photographs or any other family heirlooms that will emphasize the owners’ attitude to traditional family values. Parquet is usually used as flooring.
Carpets of a muted color palette with floral patterns are used as floor decor.
Also, when creating an English style in a room, you can use wallpaper based on two-color brocade with a glossy pattern on a matte background. A floral chintz ornament will add tenderness to the strict English style.
A bedroom decorated with wallpaper with a pattern imitating tartan will look homely and cozy. Wallpaper in the bedroom looks elegant, the pattern of which consists of one thin stripe and two wide ones.
The English style in the bedroom is distinguished by grace and modesty. The central place in such a bedroom is occupied by the bed, which should have a high headboard draped in pastel-colored fabric or a bed in a traditional, simple style with a canopy.
In general, furniture in an English bedroom should be in subdued colors.
Windows deserve special attention in an English-style bedroom. Window openings are decorated with curtains made of natural fabrics such as velvet.
Sometimes windows are decorated with curtains with a large number of draperies with smooth lines going down to the floor, and voluminous folds are also made on them.
In addition, English-style curtains for the bedroom require the use of a lambrequin placed across the entire width of the curtain.
Basic principles of decorating a bedroom in the English style, advantages and disadvantages
Arranging an apartment is a necessary process. When choosing a design, you should primarily be guided by the preferences of the owners. You can decorate a sleeping area in the English spirit even in an ordinary apartment. With the right approach, this does not require a huge area. After all, the British, along with luxury, value restraint and conciseness.
The English style began to emerge in the 17th century - this was the period when Britain was the strongest country in the world. Colonial countries contributed to shaping the taste of the inhabitants of Foggy Albion. That is why, along with European severity, it contains oriental motifs.
Lovers of classics and conservatives will like the English style
Some of the basic principles of design are symmetry, strict zoning of the room, natural materials (in particular wood), dim, subdued lighting, and calm tones. In ancient castles, small rooms prevailed, which were easier to heat. Therefore, English-style bedrooms can be made in apartment buildings, where small areas of rooms are often found.
The British buy furniture to last. This means that it must be made of high-quality materials; interior items are passed on from generation to generation. A massive bed made of solid wood or modern analogues is placed in the center of the room along the largest wall. Next to it are bedside tables.
A very popular solution for an English-style bedroom is the presence of a fireplace, real or false. Classic armchairs most often stand next to it. The walls are decorated with stucco or its equivalent, and there may also be a tartan or floral print. The interior is dominated by brown color with dark green or burgundy accents.
The advantages of such a relaxation area include elegance, furniture arrangement strictly thought out with British scrupulousness, good quality and luxury.
For lovers of a modern interior made in a minimalist style, this arrangement is not suitable. There is no place for clearly allocated free space and relevant functionality.
Necessary interior elements
For any bedroom, the main attribute is the bed. In the English style, it should be as large and tall as possible. Subdued light is provided by bedside or wall lamps. A sign of British classics is the fireplace. In a private house where it is possible to make a chimney, it can be real. In this case, it is necessary to prepare a place to store a small amount of logs.
In the English style, a sense of proportion is observed
Today it is possible to install an electric fireplace that is absolutely similar to the original. In the winter season, electrical equipment will warm the owners on cold evenings. To do this, there are two cozy armchairs nearby.
To create an ambience without heating functions, you can create a false panel on the wall, reminiscent of an English fireplace. Small figurines and a large carpet on the floor will be a reminder of eastern countries.
Unacceptable and not recommended parts
For the classic English style, steel decorative elements or furniture are unacceptable. The popular black and white color scheme also cannot be present in such a bedroom. It is not recommended to use multifunctional ultra-modern furniture and modern technology. If it is necessary to place it, it is disguised as antique. Regularity and peace are what its owner should feel in the bedroom.
Such a room cannot contain details that clearly characterize a different style or another era. For example, a Russian stove in an English interior will look ridiculous.
Using Accessories
In an English bedroom, the more, the better. They may be:
- Oil paintings mounted above the bed.
- There is a vase with fresh flowers on the table.
- Porcelain figurines in the shape of animals.
