Bridgerton dominated Netflix and social media in early 2021, with 82 million viewers¹ starting the series within 28 days of its launch, drawing attention worldwide with its steamy love affairs, luxurious costumes and extravagant settings.
With season 2 arriving on March 25th, and following an 80% jump in searches for ‘period homes’² when the first series was released, experts from estate agents Bramleys predict another surge in interest for Georgian style homes.
To help homeowners ‘Bridgerton-ify’ their homes, property specialists Bramleys have worked with home decor experts Graham & Brown to help incorporate the Georgian style into room designs and get them Duke or Duchess ready.
Bridgerton Residence
One of the most common interiors we see within the series is the homes of the star family, the Bridgertons. Whilst the home’s colourful exterior is represented by Rangers House in Greenwich, the interior provides a much more soothing sight, with the feature colours consisting of whites and light pastel blues. The living room in particular showcases a variety of patterns and textures across its furnishings and walls.
Paula Taylor, Head Stylist and Trend Specialist at Graham & Brown said: “The standout feature for me in the Bridgerton home is the wallpaper panels. The ornate panelling and the damask wallpaper is very in keeping with the period.
“To recreate this look you can use beading to create panels and choose a dramatic wallpaper to paper with the frames. To complete the look, choose a complimentary paired back colour for the rest of the walls and high architectural details with a contrasting colour.”
Featherington Residence
The home of the Featherington’s largely contrasts the Bridgertons residence. Whilst the Bridgerton’s interiors use a subtle
colour scheme, the Featherington’s use green tones in most of the rooms we see and grander pieces such as large gold frames or glass chandeliers. Their extravagant setting likely represents the family’s need to flaunt their wealth and status despite their financial issues within the show’s story.
Paula shared: “One of the key features in this home is the lavish plasterwork applied to the wall as decoration. This is entirely in keeping with the Georgian period as swags, ribbons and garlands were a key detail in interiors to add details to the walls.
“Recreate this look by adding decorative beading or stucco pieces to your walls and painting them with a metallic or contrasting colour.”
Duke and Duchess’ Residence
After Simon and Daphne’s wedding, the pair move into Clyvedon Castle. Clyvedon is however a fictional location, and the home the newlyweds move into is actually Castle Howard in North Yorkshire. The castle has a total of 145 rooms and parkland spanning over 1,000 acres. Whilst some scenes of their home were filmed within Castle Howard, Wilton House in Salisbury was also used for scenes in the dining room.
“The standout feature for this residence is the pattern and colour of the interiors” Paula states. “These elements along with the ornate gilded plasterwork and decorative wallpaper are completely in accord with the time period.
“To recreate this look I would opt for classic damask wallpaper with swags or urns in pared back tones or follow the border colours of the wealthy Georgians.”
Queens Palace
Although Buckingham Palace was not used as a filming location, interiors for Queen Charlotte’s home was filmed nearby at Lancaster House in London. However, the property does have a royal connection and was built in 1825 for the real Duke of York and Albany. Lancaster House has been used as Buckingham Palace by Netflix previously in popular series, The Crown.
Paula says: “The picture frames and mirror on all of the wall are a real eye-catching feature of the palace. The rich gilding of the frames and ornate mirrors are also reflected with the plasterwork framing sections of the walls which is a key feature of Georgian interiors.”
“You can easily recreate this look by framing artwork in ornate frames and adding elaborate mirrors around your rooms.”
White’s Gentlemen’s Club
The gentlemen’s club frequented by the Duke and Viscount Bridgerton within the series was filmed at an actual private members club in Pall Mall named The Reform Club. Previous members include Sir Winston Churchill and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The club has also been used as a location in a number of notable films including two Bond films; Die Another Day and Quantum of Solace, Sherlock Holmes, Paddington and more recently Christopher Nolan’s Tenet.
“The standout features for me in this property are the classical columns and the tiled flooring.” Paula shares: “Classical columns were a huge part of Georgian interior design taking inspiration from the Roman elements usually Corinthian, Ionic or Doric in style.
“Floors tended to be bare and covered with ornate rugs but were usually made of stone or marble with intricate Greek key patterns or cornerstone designs.
“A trompe l’oeil effect mural could recreate this look with architectural elements or highlighted niches and alcoves. A combination of oriental rugs and linoleum would create the desired flooring look if your home is not blessed with period marble tiles.”
Gemma Caulfield, Senior Valuer and Branch Manager at Bramleys, summarises the insight: “We are witnessing an increase in interest and appeal for classic interiors. In fact, search interest for Georgian style houses jumped by 225%³ after the show’s first series.
“Although contemporary, minimalistic styled interiors have been the go-to for renovations over the past few years, I think many homeowners and designers want to see some change, and the grand feel of Georgian interiors contrasts the modern style perfectly.
“Obviously, ballrooms and antique showpieces are likely outside your renovation budget, but there are many features seen within the Bridgerton character’s homes that you can use for inspiration.
“Of course, you can recreate the style of the show yourself using period styled materials, but if your home was built during that period, you should look around for any key features you could highlight that are already there. This could include stripping back walls or floors to expose traditional brick or stone or removing paint from classic embellishments to showcase their original state.”
For more tips and advice on renovating your home or current trends in interior design, please visit https://www.bramleys.com/article/how-to-bridgerton-ify-your-home/
All images via Netflix