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Cozy English houses: history and traditions. Cozy English houses: history and traditions Photos of houses in the English style

You will find historical excursion to the origins of a comfortable and so sweet-looking English home. Photos of houses and interiors are modern.

IN XVI-XVII centuries England became the center of world trade and a powerful colonial power. The defining type of English housing is becoming country estates. During this period, the architecture, named after the ruling dynasty, was called “Tudor”. The estates have already lost their fortress character, residential buildings have increased in width, large and frequent windows and bay windows have replaced the slit-like openings of medieval castles.

At this time, many Flemish architects were working in England, fleeing the persecution of the Spanish Inquisition; they had a significant influence on the development of decorative motifs in the design of buildings. The requirements of reliability and defense capability gave way to concerns about the best lighting and ventilation of the room; now the housing had to be comfortable, have not only cozy living rooms, but also beautiful formal rooms, and the beauty of their decoration testified to the power and wealth of the owner.

As before, in the center of the house, as in medieval castles, there was a hall - a ceremonial hall, but now it was richly decorated along the walls with carved oak panels, and above them were hung hunting trophies, weapons and portraits of famous ancestors. The ceiling was covered with stucco or carved open rafters.

On one side of the hall there were living rooms, and on the other - utility rooms. This configuration of the house goes back to the ancient wooden dwelling of the Saxons, where utility and living quarters were located around a threshing floor, the ceiling of which was the open rafters of the roof. An indispensable attribute of the house was a huge fireplace that reached almost to the ceiling. And another characteristic detail is the wide staircase in the hall, decorated with sculptures and carved wooden railings. The owners of the estate were very proud of the beauty and size of the staircase.

The outside of the building was clad in brick with white cut stone trim. These details were decorated with intertwining curls of carvings, masks, and figures of monsters. The contrasting combination of decorative white stone parts and brick surfaces makes characteristic feature English architecture.

At the same time, in English villages they begin to build large quantities half-timbered houses (influenced by Flemish architects). Their facades are covered with fine mesh wooden beams- half-timbered structures that stood out brightly against the background of white plaster and picturesquely decorated the streets of villages and small towns.

Two centuries later, the residential buildings of Victorian England, common in both town and country, retained many of the architectural features of the manor houses of the past, but became more compact. The center of the building was still made up of the traditional hall and staircase, and the remaining rooms were grouped around them.

Utility rooms moved to ground floor. As before, the houses were brick with white stone trim, and in the center of the facade there was a door framed by white columns.

The cozy interiors of such houses were especially attractive. Their decor was based on antique motifs. Walls covered with carved oak panels, carved fireplaces and white staircases decorated with sculpture.

And in the rooms - stylish furniture Chippendale, a famous master of that time, as if “quilted” with many nails. The next generations of their inhabitants fell in love with the coziness and comfort of these houses, carefully preserving the interiors and supplementing them with objects from their eras. As a result, a completely original style was formed - a traditional English house.

Loyalty to traditions, as is known, is a distinctive feature of the British. The reason for this was the island isolation, the reserved character, and the measured way of life of the subjects of the kingdom. The well-known motto “My home is my fortress!” - this is a kind of philosophy of their life. And in our time, respectable Englishmen prefer antiquity to avant-garde, and authenticity to stylization, so if there is oak furniture in the house, then it is really made of solid oak, and not finished “to look like oak”. Everything in this house is installed firmly and for a long time and is passed on unchanged from generation to generation. For example, the Windsor hard chair made of wood, invented three hundred years ago and is just as popular today. And the wood species used to make furniture are the same as many centuries ago: oak, walnut, yew. But this furniture, on which many generations of ancestors sat, seems to be surrounded by a special aura and creates the indescribable charm of an English home.

Each new generation of its inhabitants, without changing anything inherited from their ancestors, brought something of their own to the environment. Thus, wicker rattan furniture for the terrace was brought from the colonies, and Arabic lamps, Japanese screens and engravings were brought from travels to the East. And, as a result of the gradual acquisition, pieces of furniture in the interior differ in tone and style, generally creating a kind of harmony.

Textiles occupy a large place in the decor of an English home: lampshades, covers on sofas and chairs, pillows and blankets on armchairs, curtains and canopies over the bed. The color scheme is usually light and calm. And the designs are varied from Scottish checks and printed chintz with small flowers in the kitchen, strict stripes on silk and colored cashmere in the living room to luxurious bouquets of “English” roses on the canopy, bedspreads and curtains in the bedroom.

