How to design an office in the English style. English style interior design British office furniture
We figure out how to achieve the atmosphere of Baker Street in a modern apartment
History of appearance
The English interior style has evolved over three centuries . It covers four generations of English monarchs: Queen Anne, Kings George I and George II, and Queen Victoria.
The era of Queen Anne is an era baroque . Luxury and grandeur. The abundance of ornament, gilding, artsy furniture. This is the style of palaces and residences.
George I and George II were Germans by origin. George I did not even speak English. It was they who brought to England what we now call the true English style: practicality, rigidity and restraint. Their era is the era Rococo and Classicism.
The age of Queen Victoria became the age of the Victorian style. This eclectic style brings together gothic , baroque and rococo with colonial style. The development of machine production made it accessible to the middle class.
In the end, everything came to what we now call the ethnic English style. Practicality and comfort, restraint and viability.
Features of the English interior
The main concept of the English style is an ideal life in an ideal house. Everything that surrounds a person should be comfortable and practical, but at the same time solid and solid.
In the understanding of the British, this means:
- an abundance of wood (red, walnut and oak), richly but restrainedly decorated;
– upholstered furniture: armchairs, poufs, sofas with rounded shapes;
- traditional patterns: stripes, checks, paisley and flowers;
- colonial motives;
- and, of course, a fireplace
Who will suit the English style?
English style - the style of a family nest and a cozy nest. It is reliable, durable and quiet.
This style carefully stores photographs of family members on the mantelpiece, and the family service and a collection of porcelain figurines behind the glass cabinet doors.
An easy chair by the fireplace and the sound of a grandfather clock will suit those who appreciate traditions and noble comfort.
Basic principles of English style
We have already analyzed examples of the English interior . Therefore, let's go through the basic points, without which the English style is unthinkable.
Comfort is above all. Upholstered furniture is arranged so that it is convenient to have a conversation, having gathered in the living room.
Bright accents. When the sky is gray and raining outside, the vibrant colors are so pleasing to the eye.
Features of the layout in the English style
English style can be embodied in the apartment. Historically, the living rooms in the houses of the British were modest in size, so that it was easier to warm them up in winter.
You can freely move between the living room, dining room and kitchen. They are separated by either an arch or a door with glass inserts.
But the bedroom and office are behind a solid wooden door.
The color scheme of the interior in the English style
The color palette of the English style contains all shades of noble wood, as well as discreet shades of burgundy, green and beige.
Wall decoration
When decorating walls in the English style, plain wallpaper is more often used. Discreet pattern or ornament is allowed. At the same time, wallpapers are selected for furniture, shades and patterns are certainly combined.
Ceiling finish
Ceilings - plain, light, decorated with stucco.
Floor finish
English style means parquet in the living room and bedroom. It can be oak or walnut. It is important that the floor is in harmony with the design of the room.
Corridor and kitchen can be tiled.
Windows and doors
Doors in English interiors are usually made of wood, often with stained glass inserts. This feature is explained by the fact that large glasses in the old days were an expensive pleasure.
English style staircase
The staircase is made of wood and decorated with carvings. It will certainly be combined with wall panels, floors and doors.
Organization of lighting
In the era of George I, a classic English basket chandelier appeared. It has a minimum of bronze and a maximum of glass.
An English living room is unthinkable without elements of the Victorian era - a floor lamp and table lamps.
Proper selection of furniture
The furniture has rounded and soft shapes. An ottoman for legs is appropriate in front of the chair.
All household items are put away in the closet. Only beautiful service and accessories are in sight.
Do not forget about the carpet brought from the English colonies.
Textile
A red thread through the entire interior is the memory of the colonial past of England. Exotic birds and plants have their place on the curtains and pillows of an English living room.
Accessories and decor
Classic English decor is paintings and tapestries on the walls, a thousand little things on the mantelpiece, candlesticks and vases.
Probably, you looked at all these photos and thought that English interiors are a little old-fashioned. True, the traditional English house often sins with this. But it’s hard to come up with something more comfortable and homely. British design is not about impressions and outrageousness, but about boundless duo. Not for nothing, the guru of British design, says: "An English house is when you can climb onto the sofa with your feet."
