Design Tips for Historical Homes

Architectural historian Oliver Gerrish shares his advice for decorating the interiors of period homes, from medieval to deco and beyond...

What do historic interiors still have to teach us?

Historic interiors were constructed with a deep knowledge of architectural precedents, which was typical for the jobbing artisan right up to the most celebrated designer. The appreciation of form, the reason for it, combined with its function, made historic interiors harmonious in a way that we still admire today. Our forebears were often far more daring and confident in their choices of colours, styles and scale - and this was mainly due to their being better informed of interior decorative precedents. The apex of stylistic fluency was arguably during the Arts and Crafts period, when architects and interior designers were required to be masters of a number of different historic styles. I think we have been confused and scared ever since, and retreat into the safe neutral styles for our interiors. 

Which __design elements are timeless and can be applied to the modern home?

Historic elements that are timeless include classical proportions, which were as suited to grand stately homes and small townhouses as they are to modern housing today - light, height and space will never go out of fashion. The legacy learnt from Ancient Rome and Greece, not to mention Palladio, by architects such as Robert Adam and James Wyatt successfully brought these styles into the mainstream.

In the past, interior __design was done to impress: the use of mirrors, spatial illusion and experimentation with proportions created awe-inspiring, exciting interiors. John Webb's miniature Palladian palace interior at The Vyne creates drama out of an awkwardly narrow space. Elsewhere, murals, such as those by Rex Whistler at Plas Newydd, give long, dark rooms an aspect of fantasy and theatre. Sir John Soane's use of light, even in the spaces most difficult to illuminate, is famously influential - his own townhouse has an endless feel to its interior, which in structure is simply that of a typical Georgian townhouse. 

We were far less afraid of bright colours - in fact we embraced them! The Tudors relished their garish armorial interiors, while the wealthiest Georgians tried to be positively shocking with their palettes. One only has to enter the Ante Room at Syon, with its thrilling gaudiness, to feel transported into another realm.

The scale of historic interiors was often helped with little spatial tricks - a dummy door would be used to balance another, creating symmetry; a diagonal motif on a ceiling would create width in a narrow room; a dado rail might be pushed right down to allow for a grand effect from a distance; framed architectural capriccios could appear to be a window over an imaginary grand vista. In the past we were masters of our interiors and their design - now we feel rather intimidated!

If you want to learn more about historic decoration, Oliver will be running study days at Syon House over the next few month. Find out more at historicdecoration.com