English style in the interior: how to choose a beautiful chair?
The English style in the interiors refers to country and rural residences of the Victorian era. He is distinguished by a passion for elegance, luxury, quality materials and the presence of numerous patterns and textures. It is dominated by stylized furniture, shabby chic aesthetics, floral motifs on the walls and fabrics, and most importantly, an atmosphere of homely warmth and comfort.
Traditional, massive floral armchairs that attract attention with their grace, contrasting with the heavy silhouette and compact structure. The floral upholstery, high backrest and wide rolled-up armrests evoke images of a grandmother reading jokes to her grandchildren. English-style armchairs are a varied collection that can help you create cheerful, illuminated hallways or offices full of reflection and peace. The English armchair is a stylish addition to the interior!
Special English style in the interior
The English style combines tradition and modernity, it is a rich style with decorations and flowers. Interiors in the English style are created with the idea of family, of being together at home. They are designed to be cozy, romantic and encourage relaxation.
English style is, first of all, coziness and comfort. Therefore, what English style colors will we use? They will definitely be in warm colors. Colors beige, yellow, orange, ecru, soft pink or red. English style loves patterns, so we can use these colors on wallpaper with floral patterns or stripes. These patterns also appear on pillows, curtains and sofas. Apart from the above colors, you can also use green and blue. They go perfectly with dark wood furniture in the English style.
The English-style interiors are heavily decorated. We often have treasuries or rosettes around the chandelier on the ceiling. The curtains are heavy and fall to the ground, and there are ceramic doll figurines on the mantelpiece. An important element of the English-style interior is also a tall clock, which will indicate the time of the obligatory English tea in ceramic cups.
A home decorated this way also includes blankets, pillows and rugs. These can be tartans or patterns with small pink roses. There is often a carpet on the checkerboard floor, and vases with fresh flowers as additional decoration.
If you are decorating a house in the English style, you must not forget about proper lighting. Such interiors have large decorative crystal chandeliers and similar sconces on the walls. Often candle-shaped light bulbs are screwed into such lamps. The decorative chests of drawers contain medium-sized lamps with leather shades.
English-style interiors come in several varieties, but are always very cozy and atmospheric. If you love an idyllic, romantic atmosphere, you will definitely love these rooms.
English-style furniture has two distinctive features: it is either durable and solid, or too soft. In keeping with this principle, the living room, characteristic of this aesthetic, consists of dark wooden chests of drawers, cabinets, bookcases and tables. All sofas, armchairs, poufs and corners in the English style should have comfortable thick upholstery - preferably with a floral pattern. In addition, flowers are the absolute basis of the English style. They give the interior a warm, cozy atmosphere and exceptional sweetness. Buying an English style chair is a must!
English armchair - a tribute to traditions
The English style has been captivating for many years with its coziness and elegance - its characteristic atmosphere promotes relaxation and relaxation. The main determining factor of the interior in the English style is comfortable furniture: soft sofas, soft sofas, comfortable sofas and wooden chairs. In particular, the latter provide a wide range of styling options - you can choose between chairs made from different types of wood and upholstered in different materials.
How to understand that we have an English-style chair:
Wooden frame;
The legs are low, often curved;
The back is higher than or at the level of the head of a sitting person;
A peculiar relief of the back and armrests, reminiscent of “ears” or “wings”.
The overall design of the chair may vary. The upholstery can be smooth or have stitching. The back can be flat or curved. Armrests - solid wood or covered with upholstery and filling.
Beauty and durability are the main advantages of this furniture. English chairs will add style and grace to a room of any design and complexity. Their durability and convenience can be envied. And these characteristics have once again made English armchairs a trend for interior designs.
The disadvantages of the models include their high cost. Most often they are made from expensive natural wood and other Premium materials. Not everyone can buy it. But such chairs will not fit into every design! You will have to carefully consider the design and furnishings.
English armchairs appeared at the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries. Their original appearance was more reminiscent of modern, unremarkable wooden chairs. Later they were upholstered with expensive brocade and protected from wind, cold and drafts with the help of “ears”. And then a chair placed in front of the fireplace could warm and create the coziness described in the books of many writers.
Time passed, and the English, then already famous, chair entered the list of the main attributes of furnishing libraries and country houses. Leather upholstery and metal trim were more suitable for such interiors.