Rich and restrained - this is the main principle of the English style in the interior. That is why it is so often used in the design of the office: the recognized calling card of its owner. The English style combines the stylistic features of different eras, and today is perceived as a classic. But, nevertheless, the interior of the cabinet in the English style, in comparison with other representatives of classical styles, has its own characteristics. Consider the design of an office in the English style.
History of the English cabinet
First of all, the interior of the study in the English style combines two directions that form its basis: these are the Victorian and Georgian styles. This combination allows you to create an office moderately luxurious style on the verge of sophistication with a sense of taste and proportion.
It lacks overloaded decor, elegance of forms, in contrast to the Rococo or Baroque styles. But it contains elements of Indian, Chinese and Egyptian cultures. In the 19th century, William Morris, who is considered the founder of the English style, was able to find and realize the “golden mean” between the outdated pomposity of castles and impending technological progress in the interior. Today, an English-style office is considered a sign of wealth and status.
Features of the design of the cabinet in the English style
Furniture selection
The English style in the interior of the office is not difficult to recognize. The first thing that catches your eye is the furniture. It is made of solid wood, subjected to minimal surface treatment: rubbed with wax or varnished. Thanks to this, it is possible to convey all the beauty of the wood texture. It is not uncommon for cabinet furniture in the English style to be made to order. The price of such furniture is quite high, and can reach hundreds of thousands of dollars and more.
The price is determined not only by the quality of the materials, but also by the fame of the designer who developed it. Cheap analogues of expensive furniture are also produced. Instead of an array of natural wood, chipboard, MDF, multilayer plywood, and metal are used for its manufacture. If we talk about upholstered furniture, then the quality of the filler, upholstery, fittings, etc. is also taken into account.
Foam rubber is used as a filler for cheap furniture, which is short-lived and quickly loses its shape. Latex and holofiber are very expensive fillers, as well as their natural counterparts - swan's down, horsehair, natural feather. But the difference in quality is very significant. It is quite difficult to purchase furniture with such fillers, since it has a rather high cost and it is not profitable to mass-produce it.
But the design of the office requires quality, and you should not save on furniture for it. Upholstery significantly affects the cost of furniture, quality and its appearance. For example, polyester velor has an abrasion coefficient of 50 thousand revolutions compared to cheaper chenille - 6-10 thousand. Furniture for an office should be selected with leather upholstery, or with upholstery made of cotton or linen fabrics. Such fabrics have a characteristic checkered pattern or pattern in the form of vertical lines or flowers.
Particular attention should be paid to the choice of leather furniture. Leather furniture from Italian manufacturers is considered to be of the highest quality. It does not wear out, has high strength, good ventilation. Each company offers its own classification of categories, which in turn can be divided into classes.
The most expensive leather is the leather of the highest category, it is thick, but soft, has a natural pattern. Leather of a lower category is thick and tough. In the production of expensive furniture, the same category of leather is used equally for the side and back parts. The quality of leather furniture is not difficult to determine if you sit down on it. If the folds quickly disappear - the furniture is of high quality.
You also need to pay attention to the seams - they should be neat, without overlaps and sloppy holes from the needle. Leather furniture will be more expensive if the latter is double stitched. The color scheme of furniture upholstery should be calm, not contain complex patterns. Wooden cabinet furniture in the English style is mainly selected in dark color. It is characterized by the clarity of geometric and the simplicity of geometric shapes; congestion with decor is not allowed.
Color scheme and lighting
An English-style office design requires plenty of natural light. To create artificial lighting, chandeliers, wall sconces, floor lamps are used. Crystal, gilding, yellow copper are the basis not only for lighting fixtures, but also for many accessories. In the interior of the cabinet in the English style, the number of lamps should be even. Symmetry and balance of color composition - that's what is important.
The color scheme allows the use of golden pink, lemon yellow warm shades, as well as rich green and azure cold shades. Wall upholstery with fabric or wallpaper with a traditional pattern in the form of dark red or dark green vertical stripes or with a floral motif is very popular.
Decoration Materials
The interior of the English office should be dominated by natural materials. The largest share among them is the tree. Wooden office can have not only furniture, but also wall panels, floor beams, accessories, floor parquet. The most popular color combination for an English style office is dark wood and green. Also, for an office in the English style, the presence of stucco is characteristic. Finishing materials have a fairly high cost. In the English style, where compliance with all canons is required, it is not easy to find cheaper prices, but, nevertheless, it is possible. For example, gypsum stucco molding can be replaced with polyurethane decor, and gilding can be replaced with gold leaf.
