Georgian Style

ABOVE: The Georgian era ran over such a long period that its style evolved — if you’re building Georgian, you need to make it clear which style you’re working towards. The classical end of Georgian (Above: Image 1), with its columns and parapets, is noticeably removed from the softer later era, with its heavier roof line (Above: Image2).

What are the key characteristics?

Because the Georgian era was so long, it is usually split into early, mid and late phases, but in general, Georgian homes stood for simplicity, power, prestige and stability, which was particularly important in England after the political and religious upheavals of the 17th century.

Georgian homes look to the tenets of Classical architecture for their inspiration: meaning symmetry, ordered façades and strong, showy kerb appeal — a real display of wealth and power. This was in particular contrast to the often poorly built homes that preceeded the era.

Proportion is key to Georgian architecture, with houses of the period following strict rules in terms of size and position of windows and doors, roof pitches and so on. The most famous inspiration for Georgian architects was the 16th century Italian architect Andrea Palladio, who was largely responsible for the revival in popularity of long-forgotten Roman architectural rules across Europe. As a result, many grander houses of the Georgian era have columns, Classical motifs, and wide roof overhangs with shallow pitches.

However, as the Georgian era went on, it began to get pushed and pulled in more interesting directions. As industrialisation began to start towards the end of the 18th century, and with it a growing requirement for housing in town and city centres, Georgian design began to be adapted to smaller houses and became more standardised — with similar windows and brick sizes becoming the norm. Georgian architecture was very much the first mass-manufactured housing. Most interesting of all, towards the end of the era, Regency design – named after George IV, the Prince Regent – saw Georgian architecture take on more cottage and ornate styles, with fancier detailing and much taller, narrower windows — the kind you can see on houses in the main Regency towns that survive so well today, such as Cheltenham, Leamington Spa and Brighton.

Regardless of the morphosis of the style over the era, Georgian architecture is responsible for many of the things we love about ‘period’ houses today, and these characteristics remain consistent across all styles: large sash windows, a symmetrical elevation, simple elegance of design and, internally, large ceiling heights and a formal, geometrical floorplan.

Why is it so popular?

When self-builders and renovators want to create a home in a period style, they think about Georgian design more than any other. Why? Because it holds an enduring place in the hearts of the British public — it’s associated with one of the great eras in British history. And, because it is the era most closely associated with many of the house features we aspire to today, harking back to those crucial Georgian principles — large, tall windows letting in lots of light; plenty of kerb appeal; elegance and simplicity of design; and, internally, tall ceiling heights and a sense of openness. As a result it’s the most common style ‘adapted’ by our cherished larger commercial housebuilders — who, as they invest little time and effort in architectural theory, rarely get it right.

It’s also a popular house style because it’s cheap to build relative to the more ornate styles. Georgian homes tend to be boxy in shape and therefore have minimal edges, nooks, valleys and ridges — all of which add to the cost of construction and time on site.

How to get it right

Windows: Developers get Georgian wrong in several ways, but the easiest to spot is in the windows, for three reasons: they are usually the wrong size and shape; they are positioned incorrectly; and they are rarely even sash style (see BELOW for an example of how it should be done). Window choice is critical: they must have thin, refined glazing bars and deeperthan- standard reveals (the way the window is inset against the brickwork — in too many modern houses it is almost flush). Follow the above principles and pick the right product.

Roof: The shallower the roof, the more dominant the façade, meaning that Georgians – who really valued kerb appeal – tended to either opt for a very shallow pitch or they would cover part of it with a parapet — either way, reducing its impact.

Interiors: Successful Georgian interior design is all about proportions. In general, the ceiling heights on the ground floor should be taller than those on the first floor; those on the first taller than those on the second (which may have been originally servant’s quarters) — this is one of the key characteristics that marks Georgian architecture out from, say, Victorian homes. Concentrate, too, on a grand staircase, preferably with a long, winding handrail, and classically derived mouldings.

History Lesson

The Georgian era refers to the period from 1714 – the start of the reign of George I – to 1830, the end of the period of the reign of George IV.

ABOVE: The Venetian window style is one of the classical elements of Georgian architecture that retain its popularity today.