When driving through the outskirts of cities and towns in England, one may notice housing structures that exude tranquility and grace.
These grand, spacious houses, which are a sight to seize, are the Edwardian houses. These houses were constructed during the Georgian era and reflect the distinct construction style of Georgian properties.
For reference, the Georgian era covers a period of 123 years during the reigns of George I, George II, George III, and George IV. In comparison, the extended reign of Queen Victoria is the period known as the Victorian era.
If one has a large family, these houses are perfect for them. Families have resided in Edwardian dwellings for decades. Many surviving Edwardian period homes are considered precious antiques. One of the most prominent features of these houses is that their structure is like a mixture of old and new styles.
Edwardian properties have a system and design that adapt quite well to the modern era, so they can be described as modern houses. They have intricate interiors and exteriors and often give off a fantasy aura.
These lively, beautiful homes started appearing in the suburbs of England at the beginning of the 20th century.
Some of the towns where one can still witness these houses are Victoria Park in Manchester, Headingley in Leeds, Clifton in Bristol, Edgbaston in Birmingham, and the seaside areas such as Brighton, Bournemouth, Hove, and Eastbourne. Unfortunately, during the Second World War, many classical houses were destroyed by bombings in England.
Read on to learn some extremely interesting facts about these houses constructed during the Georgian period.
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Edwardian Houses History
When Queen Victoria passed away on January 22, 1901, King Edward VII took the throne. He reigned from 1901-1910, and these period properties feature the architectural structure that came to be categorized as the Edwardian period.
The change from Victorian period houses to Edwardian period properties significantly influenced architecture. During the reign of King George IV, there was an advent of Georgian architecture too, which was based on the classical architecture of Greece and Rome.
During the Victorian period, properties were a little stuffy with dark interiors. The curtains were quite heavy, and the rooms were jam-packed with knick-knacks and decorative patterns. With the advent of the Edwardian design, the houses became spacious with more elegant pastel decor.
This housing architecture started expanding around the '10s. These houses consisted of two stories with fewer but spacious rooms. These houses were an outcome of the modernization occurring all around the world.
A few of the surviving Edwardian properties that are pretty famous are in Toronto and Ottawa. A house with huge Edwardian windows is located in Monkland St. and still has soffit-supported or hipped roofs with original windows.
A window tax is levied on the number of casement windows in a house. This house is a relic and has been taken care of to date by its owners.
One of the most innovative and creative Edwardian house frontal structures with a lunette still exists on King Street, Toronto. This house has now been converted into a factory.
The Edwardian era was said to have ended around the First World War, but it was only for a short amount of time before this architecture and decor came back to life with new and innovative twists.
Edwardian Houses Design
For your perusal, here are some of the extremely interesting aspects of Edwardian house design:
During the Edwardian era, the middle class became sufficiently settled and grew as a massive inspiration for architecture. The houses have distinctive dormer windows, red brickwork, long chimney stacks, and mock-Tudor cladding that are quickly established.
These homes and gardens were more comfortable and manageable than homes from any other era. With the expansion of the railway system, development on the outskirts of the city grew.
The various arts and crafts movements from all across the world shaped the design and decor of the houses of this era. This blueprint of design, decor and structure paved the way for future generations.
During this period, great architects emerged, such as Frank Lloyd Wright, Edwin Lutyens, and Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Wealthy landowners could only afford such houses, but there was a mass market for them in this period. Semi-detached homes could be made in the narrow streets of England’s towns during this period.
Arts and crafts made their way into people’s homes and became a hack for saving time and money. A variety of patterned wallpapers were used to cover up hallway dust and ash.
Clean spaces were becoming a must due to the pastel color theme, which became a signature of these houses. The color scheme was also essential to give people a way to appreciate the sunshine entering their homes.
Instead of the dark and cold colors of the Victorian period properties, warm and pastel colors like lilac, dusky blue, and green, primrose, and gray became the new choices. Warmth is of significant importance in cold countries, and to accommodate this, Persian rugs became the aesthetic of the living room and entrance hall.
The interior was rich with carved ornate furniture, which told the story of the Art Nouveau Movement.
Edwardian Houses Vs. Victorian Houses Differences
In order to understand the difference in construction style in the Georgian period and the Victorian era, you must check the various aspects of such properties mentioned below: -
The houses in the Edwardian period were widely composed of red brickwork, while the Victorian age had a range of colored brickwork with high-quality materials.
In the Edwardian era, the porches were made from wood, while bricks were built in the Victorian era.
The Edwardian residences had Mock-Tudor cladding at the housetops, while the Victorian era had steep-pitched roofs with ornate gable trims.
Edwardian homes had vast halls, while Victorian homes had narrow hallways with geometric hanging tiles and good-quality building materials.
The rooms in the Edwardian era were spacious and bright, while spaces were generally compact and dark-themed in the Victorian era.
The Edwardian houses had spacious gardens to go with their front porches, while the Victorian-era houses had no garden squares, but they were terraced houses.
Edwardian properties often had sash or dormer windows, while Victorian houses had cameo windows.
The Edwardian buildings had a color theme that was mainly a pastel cottage style, while the Victorian homes had a dark Gothic color palette.
The artifacts, curtains, tablecloths, and furnishing in the Edwardian era were more ornate and bolder, while Victorian architecture was more luxurious, rich, textured, and exotic.
The Edwardian buildings were heavily inspired by the arts and crafts movement, while the Victorian properties were inspired by the show of a person’s wealth and status.
Inbuilt electricity fittings in the walls were a feature of Edwardian houses, while the Victorian era depended on oil and gas lamps.
Edwardian Houses Characteristics
Are you also interested in the characteristics of Edwardian houses? Then these extremely interesting facts will certainly satiate your curiosity:
The Edwardian homes had large halls lined with rugs or carpets, along with wide staircases and paintings adorning the walls.
The porch became a form of a signed statement if one wanted to be part of the community. Patios with intricate patterns were made from wood and had various types of latticework, screens, or sash windows. Porches were linked with the status and wealth of an individual.
The lighting designs were first started during this era. Gas heating and lighting became available from the high class to the middle class. These lighting designs and decor gave the period home and its sets a new shine.
The Edwardian home was all about light and space, and as such, windows played a crucial role in Edwardian architecture. Flowery-designed stained glass with a pastel color palette was among the few features that continued from the Victorian era to the Edwardian era. The same goes for the bay windows and fireplaces.
The fireplaces during the Edwardian era were mainly simple in design and construction, but they still had their own styling features. They usually had shelves around the mantelpiece, and some even had inbuilt mirrors. These shelves were mainly used to store jewelry or ornaments.
Long chimney stacks are a feature that is rarely seen in Edwardian houses but is still an important feature. Many Edwardian house owners decided to add an extended chimney to their homes.
Most Edwardian houses have skirting boards. These boards are nothing but wood trims at the base of the walls. They were used for high ceiling balancing and as a means of protection against scrapes.
One of the most classic features of Edwardian houses was that they were built with high ceilings. This mold structure, made out of plaster, was placed around a light fixture.
The ceiling rose was often circular, with intricate and ornate designs carved into the application. The top was a beautiful decor addition to the house and had the added benefit of capturing smoke. These ceiling roses had small holes, which helped escape the smoke caused by the gaslight fixtures.
The cornice was another intriguing feature of the Edwardian houses. Like the ceiling rose, the cornice was also made of plaster and could either be simple or very ornate and well carved. The cornice was used as a border around the ceiling and covered the joining corners of the roof and walls.
You can build your own Georgian house with stained glass windows on the ground floor and sash windows too.
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