Fire Safety Encyclopedia

House in the English style: an overview of the design for suburban and urban buildings (80 photos). Traditional typical English house Interior composition of the house

The classicism of the English style for decorating country houses attracts both designers and ordinary people with its functionality, severity and ability to well demonstrate the taste and character of its guests. Photos of houses in the English style demonstrate the external roughness of uncladded facades with low-lying window openings and a bright red tiled roof.

Distinctive elements of the outer side of the English apartments are:

  • wall surfaces lined with natural stone elements or bricks;
  • lack of carved parts;
  • asymmetry in the location of the exterior composition;
  • the presence of columns;
  • narrow color palette;
  • gable roof;
  • the area near the house is planted with a garden and flowers.


Types of English country buildings

The architecture of the English building is recognizable all over the world. There are three main architectural and construction directions with their own peculiarities and features.

Tudor brownie style. Visually, such buildings resemble fabulous village houses. However, the external appearance is a bit rude.

The main architectural features of this type are:

  • the presence of high gables on the main front part;
  • a roof with a steep slope and irregularities at the edges;
  • large tube and miniature dormers;
  • the general outline of the building is asymmetrical;
  • the entrance has an arched structure.


Georgian architectural style. For the modern English building world, this direction is the most popular. The buildings in the Georgian direction look magnificent and simple at the same time.

The direction is characterized by the following features:

  • symmetry;
  • window openings of the same size, which have the same location;
  • lack of all kinds of embellishments;
  • the main facade of the building is decorated with five windows;
  • the front door is very low;
  • low roof.

Victorian direction. It features decorative cladding and contrasting color combinations.

Its features:

  • asymmetrical arrangement;
  • overall area of ​​the veranda;
  • decorative finishing of wall surfaces with stone or siding;
  • ornamental and stucco elements.

The main feature of the houses made in the English style is the construction of a building made of red bricks. Thanks to this material, which has a very reasonable cost, the life of the house is increased.

Another advantage is the high sound insulation qualities inside the premises.

The English apartment project is characterized by the presence of two full floors and, in some cases, an attic. The entrance to the room is located in the middle.

Architectural features

The foundations of a typical English residential building are very low, so the floor surface is almost flat on the ground. You will not be able to meet the usual basements and garages in the house, since the English style does not imply this.

Sometimes the owners can equip a small cellar or storage room in the dwelling. The external facade is not decorated or revetted in any way, so it looks rather rough.

Window openings of a rectangular or square shape of the first level are located low. The roof of the house is covered with red tiles, its shape is sharp, and the structure is very high. In recent years, the roofs of English houses have been made of straw or reed.

The porch is attached to the house only if the building is located on a plot with a slope. But the entrance doors and windows are often framed by awnings.

The ivy curling along the canopy brings a special luxury to the design of the house in the English style. It is customary to plant small gardens and picturesque flower beds near the English residential building.

Layout inside the house

The main living area of ​​the first floor is represented by a spacious living room, which, as a rule, is combined with a dining room, corridor sections and a hall. The guest room is necessarily made light, since there are many window openings in the room. Another room on the first level is a study.

The second floor is considered a sleeping area. In total, there are three sleeping rooms, one of which contains a bathroom and a wardrobe.

Interior composition of the house

The main conditions for creating an internal English interior for a private house are comfort and coziness. The living room is equipped in such a way that all guests and households are comfortable here.

Natural wood is chosen as finishing materials typical for work in the English style. The floor surfaces are covered with a noble parquet flooring.

The chosen direction is characterized by large spacious areas for the living room, however, with the help of design techniques and in small rooms, it is possible to create a project that is distinguished by its showiness and style.


An obligatory element of the interior decoration, characteristic of the English style, is a fireplace. It acts as the center of the entire interior composition in the guest area.

The fireplace can be clad with various materials in the form of marble, wood or limestone panels. It is customary to display clocks, bronze sculptures, flowerpots with flowers and snuff boxes with cigarette cases on the shelf above the fireplace.