A typically English design with lush bouquets of roses scattered on a light background has become popular not only in England. But he could have been born there: with such curtains and a canopy over the bed you can isolate yourself from the humid fog and drizzle outside the window, recalling centuries-old English lawns and luxurious flower beds. Plain, striped, with small floral patterns or covered with antique oak panels, the walls of the house are decorated with tapestries and paintings: watercolors, engravings, landscapes, oil paintings, of course, originals.

An indispensable attribute of a house in foggy and cool England is a fireplace. It can be different: simply decorated with bleached bricks with a dark wood mantel, lined with tiles or natural stone. But in any case, this is the center of the living room, around it there is upholstered furniture, low tables, woolen carpets with a dim pattern on wooden floor. Such fireplaces look very stylish even in modern interiors:

The kitchen in an English house is a special room. Good quality furniture made of hard wood, carved and painted in light colors: a chest of drawers, a pile of dishes, open shelves with ceramics, most often blue and white. Plates with discreet patterns of all sizes, candlesticks, teapots. What was previously used today serves as a decoration for the kitchen. Modern household appliances are “hidden” in such a kitchen, but the decoration of the kitchen is the hearth-fireplace, which was previously used for warmth and cooking, but now creates a cozy atmosphere of an old house.

All the details of everyday life in such a house, be it trinkets and souvenirs on the mantelpiece, a carpet, a lamp, a painting or furniture on the terrace, correspond to the customs and habits of this particular family and are associated with family stories and legends. English interiors of the Victorian era are very individual and natural - this is their main distinctive feature and this is also the special charm of the style of a traditional English house.

Unfortunately, now modern Englishmen of average income do not strive to follow centuries-old traditions, while Russian-speakers who have moved to Albion are happy and meticulous in recreating replicas of such spectacular Victorian interiors, beloved from books, skillfully incorporating British notes into the modern style with the help of designers:

The house is usually built of red brick. And no exterior finishing no walls are provided. This is a fairly durable and beautiful material. And houses made from it, in an island and mild climate, have stood for centuries. This is actually why the ground floor is built at ground level. The foundations here are low. And you won’t see any porch or terrace at the front door.

Now let's go inside... Just a picture from a magazine! The owners wanted to introduce both rustic and modern elements into the design.

How do you like?

Very nice atmosphere in the kitchen. The classic look combines well with modern equipment.

In the village, houses are a little simpler than in the city. Here you can often see dwellings made of stone. An old British country house is usually smaller in size than a city house. And the second floor is often an attic. But in the village you can see roofs made of reeds and grass. They look very original and beautiful. Now we go out onto the terrace and admire again.

In ancient times, a roof covered with reeds or herbs spoke of the owner's poverty. But times are changing and today few wealthy home owners can afford such a roof. Nowadays, the presence of a thatched roof indicates the wealth of the owner of the house. Incredibly cozy courtyard! Ideal for breakfast.

Usually on the ground floor there is a living room, a kitchen and an office, if provided. The bedroom, bathroom and other rooms are located on the next floors. The kitchen used to be small size. Today they are trying to make it more so that dining table The whole family fit.

The living room often houses a fireplace, which is found in almost every British home. Traditionally, an armchair or sofa is placed opposite the fireplace. Near it, a tea table covered with a tablecloth would also be appropriate. In the office there is usually a table and an armchair, and bookshelves or a wardrobe for the same purpose.

The bedrooms have the usual set of furniture - a bed, a wardrobe and a chest of drawers. In general, in the home of the British there is a minimum set of furniture. There is never anything superfluous in them. Only the most necessary things and items.

Another traditional design element, albeit external, is the arrangement of a lawn and flower beds. The lawn is the pride of the home owner. It has been grown and refined for years. But numerous flower beds and flower beds are located both in front of the house and behind it. And this is another English tradition.

Dreams of durable, cozy and beautiful house may someday come to fruition. It all depends on how these dreams are combined with physical and mental efforts.

And if you have such (or a slightly different) house (or apartment), you need to be fully armed and finally arrange your home the way you wanted. And in order to know what you want, it is better to familiarize yourself with the interior that others have. In this article I propose to look at the interiors in english style. The photo below shows a classic living room with a carpet, a sofa and armchairs with ears. Low table in front of the sofa with a covered genuine leather The table top is the calling card of an English home. The combination of furniture with thin legs (sofa and armchairs) with more massive and voluminous ones in one room is also a distinctive feature of the British.

