Creating Your Own Regency Drawing Room
Regencycore has been propelled into the front pages of everyone and their mum’s Pinterest boards due to the popularity of several hot period dramas currently gracing our screens and it’s a style that we at Regency Chandeliers and Interiors love and know well. That’s why we decided to focus this blog on how you can add Regencycore features to your interiors. We have looked at Regency style in a previous blog, so this time we’re going to focus on how you can create your own Regency inspired Drawing Room that would make even Daphne Bridgerton wheeze consumptively with jealousy. And don’t worry, your home doesn’t have to be an authentic 1800s townhouse complete with tall ceilings and sash windows for you to recreate this look. Read on to find out more and to find out about one of our favourite project
Chinoiserie-inspired wallpaper
Using wallpaper is a quick way to inject your drawing room with a little Regency je ne sais quoi and as Amy Junker Heslip at Brighton & Hove Museums tells us “The Prince Regent, the creator of the Royal Pavilion, used Chinese wallpapers in many of his sumptuous interiors”.
Chinoiserie is “a style in art (as in decoration) reflecting Chinese qualities or motifs”. It is a European style which “first appeared in the 17th century but was popularised in the 18th century due to the rise in trade with China and the rest of East Asia”. The use of wallpaper in European homes increased during the 18th century and remnants that survive today reflect the era’s fascination with Chinoiserie motifs. When you are looking for your Chinoiserie-esque wallpaper to create your Regency-inspired drawing room look for patterns that feature “pagodas, floral designs,pagodas, floral designs, and exotic imaginary scenes found on chinoiserie furniture and porcelain … and bear in mind that “the patterns on wallpaper were expected to complement the decorative objects and furniture in a room, creating a complementary backdrop”.
One of our clients wanted to create an elegant yet whimsical nursery for their new baby and they took their inspiration from the Georgian property that they made their home. The sumptuous home was already blessed with heigh ceilings, tall windows and original cornicing but the addition of a feature wall decorated with wallpaper depicting exotic animals and florals brought her vision to reality.
We were called into supply the cherry on the cake. We installed our Wellington Large Crystal Chandelier finished in antique brass in the nursery. The warm golden tones of the brasswork complementing the mustard tones in the wallpaper and the ochre curtains.
We recommend House of Hackney if you are looking for fabulous Regencycore wallpaper. They have a wide array that would be perfect for creating a stunning modern take on a Regency drawing room. Whilst our client was creating her dream Regency-inspired nursery, the same principles regarding patterns and colour apply to decorating a Regency drawing room.
For those other extra features that make a Regency drawing room complete, don’t be afraid to use replicas. If you don’t live a period home, you can ask a carpenter to install period inspired cornicing, you can purchase a period fireplace from an antiques supplier and buy modern sofas that have already been designed with Regency style in mind, such as The Country Living Charlbury sofa. It “is a timeless classic, sure to chat guests with its thinly curved arms and deep padded cushions. It’s perfect for the Regencycore look and you can easily up the regal drama with a few velvet cushions in the same colourway”
Our final advice for creating your Regency drawing room is that this is one of the rare cases where less is not more, more is more. Rickert agrees, saying that "Regencycore is all about bringing back a maximalist approach to opulent interiors, while maintaining a soft color pallet of light blues, greens, and creams," so she recommends incorporating Jolie Home’s Blue Optimism on your walls, and Gesso White, Uptown Ecru, and Zen on furniture. And don't forget to add textural layers to your home's decor, including "soft florals, thin stripes, and damask patterns."
In addition to creating and supplying both regency-style and modern chandeliers and lighting arrangements, Regency Chandeliers and Interiors also offers a detailed, thorough and highly personal consultancy service. During those sessions, we can advise you through every decision you make regarding the style of your chandelier. We can visit your home to measure the size of the rooms, look at the style and what your inspiration is and provide you with our advice on how you can finish your home with incredible lighting arrangements, so that it looks the way you have always dreamed it could.
To discuss our range of modern and period crystal chandeliers, email us at contact@regencychandelieres.co.uk.