- Book collection.
- The fireplace is decorative or real.
- Napkins, pillows.
- Family heirlooms.
- Within the frame are photographs of family members.
Accessories in the English bedroom
Background color scheme and interior accents
In the English style it is better to use dark furniture that contrasts with light walls
Despite the apparent conservatism, the color scheme in each individual English bedroom can be very different. A classic is the dark brown wood color scheme, which is combined with thick green or rich burgundy color. The third tone should be a light color. Such a deep, dark palette adds history and mystery to the room.
There are rooms made in light colors, with brown or beige only highlighting some accents. The main requirement is the naturalness of the palette and the absence of bright flashy tones. After all, the English style was formed during the period when natural, unpainted furniture and fittings were used. The combination of British severity and oriental splendor is what you should get when combining different shades.
Please also pay attention to the material on the principles of designing a bedroom in a classic style:.
Color spectrum
English design is characterized by a combination of aristocracy, conciseness and homely warmth. Here, restrained colors can be combined with floral patterns, and bright colors can be used for accents.
It is important to maintain color balance. If the walls have rich colors, then the set should be selected in a calmer range. The ceiling, door, windows, and baseboards are usually used in white colors.
When decorating a bedroom with windows facing north, you should choose warm shades. Golden, yellow, brown are best suited. In the case of southern windows, the use of cool colors is regulated - azure, green, blue.
It must be remembered that the bedroom is used for rest and relaxation, so overly flashy and saturated colors are unacceptable here. The colors used should not excite or cause aggression. Everything should be harmonious.
Selection of finishing materials
When creating an English interior, it is necessary to take into account the combination of colors, texture of the floor, walls, ceiling and other elements.
Floor covering
Parquet or laminate with a wood pattern is used as flooring. In a small room it is laid diagonally - in this case the room will visually become larger.
Rich decoration is something that is undoubtedly present in the English style
A mandatory attribute is a carpet with a dim oriental pattern. It will add coziness to the bedroom.
When decorating a bedroom in the English style, wooden panels are often used to decorate the walls or ceiling.
As an alternative, a light, plain carpet is often used. It is more difficult to care for, but such a floor will provide constant warmth and save you from hypothermia during the cold season. You can also lay a small rug on top of the carpet.
Wall decoration
You can guess the English interior by the massive furniture and floral wallpaper.
The walls in the English bedroom emphasize luxury and sophistication. To decorate them, expensive fabric wallpaper or silk-screen printing with a pattern or floral print is often used. Often the surface is decorated with moldings reminiscent of antique stucco or wooden panels.
The strict interior of a bedroom in the English style should be elegant
In recent years, the English style has begun to adapt to modern trends. Walls painted in a single color are rare. At the same time, they emphasize rare furniture and other interior details. The color is still done in calm tones.
Ceiling finishing
The ceiling is usually made in a plain white palette. It balances the excess of luxury in the interior. At the joints with the walls, a ceiling plinth or baguette is attached.
The white ceiling of the bedroom can be decorated with borders or moldings
Depending on the area of the bedroom, it can be of moderate size or, like other decorative elements, have voluminous shapes reminiscent of antique stucco.
Wooden beams on the ceiling are painted to match the furniture or other accessories
Another classic option is a ceiling covered with wooden boards. The effect of a medieval castle is created.
Basic requirements for materials and shape of doors and windows
The English style is characterized by symmetry. If there are several windows or doors in the bedroom, they should be decorated the same way. The British do not accept plastic structures. Therefore, windows must be made of wood.
The doors of an English-style bedroom window should not slide apart, but swing open
However, today you can find an alternative to natural material. The frames are equipped with ornaments - decorative strips, which are most often glued to the inside of the glass surface.
Doors are made from solid beech or oak. Moldings along the perimeter emphasize the respectability and overall style of the room. In a light interior, a white painted coating is allowed.
Details of the device and decoration of the fireplace
It is not possible to install a real fireplace that runs on wood in every private home. You can’t dream of such an interior element in an apartment. The electric fireplace was an excellent replacement. It has an identical appearance, from which comes heat, and in some cases, the sounds of burning logs.
