Till today, the world has witnessed several architectural languages ranging from minimal homes to large complex structures. However, nothing has matched the symmetry and classic look of a Georgian-style house.
The Georgian-style homes marked their popularity during the 1700s till the period of the Revolutionary war. These homes are well-known for their balanced designs with all the design elements staying in proportion to each other. As you enter the home, it feels spacious with height and natural light. Let’s learn more about a Georgian-style house and its characteristics.
What Are Georgian-Style Homes?
In simple terms, a Georgian-style house is one of the highly symmetric and defined designs. These are popular for their proportions and a sense of balance in the design which is attained by following the Golden Ratio. The style originated during the reign of George I in the early 1700s.
Though the design originated in England, it was later brought to the United States as well. One of the major inspirations for Georgian-style homes has been Andrea Palladio, an Italian Renaissance architect. The design was greatly influenced by ancient Greek and Roman architecture which were all about a visual and functional balance.
A Brief History of Georgian-Style House
The architectural style took birth under King George’s period in England. This was taken to New England in United Stated by the British colonist. Georgian architecture wasn’t only incorporated while building homes but the architectural language inspired most of the public buildings and church designs as well.
However, the United States could witness a downfall in the Georgian style house after the Revolutionary war in 1775. This turning away was owed to emphasize their independence which gave birth to their unique and native architectural language.
During the late 19th and 20th centuries, the Georgian style was revived once again in America and Britain and the architectural language remains popular and trendy till now.
The Defining Characteristics of Georgian-Style Homes
Let’s take a tour of a Georgian-style house from the exterior to the interior spaces.
You can easily identify a Georgian-style house with its symmetry. The most common characteristic of this design is that it’ll either be square shape or rectangular. And in most of the Georgian-style homes present in the united states, you can witness hipped roofs, side-gabled, or sloping roofs with slopes inwards and upwards on all the edges.
However, these roofs might get covered against enticing ornamental features like parapet walls that further aid in achieving visual symmetry in their design. Most of these Georgian-style homes will have chimneys on either side of their roof.
Once you spot all these exterior architectural details in a house, you can rest assured that you’ve got the correct architectural style you’ve been looking for. Let’s see what happens inside these homes.
You can approach the house with its perfectly centered front door. This entry door in a Georgian home is also the element dividing the design into two symmetric halves. Georgian homes have one of the most stylish entrances with paneled doors having identical panels.
The entrance of the house is mostly flushed within the line of the external wall and is well-equipped with beading and butt panels which minimizes the chances of damage to the doors. Based on personal design sensibilities, the door can either be ornamented with moldings and patterns or kept simple.
As you look above the entrance door, you’ll find a semi-circular window making a way for sunlight into the house. These are commonly known as fanlights as the shape resembles hand-held fans. Apart from these tiny transom windows, you’ll also witness sash windows on both sides of the house arranged in symmetry.
Opening the door will lead you to the interiors of the house where after the entryway, you’ll witness a central hall nestling a staircase that takes you to the upper floor. Either side of the staircase accommodates a living room and dining space while the kitchen sits in the rear.
Inside a Georgian-style house, you’ll witness high ceilings with a usual height of about 10-12 feet and decorative moldings running along these. The rooms inside the house are well-defined with a boxy feel to them. While the first floor is all about common spaces, the second floor nestles all the private zones like bedrooms and amazing bathrooms.
Most Georgian-style homes are about two and a half stories where the upper floor is commonly used as an attic.
Summing Up the Architectural Features
| Georgian Style House | |
| Exterior Features | Interior Elements |
| Symmetry in its form | Defined rooms |
| Hipped or Side gabled roofing system | High ceilings |
| Symmetry in its fenestrations | Natural light within the spaces |
| Transom light above the main door | Crown moldings |
| Two and a half stories | |
| Finely crafted ornamentation around the entry | |
4 Classic Examples of Georgian-Style Homes
Let’s go through a few of the finest examples
1. Whitemarsh Island, Coast of Georgia
Nestling off the Georgia Coast, Whitemarsh Island is designed with the basic principles of a Georgian-style house. Although the roots remain historic, the home has a fresh and new appeal to its design.
2. Shanks House, Somerset
Shanks house designed by Ptolemy Dean Architects is all about the Georgian style with its simply symmetric look and an overall soothing design.
3. Gunston Hall, Lorton, Virginia
One of the most popular examples of a Georgian-style house is Gunston Hall. the design was built for George Mason and from the inside out, there is a Georgian architectural language that can easily be identified in the home.
4. Latin House, Risley
One of the highlights of the Georgian style homes is the brick architecture. And Latin House exactly follows the same with the entire structure comprising of bricks and white trim of windows standing out against the bold background.
A Modern Blend to Historic Architecture
Georgian-style house is known for their classic look and admirably simple design. While the historic homes were all about keeping the interiors inclined towards a traditional design language, there’s so thumb rule for the same.
As the architecture and style have evolved through the years, you can still keep it traditional while hinting at modern aesthetics.
Adorn the high volumes of the room with contemporary styles in order to achieve a well-balanced look. While the exteriors stick to the language, the interiors can incorporate modern furnishing items.
As these homes welcome plenty of natural light to their interior spaces, don’t shy away from opting for dark and bold mood boards. You can also opt for simple white interiors jazzed up with bolder patterns.
The Evergreen Popularity of Georgian-Style Homes
A Georgian-style house has a timeless appeal to it which makes it trendy even in the modern world. It’s the balance and lustily intricate ornamentation in their designs that make them one of the most popularly picked architectural styles.
Apart from the enticing aesthetics of these homes, the spaces are well-functional. Filled with natural light, the home feels warm and welcoming while offering ease of nestling.
FAQs
Georgian style house is defined by square or rectangular form and symmetry in its design elements.
Although the design of a federal-style home is majorly inspired by Georgian architecture, its details are much more fine and delicate.
Georgian homes were majorly built with bricks or stones. Red bricks ruled the designs as they added contrast to the white cornice and windows.
Georgian-style homes mainly followed sublime tones for their interior spaces. A few of the common colors used in these homes are blue-grey, white, sage green, eDc.
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