The English stylistic direction is perfect for decorating a private country residence.

Photos of houses in the English style

Dreams of a solid, comfortable and beautiful home may someday come true. It all depends on how much these dreams will be combined with physical and mental efforts.

And if you have such (or somewhat different) house (or apartment), you need to be fully armed and equip your home, finally, as you would like. 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 the English style. The photo below shows a classic living room with a carpet, sofa and armchairs "with ears". A low table in front of the sofa with a top covered with natural leather is a visiting card of the English house. The combination of furniture with thin legs (sofa and armchairs) with more massive and voluminous 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 shades 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 look through a book or watch TV. Everything is simple, but looking at this interior, you understand that everything is fine in this house with coziness and arrangement!

In an English house, there are usually large windows decorated with floor-length curtains. This gives the rooms a special elegance.

Small spaces with low ceilings, natural wood paneling, olive green 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 witnesses of the past colonial conquests of the British. Much in the interior, like outlandish plants, appeared in the homes of the British thanks to fearless sailors who brought all this from their long sea voyages.

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

A fireplace or stove that 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 listen to the firewood crackling and feel the warmth go through the room.

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

Winter evenings will not seem tiresomely long, in such a small room next to your loved ones it is warm and you don't want to go anywhere.

And around the fireplace you can place all the lovely portraits and small paintings.

The chimney is like a home decoration.

The 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 the English house is solid, but also other interior items. The British do not fill their home with cheap trinkets, and if they do bring a thing into the house, then forever.

The secret of the quality and quality of English furniture lies in the use of natural materials for its manufacture and the skill of furniture makers.

Such a 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 bedspread with ruffles; pillowcases on the pillows and curtains on the windows should be in tune with it.

All English furniture is reliable and of high quality, serving for 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 is pleasing to the eye.

Once the canopy over the bed was a testament to the greatness of its owner. Now this addition to the interior of the bedroom is being arranged over their beds by romantic people.

Order in the house - order and in thoughts, success in work, calm and measured life.

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

Everything is at hand here, everything is familiar and familiar. And it has always been so, because the conservative British honor their traditions and keep the connection between generations. Wonderful handmade furniture is passed on from grandmother to granddaughter.

English cuisine can be in light colors with obligatory chair covers, with fabric curtains on glass cabinet doors, with lace curtains on the windows.

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

Tableware in England has always been made not only porcelain, earthenware, but also ceramic and metal.

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

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

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

To make your fairy-tale house not only cozy and comfortable inside, but also pleasing to the eye outside, it should be surrounded by green spaces.

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

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

And this, albeit small, but such a sweet home, also looks soundly.

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

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

It is easy to breathe on such a sunny terrace among the abundance of plants.

A sofa can be placed not only on the veranda or terrace, but also in the garden in front of the house and admire 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, take a closer look, and you will see it too.

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

"My home is my fortress" - so now not only the British say. After all, all people in the world understand that their home is part of the happy existence of a whole family.

There is no need to copy from the British their way of life, their homes and interiors. We are different, but no one forbids us to adopt the experience and learn from other peoples the quality of life, improve our culture of life, equip our homes, 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 should be said that their influence on the conservative by tradition and way of life of the British is very small. It is enough to look at the traditional and typical dwelling of the village.

Classic modern city and country house

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

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

But, to say most is to say nothing. Therefore, it is worth clarifying that the majority in British reality is about 80 percent. That is how many inhabitants of foggy Albion live in their own homes. There are also cities there. And there are a lot of them. But in the cities and in the countryside, conservative Englishmen prefer a private house.

What does modern living in England look like? A typical English house is a two or three storey building. Moreover, the understanding of the number of storeys is somewhat different from ours. The locals consider the first floor to be zero. And only that which is above the level of the earth's surface is considered the first and next floors.

