Features to focus on

Make the most of your home’s innate style by highlighting its original treasures

Georgian

these properties usually had bare wood floors, so give yours a fresh varnish and accessorise with a wool rug – many shops sell designs that bridge the gap between period and modern. evoke the refined feel of the era with a light palette of muted pastels, including pea green and dusky pink.

Victorian

Mid-to-late 19th-century homes often have ornate plasterwork and castiron fireplaces. If the fireplaces in your Victorian home have been ripped out, similar designs can easily be found at salvage yards or on ebay. even as a purely ornamental feature, they add a defining focal point to a living room or bedroom.

1930S

homes from this period often have wooden wall panels. If you’re not a fan of this look, but want to be sympathetic to the design, try painting the wood either in white or a daring 1930s-inspired hue such as teal. parquet floors and stained glass are also common in houses built around this time.

1950S

houses built from the 1950s onwards generally have very simple interiors and provide a great base from which to introduce pattern, texture and colour. this was a time of fantastic print design, so why not go bold with a Mid-century wallpaper in your living room, or a kitsch rose-print fabric to use as kitchen blinds.