First there was the royal wedding. As an exciting encore, the 2012 Summer Olympics open today in London.

These are just two delightful reasons to celebrate the ideal of all things English. To create the lighthearted, refined mood befitting an English-styled home, surround yourself with cool, water color tints right out of a misty English garden.

English color palette inspired by gardens

The soft, cool English color palette that comes right out of English gardens has the added benefit of exuding a serene, peaceful feeling that lowers your emotional temperature in the hottest days of summer.

English gardens offer, cool, soft colors

These hues we call “pastel” and the English call “fondant” are lovely contrasting with dark cherry and mahogany-hued woods…or with whitewashed and pale woods such as those [...]

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Tags: English colors, English décor, English furnishings, English furniture, English gardens, furniture, Hooker Furniture, Primrose Hill

Part II of a 2 part series

Maybe it’s our English roots or our enchantment with everything from British accents to British royalty. Whatever the subliminal influences, the dream home visualized in the minds of many Americans is an English Country House. This infatuation with grand English Country style has been flamed by the many layered, opulent and gracious interiors seen on the set of the TV series Downton Abbey.

A tufted leather club chair from Bradington-Young

On Tuesday, I began sharing with you the main elements you can incorporate in your own home to achieve English Country House style. The first two were: 1) Mix styles and periods to give the feel of a home evolved over time and 2) Use plush upholstery with sink-down comfort and classic lines in covers such as leather, velvet and floral chintz [...]

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Tags: Décor Arts Now, Downton Abbey, English Country style, English country style decorating, English country style examples, English country style tips, Hooker Furniture, Primrose Hill

Part I of a 2 part series

A new season of Mad Men has recently started, but many TV viewers have not left Edwardian England and Downton Abbey behind.

Lady Fiona Carnarvon, the “real” owner of Downton Abbey (known as Highclere Castle in real life), has been widely quoted for saying that the show has renewed interest in stately English homes and greatly increased Highclere’s visitors.

But it is more than just visiting someone else’s pile.

Transfixed by the many layered, opulent and gracious interiors seen on Downton Abbey, people want their home to be their own personal castle.

First popularized in the 1940s by John Fowler and his partners in the UK decorating firm Colfax & Fowler, Sibyl Colfax and Nancy Lancaster, the grand English Country House Style is back in vogue.

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Tags: Décor Arts Now, Downtown Abbey, English Country, English Country decorating, English Country style, Hooker Furniture, How to create English Country style, Primrose Hill, the English Country look