The Regency era romps back onto our screens tonight with the new series of Bridgerton on Netflix and Sanditon on Britbox.
The lives and loves of the characters will once more fascinate their millions of fans. But another key attraction is the elegant and colourful style of the period’s decor.
Influenced by Classical Greece and Rome, the Far East and the Middle East, this style adorned aristocratic houses between 1811 and 1820 when George IV, a lavish spender on his mansions, was Prince Regent.
Opulent: A Regency-style room with plush cushions and elegant chinoiserie wallpaper
The first series of Bridgerton raised eyebrows with its raunchy action. But it also stirred a new interest in antique ‘brown’ furniture and handpainted floral and bird motif chinoiserie wallpapers from firms such as De Gournay and Cutter Brooks.
‘The look is miles from the minimalism that was popular for so long.’ says Olivia Emery, of Olivia Emery Interiors. ‘It came along when we needed a bit of colour and extravagance, something characterful.
‘Regency interiors have always inspired me — their symmetry and classicism, often with a bold and playful twist.’
At John Lewis: one of the most in-demand pieces in its spring furniture collection is a £79 bobbin side table. Bobbin furniture was very much in vogue during the Regency years.
‘Regency reigns supreme this spring,’ says Alex Fox, John Lewis home design stylist.
The Bridgerton look, dubbed Regencycore, is set to gain more followers, particularly as it is possible to add early 19th century touches to more contemporary settings.
An haute-luxe example is the New York apartment of Bridgerton executive producer Shonda Rhimes, as featured in Architectural Digest magazine.
It has all the Regencycore essentials: a chandelier, cushions in vibrant floral patterns, a gilt mirror, an imposing bed, rugs and pale blue paint.
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Plush cushions
Cushions are the low-cost route to Regency chic. At Habitat, the emerald green velvet Regency cushion is reduced to £17.50 from £26.25 and its Manor House range of floral print velvet cushions, which were £10 are now £5.
If you think your passion for Regencycore is enduring, the pineapple print £75 Ananas Teal cushion from Warner House, could be for you. The pineapple was a Regency status symbol, seen only on the tables of the wealthy.
Gilt mirrors
The ornate gilt-framed mirror is another item in which you can invest thousands or a modest sum.
Ossowski, the London antique mirror shop, is auctioning a rare Regency mirror for the British Red Cross Ukraine appeal through Roseberys.
John Lewis has a Matthew Williamson Rose Garden mirror (£150) which would give an opulent touch to an understated interior. The Rennes antique-style gilt mirror at Select Mirrors looks grand but costs just £36.
Bougie beds
The French Bedroom company specialises in ornate beds with upholstered headboards and cabriole legs, such as the Lit d’Amour from £1,995.
The Bonaparte bed (from £2,995) has an elaborately carved cream headboard and base.
If you would not rest easy amid such imperial grandeur named after Britain’s key enemy of the period, Derbyshire-based Blackpop offers a handmade quilted pink and green bed throw (£756) in a pattern that is a modern twist on a Regency print.
Sumptuous chandeliers
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If you are seeking authenticity, an eight-light Regency chandelier attributed to Hancock & Rixon, the London chandelier maker that catered for the nobility of the period will set you back £24,000 on the auction site 1stdibs (1stdibs.com).
Contemporary chandeliers are more affordable. The four-bulb Capulet brass and glass chandelier from Pooky is £895 (pooky.com).
The cream and gold three-light Vogue from Dunelm costs £129. Its structure mimics the trailing tree branches of chinoiserie wallpaper (dunelm.com).
Persian rugs
The highly-polished wooden floors of Regency houses were covered with Persian rugs. John Lewis has hand-knotted rugs in rich reds and blues from £345.
At Ruggable, the Ademi Paprika Red Rug costs from £79 to £639 depending on size.
Dunelm’s Vintage Kashan One rug in blue or grey appears antique, designed to look like an heirloom dating back to the early 1800s, and is priced from £39 to £499.
Pastel paints
Paint can be a subtle nod to the elegance of the period. Will Hughes-Jones, Bridgerton production designer, used Wedgwood’s blues and creams as an inspiration, saying that the Bridgerton family mansion should give the appearance of being ‘inside a piece of Wedgwood ceramic’.
Little Greene offer a shade of pale blue paint that evokes Wedgwood’s Jasperware. B&M’s Isla Duck Egg wallpaper (£10.99 a roll) is a low key mix of blues and florals for those unsure about the flamboyant florals of which Regency decorators were so fond.
