Period decor

[plasticpigeon]

I have realised just how difficult it is to make a property look period (a look that i like). So far I have only done 2 rooms in my house, but both have ended up looking quite new. For example, my kitchen I laid a quarry tiled floor brick pattern with the smallest joints possible, built a fire surround to go round where the old range would have gone, restored all the windows, lime plastered, restored the pantry cupboards and shelves and even restored the Edwardian rim locks. The cupboards are fitted, but still have panel doors which sit in frames so are as close to the look of an old dresser as possible with fitted units. We even have an Edwardian scrub top table in there. I guess the point I am making is that I have done what I can to keep original material and add sympathetic style furniture that allows for more comfortable living. However the colours we used are totally modern. i wanted a black fire surround and dark brown woodwork, with white walls. My girlfriend wanted white everywhere, except the fire surround which she wanted green to match the cupboards. Of course she got what she wanted, and because of that I feel that although the kitchen looks nice, it looks a bit featureless and like a white space. This look will continue throughout the rest of the house unfortunately, apart perhaps from the front room, where I have been allowed to make things a bit darker as there is such a large bay window. What are other people's preferences, period features and modern decor, or recreation of period style?

 

[parkview094]

Pictures definitely in order!!

A lot depends on the amount of light I think. Redecorating our current house, we uncovered a lot of original paintwork in dark hues. With north facing rooms, I personally would find the 'original' colour scheme a little repressive.

A big part of decor is furniture and modern, light plain finishes to the room are an excellent way to set off original or select pieces of furniture that may otherwise get lost in a busier scheme. Its an effective way to decorate on the 'cheap' by being able to buy a few select pieces of furniture and ensuring they are set off to their best rather than having to painstakingly recreate an original roomscene.

Finally, I guess there's always a compromise to be made for modern living. We need a TV somewhere in the house, and electric lights are a bonus and I wouldn't really want to rest my weary sole on a 1900's sofa.

Consequently, my personal preference has been always to go for modern light finishes with the original features preserved and set off. I've always the upmost admiration for people who are more daring or bold than I though! I'm always envious of the 1910 roomset at the Geffrye Museum in London:

...and secretly would love such a room in our home

 

[Flyfisher]

I'm generally clueless about interior design, but I reckon that avoiding brilliant white is a good start for any period colour scheme.

 

[plasticpigeon]

I really like that, in fact it isn't far off the colours in my office room. Here are pics of my kitchen, which I like but which i think could do with some more period decor somehow.

 

[kreyszig]

we just watch downton until a nice coloured room pops up, and mentally jot it down for when we actually get round to redecorating.
I think the original colours in our place would be too dark if used everywhere - lots of dark green and dark brown from what we've found so far. The PO used a sort of salmon colour in the hall that looks pretty period - it works, but personally I'd prefer something a little bolder. I think we'll end up with old furniture (mostly because it's easy to get good quality brown furniture at auction these days), fixings etc, and period-ish colours that we think work.
under no circumstances whatsoever will there be any painting of said furniture, or "distressing"!
Edit: love your kitchen btw!

 

[88v8]

Modern? Might as well live in a modern house. What a waste of all your efforts.

It has to be 'old', including the furniture and the light fittings n switches.

Mind you, we were fairly 'white' in our kitchen, well it might have been Buttermilk, but with coloured woodwork. OK the appliances were new.

And all the other rooms were papered, including the ceilings with embossed paper thought it was painted white or variations thereon.

You do the work, you choose the decor. Fortunately, the wife has always been happy with the outcome.

Ivor











The library never matured as I only finished it to sell the house. Wall lamp shades wrong tone.

 

[LadyArowana]

We have ended up collecting a mixture of things on our travels, and have always had rented places that were bland blank canvases. Whilst I like period features, when it comes time to decorate the house I will probably aim for a quiet backdrop rather than any real period recreation.

PP, I like the kitchen just as it is, but if you want a more period feel then my "helpful" suggestions would be :-
Let it get a lot more dirty, people in the past were probably not so beset with cleaning products and the urge to deploy them.
Get a housemaid to stand in there or fill the room with some urchins ( depending on what soci economic level you are aiming for ).
Hang washing around the place ( maybe some undergarments made without benefit of lycra/ underwire or elastic ) or put a tin bath in front of the range.
Take away the big clock and jar of spaghetti.
Of course any of the above may result in the need for a new girlfriend :shock:

Very glad to see that Ivor has some elephants in his scheme too. Anywhere with elephants is lovely.

One of my favorite inspiration pictures was this one, as though the pieces were just things people liked and put them in a room. Which I'm sure means the designer agonised for hours and hours over the mood board and went to endless galleries to get just the right pieces. If all goes according to plan ( which it most certainly didn't at my previous attempt ) I shall be getting a pair of the chairs shown under the modern painting.

 

[essexbearhunter]

One of my favorite inspiration pictures was this one...... I shall be getting a pair of the chairs shown under the modern painting.

I love that polygonal table ! Might even be small enough to fit in this little house.
I have fond memories of one of the old Stuart Period rooms at the Geffrye Museum with large bolection moulded panelling that looked perfect in the small space. If I remember rightly there was a window to the left supposedly looking out onto the Great Fire of London which would put it at 1666. I still aspire to do one of the downstairs rooms like that but with light-coloured wood.

Another inspiration was the simple classical stone doorway out into the garden at Hidcote.

 

[parkview094]

I have fond memories of one of the old Stuart Period rooms at the Geffrye Museum with large bolection moulded panelling that looked perfect in the small space. If I remember rightly there was a window to the left supposedly looking out onto the Great Fire of London which would put it at 1666. I still aspire to do one of the downstairs rooms like that but with light-coloured wood.

Another inspiration was the simple classical stone doorway out into the garden at Hidcote.

..this one?

 

[Owain]

..this one?

I have a sneaking suspicion that behind that curtain on the left is the plasma television ...

 

[JoceAndChris]

I love your kitchen plastic! It looks really good. When the white gets grubby though, persuade your other half into a soft sage green. That will make it look much more period and go with the nice units.

I think the window needs something too!