How to Capture the Classical Regency Look in Your Modern Dallas Home

“Portrait of George IV of England.” Painted by Thomas Lawrence in 1816. [Public domain] {{PD-US-expired}}

When you think of England's Regency era, a few things probably come to mind. Extravagance, high fashion, romance, and exoticism: any of these words can sum up the national mood and aesthetics of this era.

For those unfamiliar with this period in history, the Regency era gets its name from George IV, who was chosen to be Regent after his ailing father, King George III, was declared unfit for rule. The Prince ruled as Regent from the years 1811 through 1820, when his father passed away and he was named King George IV.

The Cultural Influences Behind Regency Style

As Prince Regent, George IV was a patron of the arts, and had a major influence on the interior design style, fashions, and architecture of the day. The Royal Pavilion in Brighton was built to be his personal retreat and directly reflected the Prince's tastes as well as the changing world around him.

Ancient Empires

Regency style is an extension of Neoclassical style from the 1700s, so columns and domes continued to be popular architectural features.  Furniture makers of the 1800's also copied Greek and Roman furniture styles even more closely than Neoclassical designers had. Some of the ideas they borrowed included chairs with animal legs, couches with scrolled ends, and decorative lions and griffins.

This Regency-style convex mirror is sold by English Georgian America and features two gilded serpents. Click here for more information.

Another Regency reproduction by English Georgian America, this mahogany chest of drawers has both lion mask drop handles and lion’s paw feet. Available from their website.

Napoleon's campaign against the English in Egypt created renewed interest in Egyptian art among Europeans. Motifs taken from ancient Egyptian artifacts were incorporated into both the English Regency style and the French Empire style. The most popular motifs were crocodiles, birds of prey, and sun discs.

Asia

Where Neoclassical and Regency style differed was that Regency incorporated more visual ideas from Asia. The British East India Company, established in the 16th century, continued to import goods from China, Southeast Asia and India in the 1800s. Chinoiserie, which we covered in a previous blog, became even more popular in the Regency period.

The Banqueting Room at the Royal Pavilion in Brighton from John Nash's ''Views of the Royal Pavilion'' (1826). {PD-US-expired} Images of Chinese domestic scenes line the walls.

Before the Prince Regent's time, Chinoiserie style was usually reserved for bedrooms and tea pavilions. But that didn't stop George IV from filling his Royal Pavilion with Asian wallpaper, decorative dragons, paintings of Chinese domestic scenes, imitation bamboo, and lacquered furniture. Meanwhile, the exterior of the Royal Pavilion featured domes and minarets based on Indian architecture. At the time, many visitors found the Royal Pavilion's extravagant Asian decor shocking.

Modern Regency Interior Design

Decorating a home in Regency style today might seem intimidating. However, it can be done if you shop with the right kind of furnishings in mind. For those who don't collect antiques, there are many fine reproduction pieces available.

Furniture

During the Regency period, more foreign woods began to be imported to England. These included rosewood, satinwood (which has a bright yellow color), tulipwood, and zebrawood. Zebrawood was very costly, so it was generally used only in veneers and latticework. Brass inlays became a popular feature, as did ormolu, or imitation gold. Regency furniture was also usually finished with beautiful veneers.

When less expensive woods, such as beech, fir, or pine were used, they would be painted in black lacquer. Another popular paint color for furniture was green with a bronzy metal powder coating that simulated the look of a bronze patina.

While English Regency furniture is not as curvaceous as French Regency furniture from the 1700s, English designers did incorporate some curves, especially in the legs of furniture. Some other charming characteristics of Regency furniture include reeding, lion paw feet, and sabre legs. Reeding is a technique in which a wood surface has indentations carved into it to create a series of bands. The result looks a little bit like a bundle of reeds. Sabre legs are exactly what they sound like: furniture legs which curve outward like sabers.

On average, Regency chairs sit lower than modern chairs. Library and dining chairs were usually upholstered in leather, while sofas were richly upholstered in damask and satin. Speaking of sofas, it became very popular to include a sofa in every room in the Regency era.

Above, left: This stunning breakfast table by English Georgian America has an intricate, geometrically inlaid tilt top. Go to their website for a closer view.