The same “eared” chairs, but in colorful upholstery, books on the shelves, a twisted wrought-iron chandelier, lighting in the form of small floor lamps with fabric lampshades and, finally, a palm tree by the window - all this is a classic English interior.

An ordinary comfortable old chair next to the bed, where you can sit before going to bed and leaf through a book or watch TV. Everything is simple, but looking at this interior, you understand that everything in this house is good with comfort and arrangement!

An English house usually has large windows decorated with floor-length curtains. This gives the rooms a special elegance.

Small rooms with low ceilings, panels on the walls made of natural wood, olive color of the walls and soft electric and natural lighting create the atmosphere of an English home.

Wooden panels on the walls are preferably made from durable types of wood, which are treated in a special way to prevent mold and bugs.

Semicircular windows, dark olive-colored walls, a large fireplace, massive upholstered furniture and palm trees, as evidence of past colonial conquests of the British. Much of the interior, like strange plants, appeared in the homes of the British thanks to the fearless sailors who brought it all from their long sea voyages.

Accommodation in one room upholstered furniture with different upholstery for some reason does not cause a feeling of disunity in the interior, but quite the opposite. There is something elusive and unifying in this environment.

A fireplace or stove, which needs to be heated with wood, will warm its owners in any frost. And how great it is to come after a slushy and cold street, light the fireplace and sit next to you, listen to the firewood crackle and feel the warmth flowing through the room.

Evenings by the lit fireplace in a narrow circle of family, what could be better?

Winter evenings will not seem tediously long, in this small room It’s warm next to your loved ones and you don’t want to go anywhere.

And around the fireplace you can place all the portraits and small paintings dear to your heart.

The chimney is like a home decoration.

A bedroom in an English house is a well-appointed room. The bed is the main piece of furniture, always beautiful and fundamental.

Not only the furniture in an English house is solid, but also other interior items. The British don't fill their house with cheap trinkets, and once they bring something into the house, it's permanent.

The secret of good quality and quality of English furniture is to use natural materials for its manufacture and the skill of furniture makers.

This metal bed with a wrought-iron headboard looks elegant and light. The bright room is filled with sun and fresh air.

Such a bed is covered with a ruffled bedspread; pillowcases on the pillows and curtains on the windows should match it.

All English furniture is reliable and high quality, serving several generations.

And this girl's bedroom is in soft blue with lots of colored pillows.

Here is a bedroom for adult family members. Every centimeter of space is used here. But everything is in its place, everything pleases the eye.

Once upon a time, the canopy over the bed was evidence of the greatness of its owner. Nowadays, romantic people place this addition to the bedroom interior over their beds.

Order in the house means order in your thoughts, success in work, a calm and measured life.

They carefully arrange not only the bedroom, but also the kitchen. This is a special place in the house where food is prepared; it is always cozy, smells delicious, and has an abundance of sunlight and flowers.

Here everything is at hand, everything is familiar and familiar. And it has always been this way, because conservative Englishmen honor their traditions and maintain the connection between generations. wonderful self made furniture is passed down from grandmother to granddaughter.

An English kitchen can be in light colors with mandatory covers on chairs, fabric curtains on glass cabinet doors, and lace curtains on the windows.

IN English cuisine There is always a lot of dishes. English porcelain is renowned for its quality, both ancient and modern.

Dishes in England were always made not only of porcelain and earthenware, but also of ceramic and metal.

How nice it is to celebrate holidays in such a reliable and beautiful house, for example, New Year and Christmas. Fresh pine or Christmas tree branches, lit candles, waiting for a miracle.

And here is the Christmas tree, in the evening it will gather the whole family in this small living room.

Such New Year's evenings with family are remembered forever and live in our childhood memories as the best.

To make your fairytale home not only cozy and comfortable on the inside, but also pleasing to the eye on the outside, it should be surrounded by green spaces.

There will never be too many trees, flowers, climbing plants if they are well-groomed. Of course, such a house is more like the abode of gnomes from English fairy tales, but the flowers are real.

Without the wonderful plants around this house it would be empty and lonely.

And this, albeit small, but such a nice house, also looks good.

I would like to live in such an old place brick house, decorated with a climbing trellis rose.

And in front of the house or on open terrace put this swing sofa with a lace cape.

On such a sunny terrace, among the abundance of plants, it is easy to breathe.

The sofa can be placed not only on the veranda or terrace, but also in the garden in front of the house and admire the daisies, cornflowers and asters in moments of relaxation.

The British, like many people on Earth, value nature and love trees and flowers, so they surround their homes with them.

Such a house should have a simple but comfortable interior.

