How to create your very own Downton Abbey-inspired room

The only show that rocks the country more than the Great British Bake Off is soon to be back on our screens. The new series of everybody’s favourite period drama, Downton Abbey, starts on September 21^st and promises to be as action packed and thrilling as ever (apparently Lord Grantham blows his nose TWICE this series!)

One of the reasons that the show is so phenomenally successful is the feelings of nostalgia it stimulates even in viewers who were born many decades after the program’s setting. Aside from the charming mannerisms, the beautiful clothing, and seemingly straightforward way of life, many people admire the glamorous decor portrayed in the drama.

While the beauty of a place such as the fictional Downton Abbey would have at the time been reserved for manor houses, these days you can easily replicate the stunning aesthetics in any home. With the Farrow & Ball range creating your very own Edwardian, Downton-inspired home has never been easier. Here are our tips on how to do it:

Curtains

A simple way to add a sense of grandeur to an otherwise ordinary room is to decorate it with very tall, heavy curtains. It does not matter if your home does not have particularly large windows; using oversized curtains will give the illusion that the window and the room itself is a lot larger than it actually is. Choose a rich, velvet material in a deep red or purple to instantly make a room look and feel expensive. 

Crockery
Edwardian crockery looks beautiful and can be incorporated into a room either as decoration or as items that you will use day to day. This style of crockery tends to be very detailed with lots of colour and patterns, it can be mixed and matched – any modern chintzy crockery would be ideal.

 

Lighting

One of the most obvious symbols that represent the wealth of an aristocratic family such as the Crawleys is of course the fabulous chandelier lighting. Through the series we have seen the family evolve from traditional candlelight to using the modern invention of electricity (to the horror of the Dowager Violet Crawley who initially could not stand the bright glare of light bulbs!) Adding a modern chandelier to the centre of the room instantly screams Downton.

 Ornate Furniture

As demonstrated in the picture above Downton Abbey tends to use furniture which is made of dark, solid wood. The close details of the furniture is important – the brass plating attached and the carefully crafted shaping of the legs for example. If you are keen on emulating Downton furniture then invest in a writing desk - writing letters is one of Lord Grantham’s many exhausting chores – and an impressive book case.

Walls

 

 

Probably the most significant way to perform a Downton makeover is by decorating the walls. At Kent Blaxill our Farrow & Ball wallpapers offer the perfect styles for your Downton theme. Depending on your individual taste, you might choose to decorate all of the walls with wallpaper (nobody painted their walls at this time obviously) or you might choose to have one feature wall covered in traditional wallpaper while you can paint the rest of the room to match.

In Downton Abbey many of the walls are covered with mint green wallpaper similar to the geometric tesella paper (top left) which is a bright, attractive wallpaper that features a simple pattern.  This wallpaper’s delicate colour tones mean that it is not too overpowering to be featured across all of the walls, but you might want to add it to one wall and match it with a neutral creamy colour such as the 2005 All White paint or its similar variations.

Watching Downton you may also have noticed that lots of the rooms feature wallpaper with delicate, detailed patterns like those on our Silvergate Farrow and Ball wallpapers range. These designs are based on early 19^th Century English damask ones so are another style that would be suitable for your new room. 

If you would like to find more inspiration for your Downton creation, visit the Kent Blaxill website where can find hundreds of paints and wallpapers to choose from.