The house is usually built of red bricks. Moreover, no external wall decoration is provided. This is a fairly durable and beautiful material. And the houses from it in the conditions of the island and mild climate have stood for centuries. This is why the ground floor is built at ground level. The foundations are not high here. And you will not 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 severe winters by local standards. For reference, it is worth mentioning that on the territory of Russia, the depth of soil freezing can reach up to 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 are striking in their variety. This is also due to the traditions of the British. They love to diversify their homes. So much so that with a general similarity of projects, houses can turn out to be completely different.

This is facilitated not only by the canopies and awnings over the entrance doors. Each house must have a small lawn where you can make a flower bed or flower garden. And the buildings themselves are often decorated with climbing plants. At the same time, it happens that through the plants the house is almost invisible. And of course, the house is decorated with numerous decorative elements. The design of English houses is diverse.

Old English village house

An old English house can be seen in the countryside. And really old houses are protected by the law. They can be purchased and lived there. But it is forbidden to radically rebuild or change the appearance of such a building. Moreover, inside such a building can be made completely modern.

The concept of countryside and countryside is somewhat different here. In essence, villages are small towns. The roads are asphalted, the territories are ennobled. You will not see vegetable gardens with potato plantations in them. The villagers do not grow vegetables and fruits. They are engaged in the cultivation of flower beds and lawns. Therefore, any English village is cozy and clean.

Farmers who do not live in villages are engaged in the cultivation of vegetables and fruits. They live on the outskirts, or as we say in a settlement or a farm, that is, separately. Most of the 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, the front door opens directly onto the sidewalk, if there is one. Sometimes there is a flower garden or a small lawn between the wall of the house and the road. There are no vegetable gardens, as mentioned above. But there is always the pride of the owner behind the house - his lawn and flower beds.

In the village, the 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 town house. And the second floor is often attic. But in the village you can see the roofs made of reed and grass. They look very original and beautiful.

In ancient times, a roof covered with reeds or grasses spoke of the owner's poverty. But times are changing and today few wealthy homeowners can afford such a roof. Nowadays, the presence of a cane roof speaks of the wealth of the owner of the house.

The interior of the dwelling of the British

Usually on the ground floor there is a living room, a kitchen and an office, if any. 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 dinner table.

The living room often has a fireplace, which is found in almost every British home. Opposite the fireplace, by tradition, an armchair or sofa is placed. A tea table, which is covered with a tablecloth, will also be appropriate near it. In the office, they usually put a table and an armchair, and shelves for books 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 minimal set of furniture. There is never anything superfluous in them. Only the most necessary things and items.

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

Traditions of the English home

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

You will find a historical insight into the origins of a comfortable and so cute looking English dwelling. Photos of houses and interiors are contemporary.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, England became the center of world trade and a powerful colonial power. Country estates are becoming the defining type of English housing. During this period, architecture, named after the ruling dynasty, was called "Tudor". The estates have already lost their serf 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 worked 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. Requirements for reliability and defenses gave way to concerns about the best lighting and ventilation of the premises, now the housing had to be comfortable, have not only cozy living rooms, but also beautiful ceremonial rooms, and the beauty of their decoration should testify 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 on the walls with carved oak panels, and above them were hung hunting trophies, weapons and portraits of eminent ancestors. The ceiling was covered with stucco or carved open rafters.

Living rooms were located on one side of the hall, and utility rooms on the other. This configuration of the house goes back to the old wooden dwelling of the Saxons, where utility and living quarters were located around a threshing floor, the ceiling of which served as open roof rafters. An indispensable attribute of the house was a huge fireplace that reached almost to the ceiling. 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.



Outside, the building was clad in bricks and trimmed with white hewn stone details. These details were decorated with intertwining curls of carving, masks, figures of monsters. The contrasting combination of decorative white stone parts and brick surfaces is a characteristic feature of English architecture.



At the same time, a large number of half-timbered houses began to be built in English villages (the influence of Flemish architects affected). Their facades are covered with a frequent grid of wooden beams - half-timbered, which 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 the city and in the countryside, retained many of the architectural features of the estates of the past, but became more compact. The center of the building was still a traditional hall and staircase, and the rest of the rooms were grouped around them.