All these houses have their own face, look closely and you will see it too.

Even from the photo you can feel the warmth human hands, with what love and businesslike everything was done. And poultry only adds color to this rural idyll.

“My home is my castle” - not only the British say so now. After all, all people in the world understand that their home is part of the happy existence of an entire family.

There is no need to copy the English way of life, their houses and interiors. We are different, but no one forbids us to adopt experience and learn from other peoples the quality of life, improve our culture of life, equip our home, relying on the achievements and skills of Europeans.

Today's trends in the development of society and technology have certainly left their mark on the modern English house. But, in fairness, it is worth saying that their influence on the British, who are conservative in tradition and way of life, is very small. Just look at the traditional and typical village dwellings.

Classic modern city and country house

Great Britain has been an industrial country for several centuries. In this country urban population prevails over rural. And if so, then there should be more city residents. After all, in our understanding, a city dweller necessarily lives in an apartment. But in Britain this is not the case at all.

The majority of the population of the United Kingdom prefers to live in their own homes. Of course, as in many other countries, not many people can afford to pay for the construction or purchase of a private home. Therefore, the vast majority become home owners, paying off a mortgage for twenty to twenty-five years.

But to say the majority is to say nothing. Therefore, it is worth clarifying that the majority in British reality is about 80 percent. This is exactly how many residents of Foggy Albion live in their own houses. There are cities there too. And there are a lot of them. But both in cities and in rural areas, conservative Englishmen prefer a private house.

What does it look like modern home in England? A typical English house is a two or three-story building. Moreover, the understanding of number of storeys is somewhat different from ours. First floor local residents considered zero. And only what is above the level of the earth’s surface is considered the first and subsequent floors.

The house is usually built of red brick. Moreover, no external decoration of the walls is provided. This is a fairly durable and beautiful material. And houses made from it, in an island and mild climate, have stood for centuries. This is actually why the ground floor is built at ground level. The foundations here are low. And you won’t see any porch or terrace at the front door.

And in these conditions, a deep and heavy foundation is not needed. The soil does not freeze at all, even in winters that are severe by local standards. For reference, it is worth mentioning that in Russia the depth of soil freezing can reach several meters. And a significant part of the country is generally located on permafrost.

As already mentioned, there are no porches as such. But the canopies and awnings over the front door amaze with their diversity. This is also determined by the traditions of the British. They love to diversify their homes. So much so that, despite the general similarity of the projects, the houses can turn out completely different.

This is facilitated not only by canopies and awnings over the entrance doors. Every house must have a small lawn where you can plant a flower bed or flower garden. And the buildings themselves are often decorated climbing plants. It happens that the house is almost invisible through the plants. And of course, the house is decorated with numerous decorative elements. Design English houses differs in diversity.

Old English house in the village

An old English house can be seen in the countryside. Moreover, really old houses are protected by law. You can buy them and live there. But it is prohibited to radically rebuild or change the appearance of such a building. Moreover, the inside of such a building can be made completely modern.

The concept of countryside and village is somewhat different here. In essence, villages are small towns. The roads are paved and the areas are landscaped. You won’t see vegetable gardens with potato plantations there. Villagers do not grow vegetables and fruits. They are engaged in growing flower beds and lawns. Therefore, any English village is cozy and clean.

And farmers who do not live in villages grow vegetables and fruits. They live on the outskirts, or as we say in a settlement or farmstead, that is, separately. Most villagers only live in the village and work in the city. Fortunately, Great Britain is famous for its roads. Every British family has a car, often more than one.

A house in an English village is located along the street. Often Entrance door opens directly onto the sidewalk, if there is one. Sometimes between the wall of the house and the road there is a flower garden or a small lawn. There are no vegetable gardens, as mentioned above. But behind the house there is definitely the pride of the owner - his lawn and flower beds.

British home interior

Usually on the ground floor there is a living room, a kitchen and an office, if provided. The bedroom, bathroom and other rooms are located on the next floors. The kitchen used to be small. Today they are trying to make it bigger so that the whole family can fit at the dining table.

Despite the stiffness and outward closeness of the English, in English houses you can rarely see curtains on the windows or curtains. Windows are usually made quite wide. Rectangular and square in shape, they are often divided into small fragments.

Traditions of the English home

When people talk about an Englishman's house, they always remember the fireplace. And although the fireplace is rarely used for its intended purpose, it is an integral part of the interior. On the mantelpiece there are photographs, small figurines, vases, and clocks. And in front of the fireplace, just like hundreds of years ago, tea parties are held.