Period Homes And How To Bring Them Into The 21st Century Without Losing Their Soul

From the townhouses of our spa towns to the villas gracing the Yorkshire Dales, Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian properties abound across our region. These properties hold a special place in the nation’s affections. Each represents a different period in architecture, a different era in society and all hold a unique beauty.

Though there is no rigid definition of what makes a period home, it usually means homes that predate WWI.

Some characteristics of period properties include thick walls, high-ceilinged rooms, spacious hallways, bay windows and period features such as fireplaces and cornices. The key is to create an interior that honours the era’s elegance while providing contemporary comfort and touches.

Decorating these imposing spaces can often be challenging. If you are looking at renovating or re-decorating a period property, an interior designer can help you overcome the obstacles while also maintaining the property's historical soul.

Personality always makes a house a home, and so the initial consultation is the key to ensure that your project is reflective of you and your home’s heritage. Colour, passions and even the emotions you wish to feel as you step in to each space form the focus of the project, as well as the period features of the home you love. For example, you may have a formal dining room with an ornate fireplace which could be made a star of the show and to create a dining room worth lingering in. Or you may have a beautiful front door with a stained-glass window to be celebrated, creating an inviting entrance which sets the tone for the rest of the house.

A classic period home is often comprised of separate rooms for formal and informal purposes, though connection between the rooms can suit modern living more. The days of open plan living may be behind us, but broken plan living is here to stay, with double doors linking kitchens and sitting rooms being a common addition, maximising light and affording flexibility in how we use our homes. Harnessing the power of colour is a key part of transforming the look and feel of a room, making smaller rooms feel more spacious and large spaces cosier, while adding personality and style to ensure the rooms feel like home.

Modern touches can be added to period homes to give them added warmth and functionality. Before you start to think about the decorative touches, plan home upgrades such as new windows, loft insulation and under floor heating to update your period home, meaning that all the messy work is done up front and ensuring that your period home is much more comfortable to live in.

From rich and robust fabrics to add a sense of opulence that is reminiscent of Victorian and Edwardian interiors to plainer neutrals which allow the period features to sing, curtains, blinds and upholstery are key to adding heart to your period property. An interior design expert will ensure that your room is filled with pattern and colour combinations which will add vibrancy with a cohesive flow throughout the home.

At AMC, we thrive in these environments, bringing period homes into 21st century. Transforming my Victorian villa spurned my move from the tough world of litigation and law to the thriving world of interior design nearly ten years ago, and since then I have worked on several Victorian homes across the North, each with its own quirks and unique features. By embracing these elements to make a true home, we celebrate a period home’s history whilst also looking forward and embracing the future.

You can view our portfolio here.

Are you interested in exploring your own conversion? For further information about AMC Design or Ann Marie Cousins, please visit: www.amcinteriordesign.co.uk