Above, right: Black painted furniture is commonly seen in Regency style rooms. This Regency style dresser is also available in white from English Georgian America.

Colors

Neoclassical tended to have understated color schemes, but Regency style was more flamboyant. This is not a style for someone who doesn't love color.

The Royal Pavilion was heavily decorated in reds, pinks, greens, and gold. If you don't want to work with multiple bright colors in a room, pick just one and design the room around that color. For example, you could complement a pair of blue-and-white china pieces with cobalt blue drapes in the same room.

The blue silk pillow on this double chairback settee can add a touch of color to a space. This is another piece available at English Georgian America’s website.

Many Regency homes will have a bold accent wall with an exotic Chinoiserie pattern. Another option is the stately "Regency stripe" pattern, which alternates between light and dark stripes of the same width.

Accessories

An etagere resembling a Pagoda, such as this piece by English Georgian America, would have fit right in with the Brighton Pavilion’s Asian aesthetic. Currently in-stock at their website.

Accessories are another area where you can add a multicultural touch. In a Regency style room, it's not unusual to see foo dog statues, or Roman busts, paired with European style furnishings. Finally, make sure to have an eye-catching chandelier in any room that needs it. The more unique and spectacular the design is, the better.

When you set out to recreate Regency style in the modern-day, there is no need to turn your Dallas home into an opulent English palace. Instead, study the color palettes and furnishing choices you see in modern and classic Regency interiors. By drawing inspiration from what you see in photos, you can rework Regency style into a comfortable environment for yourself or your family.

If you're still stumped on how to combine the many different features of this style, seeking out an experienced interior designer should be your next step. To schedule a free consultation with us, email us at info@chambersinteriors.com or call our Dallas office at 214-651-7665.

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Decorating with Chinoiserie

What is Chinoiserie?

Chinoiserie, a French word for "Chinese-esque," refers to European decorative art that was inspired by objects and stories brought back from the Middle East and Asia. It was most popular during the 1600s and 1700s, but there are many Dallas interior designers who are fans of this style to this day. Although Chinoiserie sounds like it should be primarily based on Chinese design, the style also owes its look to Indian, Persian, Korean, and Japanese art. 

History of Chinoiserie

Trade between Europe and Asia was open through the Silk Road beginning in the 1200s. Hand-painted porcelain, wallpaper, silks, and lacquered furniture were among the items brought back. In the year 1292, Italian merchant Marco Polo left China, where he had lived for 17 years, to return to Venice. Although Marco Polo was not the first westerner to travel to China, he was the first person to publish a manuscript about what he saw there: The Travels of Marco Polo. Europeans were astonished by what they read.

For westerners, owning expensive fabrics and ceramics from Asia became a status symbol. The demand for Asian imports outstripped the existing supply, so European artisans learned to make their own imitations. These pieces were a mixture of actual Asian design features and pure European whimsy. One example would be pastoral scenes, which are typically a Rococo motif depicting European nobility. In Chinoiserie, the artist would illustrate the Chinese Emperor and court instead. Since Chinoiserie was in vogue during the same period that Rococo was, the two styles share some similarities: asymmetry, scroll forms, and fantastical imagery. 

The earliest examples of Chinoiserie were Italian, such as the silks produced by Lucca factories. Over time, different countries in Europe popularized different kinds of Chinoiserie. Germany specialized in porcelain figurines. The Netherlands is still famous today for its Delft pottery factories. Meanwhile, England produced silver, tapestries, and embroidery with Chinoiserie motifs.

Chinoiserie's popularity reached its height in the mid-1700s, eventually giving way to neoclassicism's cool restraint. One hundred years later, the style made another comeback during the Rococo Revival. European nobility commissioned interior designers to create entire rooms for displaying their Chinoiserie porcelain and fabrics.  

How to Spot a Chinoiserie Piece

There are many different images and motifs that characterize Chinoiserie. In patterns and paintings, you will often see scenes of Chinese men with Fu-Manchu beards and long robes and courtly Chinese women in water gardens or pagoda pavilions. Landscape paintings were mountainous and misty, with bamboo, lotus flowers, and weeping willows in the foreground. The most popular animals in Chinoiserie art were a mixture of real and fantasy: fantastical birds, peacocks, elephants, foo dogs, and dragons of all colors.