Utility rooms have moved to the basement floor. As before, the houses were brick houses 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 motives. Walls covered with carved oak panels, carved fireplaces and white staircases decorated with sculpture.

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



Fidelity to tradition is known to be a distinctive feature of the British. The reason for this was the island isolation, and the restrained nature, 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 the avant-garde, and authenticity to stylization, so if there is oak furniture in the house, it means that it is really from solid oak, and not finished "like an oak". Everything in this house is established 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, is just as popular today. And the wood species used for the production of furniture are all the same as many centuries ago: oak, walnut, yew. But this furniture, on which many generations of ancestors sat, is as if fanned with a special aura and creates an indescribable charm of an English home.

Each new generation of its inhabitants, without changing anything inherited from their ancestors, brought something of their own into the atmosphere. So from the colonies they brought wicker ratan furniture for the terrace, from travels to the East - Arab lamps, Japanese screens and engravings. And, as a consequence of the gradual acquisition, pieces of furniture in the interior differ in tone and style, generally creating a kind of harmony.


A large place in the decor of an English house is occupied by textiles: lamp shades for lamps, covers on sofas and chairs, pillows and blankets on armchairs, curtains and a canopy over the bed. The color scheme is usually light and calm. And the drawings are varied from a Scottish cage and printed calico in a small flower 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.


Typically English drawing with luscious 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 fence off the wet fog and drizzle outside the window, remembering the English century-old lawns and luxurious flower beds. Plain, striped, small floral patterns or covered with antique oak panels, the walls of the house are decorated with tapestries and paintings: watercolors, prints, landscapes painted in oil, of course, originals.


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


The kitchen in an English house is a special room. Solid wood furniture, carved and painted in light colors: a chest of drawers, a slide with dishes, open shelves with ceramics, most often blue and white. Plates with discreet patterns of all sizes, candlesticks, teapots. What used to be used today serves as a decoration of the kitchen. Modern household appliances in such a kitchen are "hidden", but the decoration of the kitchen is a fireplace-fireplace, which was previously used for warmth and cooking, and 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, carpet, lamp, painting or furniture on the terrace - correspond to the customs and habits of this particular family, are associated with family stories and legends. English interiors of the Victorian era are very individual and natural - this is their main distinguishing feature and this is the special charm of the style of a traditional English house.


Unfortunately, nowadays modern Englishmen of average income level do not strive to follow age-old traditions, while Russian-speakers who have moved to Albion with pleasure and meticulousness recreate replicas of such spectacular and beloved Victorian interiors, skillfully inscribing British notes into the modern style with the help of designers:


The house is usually built of red bricks. Moreover, no external wall decoration is provided. This is a fairly durable and beautiful material. And the houses from it in the conditions of the island and mild climate have stood for centuries. This is why the ground floor is built at ground level. The foundations are not high here. And you will not see any porch or terrace at the front door.

And now we go inside ... Just a picture from a magazine! The owners wanted to add both rustic and modern elements to the design.

How do you like?

Very nice atmosphere in the kitchen. The classic look is successfully combined with modern equipment.

In the village, the 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 town house. And the second floor is often attic. But in the village you can see the roofs made of reed 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 grasses spoke of the owner's poverty. But times are changing and today few wealthy homeowners can afford such a roof. Nowadays, the presence of a cane roof speaks of 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 any. 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 dinner table.

The living room often has a fireplace, which is found in almost every British home. Opposite the fireplace, by tradition, an armchair or sofa is placed. A tea table, which is covered with a tablecloth, will also be appropriate near it. In the office, they usually put a table and an armchair, and shelves for books 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 minimal set of furniture. There is never anything superfluous in them. Only the most necessary things and items.

Another traditional design element, albeit an outdoor one, is the arrangement of the lawn and flower beds. The lawn is the pride of the owner of the house. It has been cultivated and ennobled 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.

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