Closer to 1950, the chair lost its former popularity. But after several decades it was noticed by designers and returned to fashion. Today, an English chair can complement classic, avant-garde and other modern interiors. It can be produced both en masse in furniture factories and exclusively in workshops.
History of the English armchair with ears
Similar models have been known for a long time. But the seat closest to the classic English chair appeared only in the 17th century. Initially, these were rather rough chairs made entirely of wood, without filling or upholstery. Ears or wings were intended to shelter the person sitting from the wind and drafts.
By the way, English chairs with a high back are called fireplace chairs . Thanks to its design, the chair not only protects against cold air flows, but also retains heat from the fireplace. Writers of the Victorian era, painting an idyllic picture of family life, often mentioned a blazing hearth and fireplace chairs with wings.
But let's go back to earlier times. The winged chair became widespread at the beginning of the 18th century. In the era of Queen Anne Stuart, it acquires elegance. He gets padding. It is not for nothing that this model is often called a Queen Anne style chair .
Closer to the 19th century, the chair became soft - they began to fill it with horsehair. Expensive upholstery materials are used: velvet, brocade, embroidered fabrics.
French furniture makers borrow the now popular shape and add wings to the classic bergere chair . This is a very elegant French armchair with armrests, a high seat cushion and curved legs. It is distinguished by smooth curves. Initially, “bergeres” did not have any wings or, as the French said, cheeks. But, thanks to English influence, this family was replenished with a winged variation.
French armchair: with and without ears
In the Victorian era, the English armchair with ears and a high back became an integral part of the design of clubs and libraries. As a rule, for furnishing such interiors, preference was given to armchairs with leather upholstery.
In the 20th century, interest in classic English armchairs waned, but did not die out. Creators never stopped turning to historical styles, looking for inspiration in them and drawing ideas for their further processing. Thus, the famous Danish designer Arne Jacobsen in 1958 created an egg chair , with its high eared back reminiscent of a winged English model.
In recent years, armchairs with ears have come back into fashion. They find application in both classic and modern interiors. English-style armchairs are offered by manufacturers and sellers of both luxury furniture and mass-market furniture.
Modern interpretation of the chair
The British have brought many timeless trends to the interior design industry. The English style characteristic of these houses is at once elegant and conservative, but also warm, cozy and somewhat romantic. On the one hand there are solid wooden furniture, and on the other there are soft and comfortable accessories such as upholstery of sofas and sofas, plenty of pillows, thick carpets and curtains. Its characteristic feature is the presence of numerous trinkets: photo frames, porcelain figurines and glass vases with roses.
An English interior cannot do without a wooden table complemented by chairs. The latter must also be made of wood. English-style chairs also have upholstery - suede, cotton or artificial fabric, preferably decorated with floral motifs. The upholstery also often has a checkered pattern or subtle stripes. The shape of English-style chairs can be either straight or slightly rounded, with an oval seat or back.
It’s hard not to notice today’s range of English-style armchair designs. They differ in the shape of the back - straight, embossed, rounded. Orthopedic options are especially relevant, which are positioned and promoted as additional relief for the back.
Features of choice
A special place in the rooms is occupied by upholstered furniture, among which the classic English armchair stands out. Its model features a high back and open sides to protect the owner from drafts. These chairs were originally created for medical purposes and have become an integral and favorite attribute of many older people. Currently, the variety of the model range of such products has increased significantly, so everyone wants to get a chair that best suits their individual preferences.
Size
In England, these chairs are called “reclining chairs,” which means a chair with wings. The unusual back with wings gives this piece of furniture individuality and pleasant charm. Each of these chairs has a unique charm and comfort. It has a small height, depth and a comfortable seat, a massive high back that harmonizes with the armrests, and stylish curved wooden legs, often decorated with carvings.
Upholstery
In the production of these products, mainly natural wood of elite species is used, as well as various types of coatings. Elegant armchairs, packaged in English style, will be made of wear-resistant textiles or a unique linen tapestry with a floral pattern, adding extraordinary femininity and beauty. The English leather chair with screed is also particularly popular. It is extremely practical, easy to maintain and emphasizes its high cost with the amazing quality of the equipment.