Decor in the interior of the cabinet in the English style
The decor in the office is mainly based on antique motifs. Cornices, pilasters, keyhole shields, beautifully shaped handles - each of these little things makes up a complete picture of the interior. Expensive upholstery, floor coverings in the form of thick woolen carpets also play a decorative role. In addition, the English office will be beautifully decorated with Impressionist paintings, modern paintings on classical themes. Paintings by such artists as Stubbs, Sutton, Whistler, Leiltan, Constable, Kurabye, Aivazovsky or Bryullov will suit the interior decor. Sports themes are great. This tradition is associated with the image of a horse and a jockey on a copy of Sutton's painting, decorated in a beautiful wooden baguette, which will complement the interior of the office.
It is impossible not to mention the importance of window design as a decorative component of the office interior. Austrian, London, Roman and scalloped curtains are used in classic interiors due to their splendor and elegance. For Austrian curtains, brocade or silk is used, and to add splendor they are made on linings. Often Austrian curtains are complemented by other curtains. For London curtains, heavier fabrics are used that hold their shape well: rep, taffeta, jacquard.
London curtains look great in the interior of an English office if they are made from two contrasting fabrics. There are universal Roman blinds that fit any interior. They can be supplemented with curtains and lambrequins. The completion of the window and the stylistic accent will be given by metal finials, such as "Victorian coil", "Equator", etc.
The main goal for which the office interior design is being developed is to provide comfortable working conditions. The main requirements for furniture in this room are ergonomics, convenience and quick access to all necessary documents.
The color scheme should be selected in such a way that it sets you in a working mood and does not allow you to relax.
Otherwise, the interior design of an office in an apartment or office can be made in a free style, in full accordance with your requirements.
Study room in the office: main features
The interior design of a study in an office is usually quite simple.
For its furnishings, tables and chairs for employees are used, as well as document storage systems - cabinets or cabinets that do not take up much free space.
Many companies today are trying to isolate workplaces, for which mobile partitions made of glass or polycarbonate are used.
They allow the “white collar” to focus on the main task and eliminate all distractions.
The interior design of the office of the head of the company looks more solid.
It usually consists of three main areas:
The director's office is the place where big deals are made.
Therefore, it should look the same. The color scheme is selected in such a way as to set the manager, subordinates, as well as business partners of the company in a working mood, not to let them relax while solving serious issues.
Home office: ideal conditions for solving the most complex tasks
Many people today work not only in offices, but also at home.
Therefore, it is unlikely that you will be able to do without a personal office in the apartment. What should be the design of this room? We can give several answers to this question at once.
The interior design of an office in a house, its spatial organization should include several functional areas:
- an ergonomic workplace with a writing (or computer) table and a comfortable chair in which you can spend the whole day without experiencing any discomfort;
- cabinets, shelves, racks that make up storage systems for documents, accessories and other things;
- small meeting area. For her, it is better to use a coffee table with several chairs or easy chairs;
- library;
- a place for a comfortable stay, where you can install either a cozy deep armchair or a sofa.
If you want to design a small office, some areas will have to be sacrificed. But still, you definitely cannot do without a workplace and a meeting room.
We equip a study in the house: choosing a place
Before you start developing the design of an office in an apartment, you need to decide on its location.
If you own a dwelling that has three or more rooms, there will be no problems.
Otherwise, you will have to allocate a working area in one of the following rooms:
In the process of choosing a suitable place for office equipment, be sure to pay attention to the ability to work in silence, to concentrate on solving certain problems.
This is especially true for creative people, whom even small distractions can knock out of the flow.
Cabinet styles: how to make the right choice?
An office, equipped in an office or apartment, is a room designed exclusively for work.
Therefore, it is very important to choose a design style that will set you up for work and will allow you to focus on the main tasks.
We suggest using one of the options detailed below.
English style
It makes it possible not only to create a comfortable environment, but also to emphasize the high status of the owner, his position in society.
In such an interior should be harmoniously combined:
The main requirement for an interior in the English style is complete naturalness. 
Light brown, juicy green, beige colors should prevail in the color scheme. It is better to exclude excessively bright tones immediately.
Classic style
It suggests a chic, but not flashy environment.