Chinoiserie is not all flowers and dragons, however. Geometric designs are important to this style too. Thomas Chippendale, an English cabinet maker, took inspiration from Chinese fretwork when he made his famous lattice-back Chippendale chairs. Furniture makers also incorporated pagoda shapes to their designs--for example, in headboards, bed canopies, chests, and secretaries.

Though black lacquer and white porcelain are common in Chinoiserie interiors, this style can also be extremely colorful. Red, orange, teal, turquoise, pink, burnished gold, cobalt, and green can all be found in Chinoiserie interior design.

Decorating with Chinoiserie Today

Chinoiserie blends well with other styles because it brings a touch of worldliness and history into a room. Since this style is considered to have a feminine touch and is maximal rather than minimal in detail, it's best to use it with restraint by using a few well-chosen Asian accessories. If you want to go bold, an accent wall with Chinoiserie wallpaper will transform the whole look of a room.

Blue and white porcelain is beautiful in both traditional and contemporary interiors, so it's one of the easiest ways to add a little Chinoiserie. Since these ceramics share the same colors, you can mix and match different patterns without worry. 

While lacquer furniture is typical of Chinoiserie, not every furnishing in your room needs to be coated. Some pieces with Chinese fretwork will look best with their natural wood. Mixing natural wood and painted or lacquered furniture helps to create more visual variety in a themed Chinoiserie room.

If you're going for a more subtle touch, focus on details and accessories rather than furniture. Examples include tableware with bamboo-styled handles; small lacquered boxes; ginger jars, or lamps shaped like ginger jars; figurines of Chinese characters or foo dogs; or decorative mirrors and chandeliers with pagoda shapes.

Although over-the-top Chinoiserie rooms are not as popular today as they were in the 1700s, interior designers are still often asked about incorporating Chinoiserie in a room. If you need help tracking down the perfect antique pottery, wallpaper pattern, or Chippendale furniture to complement your contemporary or traditional space, Chambers Interiors - a Dallas-based interior design firm – can help you achieve the look. To schedule a free consultation, call Margaret Chambers at 214-232-9501 or email us at info@chambersinteriors.com.

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Asian-Inspired Interior Design Trends

Many interior designers and homeowners in Dallas today look to Asia for stylistic inspiration. "Asian-style" can refer to interior design with an East Asian (Chinese or Japanese) influence or South Asian (Indian) influence. Asian decor continues to be popular for a few reasons. Asian accessories or design elements can instantly bring tranquility into a room. Japanese style also blends very well with contemporary rooms, since both styles emphasize clean lines, open space, and neutral colors. Meanwhile, Chinese accessories, with their sense of history and craftsmanship, are well suited for traditional homes.

Characteristics of Chinese Interior Design

Curved, intricately detailed furniture is associated with Chinese style rather than Japanese. In a traditionally decorated Chinese home, it's common to see furniture with gilt details, hand-painting, carvings, and ornate handles. If you own a statement piece with these features, make it the center of attention by surrounding it with simpler furniture.

Oriental rugs, fine silks, and tasseled draperies are also characteristic of this style. When you're picking fabrics or patterns for wallpaper, keep an eye out for common Chinese motifs. Fish, flowers, dragons, monkeys, and tigers are all examples. Unlike the soothing earth and gray tones in Zen homes, Chinese style homes are more dramatic, with gold-painted walls or patterned wallpaper. 

A traditional oriental rug can still belong in a contemporary setting if its colors and pattern complement the rest of the room. The mirrors in this bathroom are also inspired by Indian design.

Some Asian accessories, such as blue and white china and chinoiserie, are also at home in a traditional room. Blue and white china pieces were imported to Europe as early as the 15th century. Chinoiserie, a French-term for "Chinese-esque," are traditional decorations that draw inspiration from Asian art. Examples of Chinoiserie include paintings, pottery, textiles, wallpaper, and decorated furniture that depict a fanciful version of China. 

Blue and white china adds refinement to this transitional home in Plano.

