Georgian style embraces a century under the reign of three Georges and is often divided into the Palladian, early and late Georgian periods. The style was partly a reaction to baroque which George I loathed.
The three phases of Georgian are a continuum of each other. As the century progressed, the style became lighter and lighter in terms of colours and decoration and eventually became regency style.
Taking an interest in fashion and interiors was very much the order of the day; entertaining was becoming more popular and print books containing designs and architectural models were becoming available to the public for the first time.
Style
- harmony and symmetry
- airiness, space and light
- pale colour schemes and woodwork
- delicate furniture
Influences
- Palladian style – especially Inigo Jones’ s architecture
- the Grand Tour – it was highly fashionable for the upper classes to take a tour round Europe, particularly Italy, for two or three years
- the Orient
The names
- Robert Adam – architect and designer, influenced by the way the Italians decorated their buildings
- George Hepplewhite – furniture maker in the late Georgian period
- Thomas Chippendale – cabinet maker renowned during the middle Georgian period