English upholstered furniture represents style, quality and durability. The furniture frames are made from solid beech wood, glued, screwed and screwed by hand. The visible panels and legs of the furniture are made from hand-polished fine woods such as oak, mahogany or alder. In particular, English upholstered furniture is distinguished by skillfully turned legs and wooden decorative elements that have no analogues in their high quality and artistic execution.
The upholstery can be made of leather, velvet or other high-quality covering materials. Here too, the cutting and production involved is traditionally done by hand.
Furniture with leather upholstery requires up to seven full cowhide hides, which are dyed to the leather's distinctive antique-like colors using a traditional tanning process. Thanks to the further development of special tanning techniques, a wide range of colors can now be offered.
Additional items
With English upholstered furniture there are practically no limits to your individuality. Solid fabric covers are available in beige, wine red, blue and many other colors. English upholstered furniture with striped or patterned upholstery looks especially elegant. Classic stripes come in nice subtle color combinations such as beige and red or light gray and taupe.
English furniture comes in many different variations. However, any English interior should not lack a typical English armchair. Unlike regular upholstered chairs, English chairs almost always show wood. The best wood is processed into furniture legs, armrests or decorative elements above the backrest. Combining wooden elements with attractive upholstery is what sets British design apart from others.
British home decor is characterized by leather furniture such as leather suites, leather sofas and leather armchairs. Whether it's a modern club chair or a cozy wing chair, the clever combination of wood and leather is highly sought after in England. The advantage of leather is that it is durable and insensitive, and, moreover, becomes more and more valuable over the years if well cared for. An antique leather sofa or leather set looks truly authentic only if it has traces of time.
Today, these signs of use can already be reproduced by tanning leather. The so-called abrasion effect causes aging of the leather without affecting the quality of the material. These days, tans can be tanned in many different shades of color to match any existing home decor. Decorative details such as decorative nails, patchwork and wood embellishments are still handcrafted and complement the representative appearance of the British armchairs.
In particular, antique English armchairs and wing chairs can be combined well with footstools and bedside tables, which, on the one hand, have a very decorative effect, and on the other, create even more coziness. So you can relax and enjoy your English atmosphere.
When choosing chairs in the English style, in addition to the shape, type and color of the upholstery, you should pay attention to what kind of wood they are made of. This determines both their price and durability.
- Pine is a wood that is often used in furniture due to its ease of processing and staining. English style chairs made from it will have a beautiful bright color and visible texture.
- Beech - Beech wood is highly prized in furniture because it is hard, precise, and susceptible to heavy loads. English style beech chairs will also not warp or warp.
- Oak is a very noble and durable material, hard and resistant to abrasion. English-style oak chairs, although not cheap, are an investment that will last for many years. In addition, they have a beautiful light shade, which may darken a little over time.
- Ash is as strong as oak wood, but at the same time retains high elasticity. Chairs made from it in the English style will have an original light yellow color.
History of appearance
This type of furniture first appeared in the 17th century. Initially, such chairs were rough wood products without any upholstery or decor . Their main purpose was protection from cold and drafts blowing through the back. This function was performed by a high back with so-called “ears” or “wings” located on both sides of it.
Black chair with wings
At first, inexpensive armchairs were part of the interior of the poor, but gradually they penetrated into the apartments of rich gentlemen, which in cold England were heated only by a fireplace. Sitting in such a chair opposite the fire turned out to be very pleasant - thanks to the special design, the warmth was retained in it for a long time and gave comfort to its owner.
Armchair with “ears”
Mention of high chairs with “wings” (Wing Chair) can be found in various books of British classics - from Dickens to Conan Doyle.
Fireplace chairs
As their popularity grew, the chairs gradually began to become more elegant; they were covered with material with soft fillings. Seeing interest from noble and wealthy people, manufacturers began to produce models from expensive wood, decorate chairs with gilded carvings, and upholster them in leather and expensive fabrics such as brocade or velvet.
Cozy place to relax near the fireplace
The English armchair becomes the subject of interior design for living rooms, libraries, and clubs. And if at the beginning of the last century interest in this type of furniture began to fade, then recently the popularity of exquisite classic armchairs has never been higher.
English armchairs in the library
Decorators around the world use armchairs to decorate apartments and hotels, and designers find inspiration in them, creating new, modern models based on the classic armchair.
Blue English armchair
