Bridgerton, Our Love Affair With Regency Interiors

Inspired by best-selling author Julia Quinn’s novels, the plotline follows two competing families in London in the early 1800s: the understatedly elegant Bridgertons and the ostentatiously wealthy Featheringtons. The exquisite interiors reflects each family’s social standing, with a refined palette of blue, white and champagne reserved for the Bridgertons, whilst bold citrus shades dominate both the home and wardrobes of the Featheringtons. This synergy between the sets and the costumes makes for a visual delight that beautifully captures the grandeur and flamboyance beloved of the Regency period. In this blog, we take inspiration from Bridgerton’s lavish interiors and share how we have weaved elements of Regency style into our own luxury residences.

'Regency style was synonymous with splendour. From furniture upholstered in silk to damask wallpaper, no expense was spared.'

Regency style, which was popular with the British Royal Court during 1813, was synonymous with splendour. From furniture upholstered in silk to damask wallpaper, no expense was spared. Spanning 1811-1820, the Regency period was Neo-Classical in style, inspired by the many discoveries aristocratic gentlemen returning from their Grand Tour had experienced in Ancient Greece and Rome.

Their travels informed the art, furniture and architecture of the era, which was distinctly classical in feel. This is best captured in the Bridgerton’s residence, which reflects their long and distinguished family history. Shades of blue and cream, from powder blue to deeper tones, adorns their family home. This deliberate colour pairing reflects the love of Wedgewood China during this period, which surged in popularity when Queen Charlotte commissioned a tea set in 1765.

'The Featherington’s home leans towards extravagant colours and patterns with its gilt-frame mirrors, damask covered surfaces and bold citrus shades.'

By contrast, the Featherington’s home leans towards extravagant colours and patterns with its gilt-frame mirrors, damask covered surfaces and bold citrus shades. Their interiors reflect their desire to own the very best and ‘be seen’ in high society. Production designer, Will Hugh-Jones reveals: ‘it was all about creating a clean, fresh and colourful world modern audiences could relate to’. Hugh-Jones and set decorator Gina Cromwell cleverly built this heightened reimagining of Regency London from scratch. Since many of the shooting locations are Grade I-listed properties, the design team were heavily restricted. By crafting a total of 250 sets, the interiors convincingly capture the flamboyance and extravagance of this era.

The homes of the Bridgertons and Featheringtons are further distinguished by a subtle use of family insignia. These symbolic motifs adorn not only their interiors but also their elaborate costumes and hair. The Featherington’s symbol is a butterfly, which represents their desire to change their image in the eyes of high society. A total of 600 metal butterflies where carefully interwoven into the banisters of their home, bringing a sense of individuality and cohesion to the overall design of the interiors and fashion. The Bridgerton’s motif is a bee, which perfectly embodies Daphne Bridgerton’s status as queen bee in society.

'We use various decorative techniques popularised in the Georgian era within our luxury homes.'

The Regency period continues to inform many of our luxury design schemes due to its timeless elegance and appeal. For instance, wallpaper became popularised during this period, especially simple repeated patterns or chinoiserie sourced from the Far East. Today, stunning chinoiserie designs by Fromental and de Gournay adorn our residences, such as the Willow wallpaper in our Belgravia Townhouse dining room and the hand-embroidered and hand-painted blossom design by Fromental in our Mayfair Residence.

Similarly, in our Walpole Mayfair project, we exclusively collaborated with Cole & Son to create two bespoke wallpapers from previously unprinted Georgian prints in their archives. Furthermore, we use various decorative techniques popularised in the Georgian era within our luxury homes. Gilding, the process of applying thin layers of metal such as gold and silver, can be seen in our most opulent interiors. For example, working with specialist artisans, we gilded the coffered ceiling in one of our Walpole Mayfair residences, to further highlight and enhance the dramatic architectural detailing.

History has shown that in times of social and economic change, we seek escapism. Bridgerton offers both visual relief and inspiration at just the right time, presenting an exaggerated world of maximalist interiors that we can lose ourselves in. For us, the allure of the Regency era with its ornate plasterwork, delicate furniture and fine sense of proportion is timeless. Like the interiors of Bridgerton, we look to celebrate the classic beauty of the era, whilst adding our own contemporary take.

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