English Design Series: Intro
As elite interior designers in the Lubbock, Texas, area, it’s our job and our joy to stay on top of 2019 interior design trends. Some we see coming and others are a complete surprise but all are exciting. At present, we’re seeing an up-swing in English style interior design, which is timeless, tasteful, and loaded with personality.
As with American interior design styles, you cannot group English design into one box. So, we’re presenting a new series all about English design to share a closer look at various style versions, help you determine what you love (or loathe) about each look, and get you up to date on this historical and humble form of home design.
First up, a quick introduction to English Design as a whole. Pour some tea and get comfortable; the English certainly wouldn’t have it any other way.
English Interior Design is less luxury and more lived-in. It’s chock full of personality, reflecting the homeowners in every nook and cranny, allowing their true selves (and often, their ancestors) to shine through design. In our current society where everything old is tossed out and the newest, brightest, next best thing is praised, the English have an ever-present love affair with history, tradition, and those who came before them. As opposed to homes that are flipped overnight, English design allows for a slow and steady pace, letting a home’s design be cultivated over time.
These homes are not focused on what’s trendy, current, or popular on Instagram. There’s quiet respect within English Design, not only for all of the previous homeowners but for the home itself. There’s space for what is, as opposed to what will be, allowing for gestures such as original floors being minimally upgraded, often solely for safety’s sake, or building on extensions that do not compromise the historical integrity of the home.
Comfort is considered a must, and you’re likely to spy plush, worn couches in all English style homes, regardless of the variation. There’s a sensation of relaxation tucked into each fabric and finishing. Flawed items, like worn wallpaper or dulled wood, are acceptable and common, intended to maintain the original look. There’s plenty of space for stories, both historically based and those found within trinkets, collected from marketplaces, worldwide travels or passed down from generation to generation. This is not your typical weekend run to Target to grab their latest furniture releases, but instead, a home with a whole life of its own, lovingly preserved by those who inhabit it.
Overall, English design provides a breath of fresh air, and a sort of escape from our modern, frenzied world. It invokes feelings of peace, comfort, and simplicity, and allows our minds to wander back in time. A well designed English style home will let you pull off your muddy boots, sink into a well-worn leather chair next to the fireplace, and open up a good book. It’s a place where children get to be, well, children, running freely and finding themselves exhausted by dinnertime. You’ll find garden inspiration, plenty of mixed patterns, layers of pillows and blankets, and quintessential English decor items such as teacups and piles of books.
We’re excited to dive into classic English Interior Design with you! Leave a comment and let us know what your favorite element of this style is, and we’ll see you for part two.
__
HHC Living does not claim ownership over any of these curated photos in this individual blog post and will happily provide accurate credit as requested.