An English-style kitchen is a clear example of the luxury and sophistication of a royal apartment. The Victorian style dates back to the 19th century, during the reign of Queen Victoria. Today this direction has undergone many changes.
The term “English style” has no clear boundaries. For some it is an old-fashioned interior in the spirit of the Victorian era, for others it is a cozy room with a rustic atmosphere
Characteristic features of the English style in the kitchen
There are certain characteristic features that are characteristic of this style to this day.
- The kitchen set must certainly be antique.
- The presence of oriental notes in the decor and even in the decoration of the room.
- Use of natural materials.
- Solid wood furniture.
- Heavy curtains.
When developing a design project for a Victorian kitchen, it is worth considering that during the reign of the Queen, the kitchen was not intended for entertaining guests. Servants worked here, so the work area was very simple.
An aristocratic English interior invariably contains classical features - arches, columns and stucco.
There are two options for English style in the kitchen: country and classic. The first one is more cozy and homely, but at the same time solid and solid. Classic cuisine is more laconic and strict.
English country is a purely rustic interior with simple furniture, often artificially aged.
Main features of English design
The historical style has changed somewhat under the influence of time and the ethical culture of the British colonies. It combines features of Gothic and Baroque. The following two main directions are distinguished:
- Classic. It is characterized by canonical design, strict proportions, and symmetry.
- Country. A freer, more rustic option with unwavering respectability.
These areas have the following characteristic features:
- Natural palette of shades, close to natural.
- Mandatory division of the room into functional zones.
- Natural materials are used. These include wood, ceramics, and stone. No cheap imitation - only high-quality products.
- A complete lack of shockingness and catchiness. It is not allowed to attract attention with the help of bright accents.
- Lighting should be intense and rich.
- Preference is given to antique or artificially aged furniture, reminiscent of museum antiques.
- Expensive accessories (copper or bronze) are used to decorate the room.
- The presence of floral patterns in the decoration.
The English style can be described in a few words: expensive, high quality, durable and nothing superfluous.
It is necessary to consider each stage of interior design in more detail.
English style kitchen: color palette and finishing options
Light, noble shades are most often used, but dark shades may also be present. The following combinations are considered the most appropriate:
- White and gold palette.
- Beige-sand shades. Can be supplemented with gold or platinum.
- Light gray palette.
- Brown tones.
In a white English kitchen, decorations include gold moldings, trims and bas-reliefs
Stone surfaces - natural or artificial - are often used in combination with beige facades
The light gray palette is used mainly in interiors with a colonial twist.
Brown tones are the priority of natural wood of expensive species
The countertop is made to match the floor, the sink is made of artificial stone in the same color. Ceramic tiles are used to finish the apron.
Finish options:
- in the form of a brick;
- cover with Moroccan pattern;
- white and gold tiles with ornate patterns.
Tiles with Moroccan patterns will make the kitchen interior elegant and original.
Color spectrum
The palette in an English-style kitchen is represented by a wide range. It can be brown-gray, pure gray, beige, olive, blue, light blue. All of these shades go well with gold trim. For the background, choose cream, pistachio, pale green colors. A gray-blue or gray-white combination looks good.
Light interior idea with blue accents
The most common color combinations in the English style:
- White and gold. White is found in furniture, and style details are decorated with gold. If desired, add a dark shade.
- Beige-sand complemented with gold and platinum design.
- Light grey. It also pairs well with gold trim in the kitchen.
- Brown. This is a rich shade; when used, all interior decoration and furniture are made of wood.
- Red. Mainly used for furniture, emphasizing the luxury of the kitchen interior.
Dark shades give solidity to the interior, so often in the English style you can see a dark brown color, gradually turning into terracotta. The latter is close to orange and is found in textiles and decoration. Light surfaces in the kitchen are covered with ocher.
Dark Victorian kitchen
A light beige shade dilutes the dark style palette. It goes well with chocolate and sand details. When the windows face the south side, the design contains blue and green, and when facing the north side – yellow and beige.
Beige-yellow interior
Materials for finishing a kitchen in the English style
The British are very fond of wood. Almost all of their items are made from this material. So wood is chosen for kitchen furniture. In the center of the kitchen there is always a massive oak table. Basically, only natural materials with a “scuffed” effect are always used.
There is no excess wood in English interiors - this applies to both furniture and surface finishing
How to choose the right furniture for an English-style kitchen
Choosing the right furniture for a Victorian-style kitchen is already half the battle. The set and dining area must meet the following requirements:
- look reliable, sound and solid;
- the facade should be made of natural wood (pine, walnut, oak), the countertop should be made of natural or artificial stone (ceramic tiles can also be used);
- the colors are subdued and calm.
The furniture may be simple, but obviously of good quality. Decorative overlays, forged handles and other elaborate details are welcome
The decor and fittings must correspond to the English style: have scuffs (an “antique” effect), metal handles, intricate carvings, and carved cornices installed on top.