Interior items in the English style should have a history and belong to more than one generation of the family
An imitation of a mandatory attribute of the English style is also used. Such a volumetric part is made of plasterboard, on top of which finishing materials are glued - brickwork, stucco, and so on.
Room decoration is the basis of style
If you decide to create an English style in your bedroom interior with your own hands, then first of all pay increased attention to finishing work. After all, the design of the room directly depends on the cladding.
Ceiling finishing
The ceiling in this case does not require special facing work.
Most often its design is as follows:
- it is painted pure white;
- decorated with stucco or pseudo-stucco (meaning the corresponding friezes);
- equipped with various lighting fixtures - a large, bright chandelier, etc.
Amazing ceiling design in the “royal bedroom”.
Wall decoration
But walls in a room like an English bedroom require a lot of time and labor. (See also the article Wallpaper color for the bedroom: how to combine.)
In particular, the instructions for their design provide for the use of panels or wallpaper:
- imitating brocade;
- having floral patterns;
- decorated with stripes;
- decorated with designs in the style of heraldry.
Bright bedroom with a metal bed: wallpaper matches the style
It is also possible to use rosettes and other small decoration items, which do not necessarily have to be made of ceramics or stucco, but can be made of:
- vinyl;
- polyurethane.
Advice. Please note that it is important that the walls do not subsequently stand out against the general background of the interior, but complement it without overshadowing the aesthetic properties of other elements.
Another example of a successful combination of all elements and surfaces.
Floor finishing
In this case, it is important to choose the right material. It can be either ordinary wood or parquet. Of course, the price of the latter will be higher.
However, for this reason alone it should not be used. Ordinary boards can also add a special shine to the design of a room.
The floor design is complemented by small carpet runners, on which a heraldic design is applied, but not provocative or conspicuous.
This style dictates the use of natural materials: floors, walls - calm and unattractive shades.
Design features depending on the size of the room
Depending on the size of the room, there are a number of features when decorating in the English style.
Small bedroom
The interior of the room in the English style consists of natural materials
A small bedroom for the English style is a familiar room. After all, the British did not often have huge living quarters. In difficult climate conditions it was more difficult to warm them up. If you want to create a classic look for an ancient bedchamber, you will have to accept that there will be very little space.
A large bed can take up almost the entire space. In modern conditions, it is still recommended to maintain harmony. You should not place too massive and voluminous interior items. A narrow electric fireplace will simultaneously serve as a small shelf. You can skip the large carpet. Heavy curtains will become an unnecessary accessory; it is better to emphasize the style with decorative curtains on the windows.
The bed should occupy a central place. And most importantly, the condition of symmetry must be observed.
Large bedroom
The carpet in the bedroom should be of muted shades
In the large room there is room for flights of fancy. Large drawings on the walls will not spoil the interior. A high bed can be equipped with a canopy. A large carpet will delimit the space between the sleeping area and the relaxation area. There is enough space to install a luxurious fireplace and two comfortable armchairs.
Textile
The British love to sleep in a comfortable environment. To do this, there is always a lot of lush decoration on the bed, the price of which is quite high:
- Damask bed linen.
- Airy feather bed.
- Soft blanket.
- Knitted bedspread.
- A large number of decorative pillows of various sizes.
Lush draperies, which additionally decorate the window opening, muffle daylight. The designs on them can be: Scottish check, small flowers or large embroidery. The combination of fabrics is very unusual: magnificent velvet can be complemented by ordinary cotton fabric, and spectacular damask harmoniously coexists with simple chintz.
Victorian style in the bedroom interior
General lighting rules
The English style is characterized by dim, diffused lighting, which instills peace and tranquility in the owner. Lighting fixtures consist of small lamps with lampshades, floor lamps, and bedside sconces. A crystal chandelier is often placed on the ceiling in the center of the room, providing the main light. Its size depends on the size of the bedroom.
Armchairs in the bedroom are placed near the window or fireplace
It is worth remembering the principle of symmetry. If a lighting device is placed in one part of the sleeping room, then on the other side there should be a similar lamp. In a large room there are several different zones - a place to sleep, relax, a dressing table, and so on. Each such area is equipped with additional lighting.