Everything should be as strict as possible without “funny” details in the interior. The classic is often the choice of rich and respectable businessmen.
Important elements are a large crystal chandelier, as well as strict table lamps that match the overall design style.
Beautiful handmade carpets made from natural materials, candelabra, paintings and expensive vases are also used.
Modern technology is better to disguise or hide from prying eyes.
In a small room, classic or English style is unlikely to be used, as they require space.
Therefore, as an alternative, we offer a modern design, which implies the presence of the following details in the setting:
An easy way to develop a high-quality office design
It is not difficult to design a working area in an apartment in an original way today.
You can surf the Internet, look at photos of the office interior design, choose, slightly adjust according to your needs and implement the most interesting ideas.
Despite this, the best way to develop a competent interior design of a study room is to contact specialized studios.
Such companies work in close cooperation with the customer, listen carefully to their wishes. In addition, they can supervise the implementation of the created design project by repair companies to ensure that the client's requirements are fully met.
An office is a necessary room in respectable apartments. If you like to work from home, host business partners or just want to create a suitable room for intellectual activity, then you cannot do without it. What to do if you have planned to create a personal office in your home and do not know what style it is best to decorate it in? In this case, the best solution is the classic. This time, our series of articles focuses on some of the styles of traditional office interiors. And we will start with a universal design in the English style.
British cabinet style: why it?
Somewhat earlier, our portal introduced readers to the traditional English interior style. We have already mentioned that this type of decoration is best suited to conservative people who are not alien to romantic and adventurous moods. It is also worth adding that the English design of the cabinet has been a classic for this room for more than a hundred years. An office in this style often appears in the literary works of Charles Dickens and Arthur Conan Doyle.
The popularity of this type of decoration is also due to the fact that it is suitable for both women and men. By choosing a dense and discreet color scheme, you can create an English interior that is consistent with almost any character and mood. In addition, by choosing this style in the office, you can be sure that you will impress your colleagues and clients as a serious and respected person.
Office design in English style
When creating an office, it is necessary to take into account not only the stylistic direction, but also the functionality of the room. Start the design with a desk - it is he who is the main character here. In the English style, it should combine grace and massiveness. Take care of sufficient lighting of the workplace: place the table opposite the window.
Next, a comfortable chair is selected. Now popular office chairs on wheels are not a good option for the English style. Therefore, it is better to purchase a chair with carved legs with armrests and a leather or tapestry seat.
In a classic English classroom, it is also customary to make a library. Therefore, you cannot do without a strict symmetrical shelving with carved inlay or custom-made wooden shelves. In addition to books, documents are stored in home offices. A good solution for this purpose would be a special cabinet for files. Place it near the workplace so that you have access to the necessary papers at any time. It’s also a good idea to create a comfortable place for reading: a soft sofa with an embroidered cover, a coffee table and classic sconces.
British office furnishings
To design a classic cabinet in the English style, use furniture made of precious wood. This is necessary not only to create a traditional style. Such furniture will serve you all your life and can be inherited.
To furnish an office in the style of classic English literature, you may like:
1. Desk Corsica - graceful forms and functional drawers.
2. Oxford chair - ergonomic shape and smooth lines. Lined with genuine leather.
3. The Batavia drawer will hold the most necessary documents and papers.
4. Lombok bookcase - classic symmetrical design.
5. Coffee table Batavia - strict form and texture of valuable wood.
If you want to plunge into the atmosphere of good old England and feel like a versatile intellectual of the 19th century, without a doubt decorate your home office in the English style.
The English style is restrained and conservative. This is the interior of real aristocrats. Here is the realm of austere luxury, which can be created using only the highest quality materials and furnishings, so a lot of money is always required to reproduce such decor. In this direction, you can decorate any room in the house, but the English-style office will look most chic, where elements inherent in the Gregorian and Victorian eras are intertwined. Once such a tandem was a curiosity, but today it is already considered a classic.
The specifics of the office interior
Consumables
We furnish the office in the English style
Game of contrasts
Parts and accessories
Photo gallery - an office in the English style:
And what, in fact, will be characterized by the presence of the English style in the interior? First of all, notes of unobtrusive luxury, restraint of the situation and a certain solemnity of the atmosphere. Everything that will be present in the office must be imbued with the spirit of England.
office in English style in green tones
The material for finishing office walls is often fabric. According to tradition, it may be attended by:
- Vertical stripes.
