Georgian style
Architecture, interior design, and decorative arts of Britain during the reigns (1714–1830) of the first four Georges. It encompassed Palladianism (see Andrea Palladio), turned to an austere Neoclassicism, moved on to Gothic Revival, and ended with the Regency style. The era is said to mark the summit of house design in Britain. Its legacy can be seen in the city squares of uniform, symmetrical brick London townhouses, their facades employing Classical pilasters, pedimented doors and windows, and graceful moldings. Their interiors, often furnished with Chippendale and Sheraton pieces, were characterized by harmonious proportions, quiet colors, and Roman-derived stucco ornamentation.
Georgian style
Georgian architecture: example of a doorway
Georgian architecture: typical façade
In Great Britain, the term “Georgian” is usually applied to the prevailing architectural style during the reigns of George I through George IV, from 1714 to 1830; derived from classical, Renaissance, and Baroque forms. In America, it is applied to a similar architectural style that emerged about 1700 and flourished until about 1780. Georgian architecture is often characterized by a rectangular plan, often with symmetrical wings flanking each side; a symmetrical brick or stone façade; pedimented gable; projecting central pavilion or a portico often with two-story columns; monumental pilasters extended the full height of the façade; a
belt course; a slate-shingled hipped roof (often truncated and enclosed with a balustrade); a decorated classical cornice; five-
ranked rectangular double-hung windows; lintels above rectangular windows; front windows on the ground floor, often pedimented; frequently a Palladian window; an elaborate front entrance; either a single door or a double door, with multiple panels in each leaf; often decoratively crowned; a pediment over the door; often, a projecting hood above the door; a fanlight or transom light above the door, often with sidelights on each side of it; decorative pilasters or engaged columns flanking the doorway. In elegant homes, the front door opened into a spacious
entrance hall.