A Chinese design philosophy that is sometimes utilized by Western interior designers is feng shui. Feng shui, when applied to interior design, is a very exacting style. Every piece in the room must serve a purpose. The choice in natural materials becomes incredibly important, as wood, water, fire, earth, and metal-- and the furnishings associated with them--create their own distinctive energies. By hiring an expert in feng shui design or studying up on it yourself, you can carefully reconstruct the emotional quality of each room.

How to Incorporate Japanese Influence

If you enjoy modern design, but also appreciate traditional rooms with a sense of culture and history, Japanese design could be the best of both worlds for you.

Japanese-style rooms are often described as having a 'Zen' quality. A Japanese school of Buddhism, Zen teaches that its followers must experience enlightenment for themselves, rather than simply memorize a list of teachings. Living a simple life, experiencing the here-and-now, and disciplined meditation in a calm environment are said to be the path to results.

When it comes to interior design, Zen-inspired rooms usually feature low furniture, natural materials, lots of light, and very little clutter. Common natural materials include stone, bamboo, rattan, earthenware, and dark woods. Designers will often recommend neutral cream and beige for the walls and restricting dark colors to the furniture. Red and black accents-- such as lacquer pieces-- can add a dramatic touch to an otherwise even-toned room. Furniture should also have clean, simple lines, as in modern and contemporary design. Avoid pieces with ornate details and asymmetry. 

Whether you're adding Asian influence to a traditional or a modern home, you don't want to overdo it. Including even just one or two Asian symbols or accessories transforms the entire feel of the room. For example, a Buddha statue brings with it a whole history of cultural and religious associations. Paper lanterns, silk screens, and lacquer jewelry boxes will also immediately give your room an Asian feel for visitors.

Small Buddha figurines are just a few of the multicultural accessories we used in this eclectic downtown Dallas highrise.

Because of this, Asian can be an inexpensive style to emulate. Swapping in red accent pillows, a calligraphy scroll, or a religious icon can all help you achieve the style. A very casual room can still benefit from the surprise and cultural flair East Asian design brings. Try adding potted cherry blossoms or bamboo window shades to bring both nature and an Asian influence to your informal setting.

Tips for Designing an Indian-Inspired Home

If you've ever wanted to incorporate the beauty of Indian patterns and furnishings into your home, here are a few suggestions.

When you think of India, certain colors probably come to mind. India has culturally embraced an abundance of colors, including both jewel and burnt tones. Burnt oranges, terracotta reds, and ochres can all be main colors. If you prefer something more understated, warm neutrals like taupe and sand will work too. Pure white is a color associated with mourning in India, so you will not see cool whites in traditional Indian homes; however, westernized homes will often incorporate warm and creamy whites. 

As for jewel colors like turquoise, green, purple, and magenta, these colors are usually reserved for accents. Common Indian accessories include statues of Buddha or Hindu gods, mirrors with carved or forged frames, and ornaments covered with small pieces of mirror or tile. Don't forget to fill your sofas and beds with lots of colorful embroidered pillows. For a truly traditional Indian look, you should use lamps, sconces, and lanterns for lighting rather than chandeliers.

An Indian room isn't complete without furniture made of exotic woods such as ebony, rosewood, and teak. Antique pieces will feature beautifully intricate carvings, but Indian furniture is not dainty-- these are sturdy pieces meant to last a long time. Seating tends to be low, and a sitting area will often feature an ottoman or pouf. That said, you don't need to buy a whole new set of furniture to get an Indian look.

You can also layer Indian throws, rugs, and textiles over what you already have. Consider using silks or even a sari as a sofa throw. Tablecloths patterned with woodblock prints and bedspreads with beading or metallic thread will immediately bring India to mind. Common Indian patterns for wallpaper and textiles include paisley, floral, swirls, birds, and elephants. 

Regardless of whether you're only including a few Asian accessories, or having a designer redo your whole home according to Zen or feng shui design philosophies, Asian influence will add culture, harmony, and worldliness to your home. Here at Chambers Interiors, our team has a lot of experience sourcing multicultural antiques for homes. To schedule a consultation with us, call Margaret Chambers at 214-232-9501 or email us at info@chambersinteriors.com.

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