- Original floral motifs.
- Gilding.
Most of the furnishings are made of wood and textiles.
With regard to decor, I would like to note that there will definitely be a fireplace in an English-style office. The ceiling will be decorated with stucco, and the floor will be lined with parquet or covered with marble. The atmosphere of such a room will always have the spirit of antiquity, which will be supported by unusual cornices, woolen carpets and shields on keyholes. All these decorative elements are usually made with incredible chic, so they perfectly complement the overall picture.
crimson curtains - a bright accent in an English-style office
Will not be superfluous on the walls of the office and pictures. The works of the Impressionists, canvases on sports topics are perfect. Modern painting is also appropriate in such an exquisite room, the main thing is that its subjects should be on classical themes. The window area can be decorated with Roman, Austrian or London types of curtains. Also, in a room decorated in the English direction, there is always a lot of brocade, silk and heavy fabrics from the taffeta or rep series.
In the classical understanding of an English-style cabinet, there is a library area, so you will need to purchase a strictly symmetrical shelving decorated with carved inlay, or order shelves made of precious wood.
In addition to books, documents are often stored in home offices. This is very convenient to do in the cabinet for files. Place this piece of furniture in the work area, next to the table. Thus, you will always have access to the necessary papers. It is necessary to make a comfortable reading corner in the office, equipping it with a soft sofa, a coffee table and a classic sconce. Ideally, the sofa is covered with a beautiful embroidered cover.
soft sofa in the design of the cabinet in the English style
Consumables
The English style does not tolerate glass, metal, plastic and other types of cutting-edge finishing materials. Almost everything here is made in wood. In an English-style office, not only furniture can be wooden. Floor beams, wall panels, flooring and various decorative accessories are made from this material. Another mandatory attribute of exquisite decor is stucco molding.
As you understand, all consumables are quite expensive and it is not so easy to find a way to reduce the cost of interior decoration, because in the English style one cannot violate the canons. Here, perhaps, it is possible to replace gypsum stucco molding with polyurethane decor, and instead of gilding, use gold leaf. In this case, you will notice a significant difference in price.
leather furniture as one of the main attributes of an office in a classic style
Sometimes designers go to extreme lengths and replace the wooden ceiling with a skillful imitation made from pressed cardboard. This surface is decorated with oil paints.
The floors in the office are lined with:
- Parquet.
- Marble.
- Solid wood boards.
- Natural stone.
An alternative to these chic materials can only be porcelain stoneware, which can perfectly imitate any of the above materials and costs significantly less.
fireplace in the study, decorated in English style
We furnish the office in the English style
The main thing that attracts the eye of those entering the office is stylish upholstered furniture. The wooden part of the sofas and armchairs is always treated with wax, and for the upholstery of the seats and backs, natural and very soft leather of the highest quality is used. Sometimes it turns out that it is furniture that becomes the main expense item when decorating a room in the English style.
In addition to leather, velor, linen or cotton fabrics can be used in the decoration of armchairs, and not always plain. They may well have a pattern in the form of patterns, a cage or a classic stripe.
a massive writing desk will emphasize the English style of the office
The most unique piece of interior cabinet is a desk. It is always an expensive thing, sometimes antique. Today, like many years ago, such tables are made of solid oak.
The mass production of such furniture is unprofitable, because the cost of production is incredibly high, which automatically translates interior furnishings for an English-style office into the category of luxury furniture.
The color scheme also shows a trend towards chic. Wenge color, coffee tones, chocolate and dark brown shades look luxurious in this decor, which can contrast with ivory and light beige.
office interior in english style in bright colors
Game of contrasts
Wanting to get the effect of solemnity, you still should not give preference to exclusively dark tones in color design, no matter how noble they are. Even with some gloom inherent in English interiors, this will be a clear overkill. Contrasting decors will look much more effective. Try to make only one of the walls in a dark design, and leave the rest in the power of light colors. The same should be done with a dark floor covering - it must be shaded with a light carpet.
Parts and accessories
Curtains must be present on the windows of an English-style office. Not blinds, not blinds, not Roman models, but real curtains made of heavy and, of course, solid materials. Only they will be able to create the necessary blackout in the room at the height of a sunny day, which designers call the “night effect”.