Bedroom furniture options
Aristocratic British people have valued expensive antique furniture for a long time. It is believed that in past centuries, interior items were made from higher quality materials according to unique designs. In such a bedroom you can often find rare designs. An antique oak chest of drawers placed by the bed can become the most important accessory in the room.
The bed in the bedroom should have a high headboard
The men's bedroom most often has a calm design. It lacks small details. A bed, bedside tables, perhaps a chest of drawers and a wardrobe - that’s all that is necessary for the life of any man.
Velvet and leather are most often used for upholstery of upholstered furniture in the English style.
A woman's boudoir is characterized by the presence of more furniture. A four-poster bed, a small sofa or a pair of armchairs with a floral print, a dressing table, an ottoman and other furniture accessories will emphasize the luxury and grace characteristic of the female gender.
Decorating principles
Despite the passage of time, the sophistication inherent in English decor retains its value. Let's figure out how to properly create a bedroom interior in an authentic English style.
Natural materials will help create true English design. Wood is the most popular.
Parquet flooring or floors made of boards made from elite types of wood, wooden furniture, wall panels made from similar raw materials are a characteristic feature of such interiors.
Window openings can also be decorated with wood, and traditional English design without massive oak door panels is generally difficult to imagine.
Various materials are used to decorate the ceiling. The finishing is selected in accordance with the size of the room and the wishes of the residents.
The ceiling can be painted white and decorated with a massive stepped cornice.
The central part is often decorated with a convex rosette of a strict configuration. This finish looks great in a small bedroom or in a discreetly furnished room.
Multi-level ceiling structures, equipped with lighting, stucco molding and paintings look great in large rooms with Victorian design. Wooden floors will fit perfectly into the interior of a room with high ceilings.
The walls in such interiors are usually painted, covered with wallpaper or partially trimmed with colored textiles.
Floral motifs in the design, vertical stripes and floral patterns are welcome. The dark finish with variegated colors gives the room a cozy feel. Thanks to this design, the bedroom looks homely and at the same time attracts with elegance.
Dark-colored finishing materials visually reduce the area of the room, but this does not mean that they cannot be used in modest-sized bedrooms.
This decor is suitable for partial wall decoration, for example, for the headboard area, niche or window opening.
The flooring must certainly be wooden. If your budget is modest, you can lay laminate flooring with a believable imitation of real wood grain. In the UK, bedrooms often have tiled or artificial stone floors. But such options are not very attractive to Russians. You can still find tiled floors in living rooms, but bedrooms with such coverings seem unacceptable to most of our compatriots.
If the room is well heated, a ceramic floor can provide a pleasant tactile sensation to your feet.
Decor elements
Without the use of various decorative elements, the bedroom cannot have an English style. Textiles and other accessories will add the necessary accents.
Curtains and other textiles
The window openings of an English-style bedroom can be decorated with velvet curtains
For a bedroom made in the English style, it is recommended to use high-quality textiles made from natural materials. Large, heavy curtains decorate the windows. A canopy next to the bed is made from similar fabric. A luxurious bedspread and small pillows decorate a huge high bed.
Several options are used as a pattern:
- floral print - large or small inflorescences are repeated in other interior elements;
- oriental pattern - the original ornament is depicted on textile wallpaper or upholstered furniture;
The tartan check, popular all over the world, is a symbol of England.
- Tartan - Scottish check is the national ornament of part of Britain and is often present on various woven interior elements.
Accessories
The British have a positive attitude towards various types of accessories. Photo frames, antique vases, dishes, paintings, classic porcelain figurines, openwork napkins and much more will create real English comfort in the room. Such attributes are mandatory components for women's bedrooms. Men rarely use a large number of accessories, but some of the above are also present in their interior.
Bedroom accessories are preferable in warm colors
It is important that even small decorative elements are harmoniously combined with the overall style of the room. The larger it is, the greater the number of such items that can be placed.
Living plants
Prim Englishmen choose plants to match themselves. They rarely use brightly flowering potted plants in the interior. Preference is given to the strict Zamioculcas with dense leaves, the fashionable two-colored Sansevieria, the cycad with waxy feathery leaves, and the catchy, prim Alocasia.