Selection of furniture
To maintain an English-style kitchen, it is important to choose the right room furnishings. It is recommended to comply with the following requirements:
- The set is made of expensive types of wood: oak, walnut, pine. It is advisable to take a solid array.
- Furniture should retain its natural structure and be varnished or painted in a light color.
- It is important that the products have stained glass or glass inserts.
- Be sure to have an open shelf for a beautiful expensive service.
- Furniture handles are made of noble metal: copper or bronze. Gold plating is allowed. Such elements are periodically carefully polished.
- The presence of scuffs and cracks gives the set an antique look.
Furniture should look solid and expensive. The style involves simple forms and regular lines. If the family budget does not allow you to purchase a massive wooden set, you should opt for a high-quality imitation. However, it must be remembered that cheap substitutes do not match the interior and do not create the desired impression.
The classic buffet is most often used. The presence of a large number of drawers conveys the atmosphere of old England. The table and chairs must fit into the overall concept. Typically, such pieces of furniture are made of wood, decorated with forged elements and carvings. If the kitchen is small, then the ideal solution would be to use a transformable table and wicker chairs. However, in a large room it is preferable to place a massive tabletop.
Household appliances and plumbing
Large household appliances are always hidden behind wooden facades; small items are also stored in drawers and cabinets. Today you can buy kitchen appliances in vintage style.
Modern household appliances, which you simply cannot do without in the kitchen, should be hidden away from view or disguised
Instead of a modern stove, a special oven or equivalent is installed, which is used not only for cooking, but also for heating the room.
The hood is usually hidden, sometimes together with the stove it can be designed as a home.
An originally designed fireplace hood is a distinctive feature of the style.
It is better to choose stylized plumbing fixtures. The sink is ceramic, the faucet is brass or bronze.
A vintage copper or bronze faucet is a suitable accessory for an English kitchen.
Curtains and table textiles
In a kitchen in an English interior, curtains are an important attribute. They can be different, heavy or multi-layered (consist of curtains, lambrequin, Roman blinds). It is not necessary to use natural fabrics; in a modern kitchen, curtains from more practical mixed materials can be chosen.
An example of successful window design in the dining area of an English kitchen
Option for everyday decor of a dining group in an English-style kitchen
Table textiles and curtains should be in harmony with the furniture and decor chosen for the kitchen, and match the color and pattern.
Curtains
Real English curtains literally add weight to the entire kitchen: they should be heavy and dense. But the color and saturation of the patterns will depend on the period of history to which you are focusing the design of the room. These can be plain curtains in the spirit of the Middle Ages, but more often the curtains are decorated with heraldic lilies, small flowers or roses, and Scottish checks.
But in a city apartment, the English style in the kitchen interior is emphasized just as well by less bulky panels. For windows, choose curtains up to the window sill with beautiful drapery, and attach blinds made of natural materials (wood, bamboo) to the frames. This is enough to emphasize the elegance and aristocracy of the room.
Layering is welcome, and in general, the window design of an English kitchen can be in no way inferior to the luxury of a living room. Still, this is not exactly a work area – it feels more like a “five o’clock” room.
Accessories for English cuisine
A London style kitchen requires a large number of decorative elements. The British love for tea drinking, dogs and horses, gardening - everything was reflected in the interior of the room.
In any interior, the finishing touch is placed with the help of decor; in the English style it can be everywhere - from trinkets to furniture details
For example, there are a large number of cookbooks on the shelves, plates on the walls are always with roses, and there are tea and porcelain surprises in the windows. Engravings, clocks, paintings, and herbariums are also hung on the walls.
Vases, figurines, wooden or stone figurines - everything will be appropriate here
Accessories that display London's tourist brands, such as a red telephone booth, a double-decker bus, Big Ben, and the Union Jack, will help highlight the English style. In an English-style kitchen, the design of which can be seen in the photo, Russian motifs are often found. This is a stove with a samovar, Pavlovo Posad painting, etc.
Decorative elements can be decorated with images of famous musicians, such as Freddie Mercury or the Rolling Stones, the British flag, etc.
Main directions
Middle Ages
The surroundings of a feast hall in an old castle are suitable only for a large kitchen-dining room, and then in a stripped-down version. Nevertheless, the hint of belonging to an ancient knightly family will be quite obvious thanks to portraits in dark frames, rich draperies on the walls, heavy chandeliers and furniture with a Gothic slant. The similarities will be added by a stylized fireplace tiled with imitation of raw stone.
Medieval English style allows for the presence in the kitchen of dark wood cupboards and sideboards and chairs with soft seats upholstered in velvet. At the same time, the furniture must be massive, so this option is not suitable for small rooms. Primary colors: gray, rich shades of red, muted green and gold. The design of curtains welcomes heraldic patterns and family monograms.
Georgian
In essence, this is the classic English style in the interior. And if you are a supporter of the inviolability of traditions, then this is what you are looking for. Georgian design is a luxurious blend of antique, classic and colonial motifs. The beauty is that they can be taken in different beats without disturbing the main idea. To implement this idea, you will have to buy quite expensive natural furniture, decorated in a classic style and decorated with carvings. The choice of colors is limited only by their naturalness, but the overall palette must be strictly maintained.
Modern household appliances fit perfectly into such an interior if they are designed properly: dark glass, bronze handles and shaped metal elements.
Chandeliers, like other furnishings, are elegant, but not overloaded with decor. Candelabra lamps with soft but simple lines of horns would be especially appropriate. The Georgian English style at one time introduced the fashion for wood paneling, so at least one of the kitchen walls will need to be used for it.
Victorian
For a kitchen, this direction is considered undesirable - the furnishings are too massive for this era, the design is too luxurious. This design is more appropriate in a living room or master’s office. But multi-arm chandeliers with floral motifs for all other directions were borrowed from here.
Country
Country interior in English has much in common with the same design trends in Europe and America. Simplicity and homeliness are the main principles when choosing decoration and furnishings. Luxury here is harmful, although it is undesirable to refuse a fireplace lined with tiles. A stylized portal for a stove with a hood will do an excellent job of this role.
Wallpaper in discreet floral tones or painted lining will look great on the walls. Kitchen furniture in the English style can only be wooden, laconic in shape, and its color can be either dark or light.
Curtains and other textiles should be combined with each other as much as possible until the pattern completely matches - as if they were sewn from the same cut. Chandeliers under fabric lampshades will add coziness. However, the simplicity and practicality of country music does not mean minimalism in design. Furniture must be multifunctional and comfortable, and the number of accessories is almost unlimited. English style in the kitchen involves decoration with paintings, antique dishes and figurines.
Scottish
The colorful Scottish style is also part of the English interior. It is easy to recognize by its famous cage in any variants and colors. Thanks to her, it is possible to combine the rigor of design and a feeling of comfort in the kitchen.
English-style furniture with a Scottish accent is characterized by simplicity of form and a certain masculinity. The lines are predominantly vertical, with a minimum of applied decor. Work area countertops are made of natural or artificial stone. But on the dining table, a must-have element is a casual checkered tablecloth and curtains like these on the window.
The interior decoration should look even rougher, imitating untreated wood or brick; ceramic tiles are more appropriate on the floor. And chandeliers under lampshades can soften the interior.
Lighting
Properly selected lighting will help highlight a British-style kitchen. Cold artificial light will not work. The ideal option would be to use sconces and floor lamps.
Modern high-tech lamps definitely won’t fit into an English interior.
It is necessary to select lamps with glass shades that provide diffused and warm light
Lamps can be shaped like lanterns, candelabra, etc. Tiffany-style chandeliers with forged or glass parts are perfect.
Kitchen floor
Floors, as a rule, are made of wood (using parquet boards or other coverings that imitate wood).
A natural wood floor will highlight the overall structure of the interior and will be warm at any time of the year.
Speaking of practicality, you can choose stone-like or checkerboard ceramic tiles for the floor. Skirting boards are made high.
Ceramic tiles in light natural tones like stone, or a two- or even three-color coating would be appropriate.
Walls
For wall decoration, choose matte or wallpaper (paper or textile). If the room area is large, you can highlight the lower part of the wall with wooden panels - clapboard or boiserie.
Wallpaper or fabric are traditional materials for wall decoration in English interiors
To finish the apron in the kitchen, use square tiles or in the “hog” format. In England it is also called the “Metro” because it lines the London Underground.
White ceramic tiles are often chosen for finishing the backsplash.
The classic version of the English style involves wallpaper with a checkered pattern, stripes or a flower, specifically a rose. The color of the wallpaper should not be flashy and provocative; the shades should be muted with a print that will not be too noticeable.
Checkered wallpaper can effectively highlight the dining area
When you decide to implement the English style in the kitchen, you should carefully consider every detail. To recreate the era and style, all interior items must be antique. If even one detail does not match the style, it can ruin the whole picture. By following all the rules, you can always please your loved ones and friends with a homely and cozy atmosphere.
Style features
This style, despite its eclecticism, has certain features:
- The interior welcomes furniture items with clear outlines and simple shapes. Clumsy, catchy and defiant elements are inappropriate here.
- The traditional British style is characterized by the use of high-quality and natural materials.
- Wood is the main material. Wood is found in furniture, flooring, wall panels and more.
- The color palette of the English-style interior consists of restrained or pastel shades.
- For the design, it is appropriate to have prints in the form of cages, stripes or floral patterns.
- Textile decor is of the highest quality, has a luxurious texture and a characteristic pattern.
- This style is not suitable for creating budget interior projects.