Flowers will add fresh color to the bedroom
Such plants will not stand out and grow much, while helping to purify the air.
Large plantings are usually used in bedrooms with a colonial style.
Other
The use of stucco and moldings emphasizes the luxury of classic English room design. The same volumetric texture is repeated on the walls, doors, and in the bedside area.
Crystal chandeliers and night lights will add solemnity and airiness to the room.
You may also be interested in material on how to decorate a bedroom in an oriental style:.
Finishing surfaces of floors, walls, ceilings
The walls of an English bedroom are rarely monochromatic. The main materials for walls are wallpaper and paint. But they must be expensive, good quality, and thorough. Therefore, you should give preference to wallpaper made of fabric with elements of silk-screen printing and embossing. An English-style bedroom, of course, can have painted walls.
The background colors should be muted pastel, matte, and on top the ornament, either original or stenciled, gold, bronze with glitter, is manually applied. And in order not to be mistaken about the correct combinations, look at the photo: taste and harmony must be respected!
An English floor must certainly be made of expensive wood. It can be parquet or boards. Modern realities allow their replacement with laminate. But it must imitate the texture of wood, be expensive and of high quality. The color of the floor is chosen dark and rich. And carpets with a soft, pastel palette in flowers, checks, and stripes will help relieve it from the “gloom.” At the same time, the color is often slightly faded and not rich.
The ceiling in a British bedroom is usually painted white. No tension, suspended structures, panels, wallpaper. It can be decorated with wooden beams, but only if the ceiling height allows it (not lower than 280 cm!). Otherwise, the beams will simply “take away” the space, and the ceiling will begin to “press”, causing discomfort and sometimes claustrophobia. If the ceiling is simply painted (without beams), you can supplement it with moldings, rosettes, decorative borders, and baseboards.
Children's and teenagers' bedroom in English style
English style is not always prim and strict. The basics of British interior design in a modern design are suitable for a teenage room arrangement.
A spacious but laconic wardrobe, a forged chandelier reminiscent of lighting from a castle, checkered curtains and an original table will create a modern British interior. Upholstered furniture textiles with a pattern in the form of the national flag will create an English ambiance.
Modern London can be an inspiration when decorating a child's room
Another modern interior design without a hint of luxury and aristocracy presents an original bedroom for a boy. It contains the main features of the English style: the bed is in the center of the room, the obligatory carpet on the floor, symmetry in the design and a chandelier, like in an ancient English castle. The compositional center is a wall with photo wallpaper depicting the famous London Big Ben and a red double-decker bus.
Key Design Features
The first thing you notice when entering an English bedroom is the quality in everything. The furnishings of this room should be expensive, but not flashy or ostentatious, but discreet and tasteful. Everything here must be of high quality and expensive – from accessories to textiles.
This interior is further recognized by:
- floral, “Scottish” print;
- furniture massiveness;
- white ceiling with a beautiful chandelier;
- lush curtains;
- fireplace;
- only natural materials;
- the complete absence of modern technology and gadgets;
- a combination of monumentality and elegant details.
In such a bedroom everything is thought out, everything is in its place, everything is justified and functional. There is no place for disorder, chaos, arrogance, brightness, or bad taste.
Such an interior is built extremely thoughtfully, without haste or fuss. The room is decorated for a long temporary period, during which, usually, no changes are made: conservatism and tradition are another sign of the English style.
Important! In such a bedroom, no one will often re-stick the wallpaper, change or even simply rearrange the furniture.
For years here, all objects will be in the places once chosen for them.
The permissibility of mixing English style with others in the interior
Art Deco style quickly spread throughout Europe
English style is difficult to combine with modern furnishing options. But if you mix the described interior with elements of modernism, you get an art decor style. In this case, the use of shiny metal parts is allowed.
Mixing styles in one room should be harmonious
Eclecticism in the bedroom can lead to interesting solutions. So, by mixing English style with Scandinavian style, you can get a bright, light room in which there is a lot of light and free space.
