De-Clutter and Decorate with Jane Austen

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Have you visited Jane Austen's house before? Classified as a "cottage" in Chawton, Hampshire, it is a Grade 1 listed building kept in the original condition of the house Jane lived in. The cottage is open to the public and offers guided tours, lectures and other Austen-inspired activities. And the best news is, you can visit it from the comfort of your own home! 

Today I want to share some home decor tips based on the Jane Austen Virtual Tour. If you haven't before, pop over to the website here and have a look around. Then come back and join the discussion on how we can de-clutter and decorate with Jane Austen. 

Tip 1: Don't be afraid of blank walls

When you step into the Drawing Room the sense of space is magnified by the fact that there are blank walls devoid of both furniture or decoration. Of course, there is artwork on some parts of the wall, but there are swathes of blank wall that contradict the modern notion that all parts of a room must be filled. There is furniture scattered about the room, but not so much as to look crowded or overdone. 

Tip 2: Timber and gold are always elegant

This is a tip that I have started focusing more on in my own house. I have always loved gold-gilded mirrors or picture frames and have a few around my home. Our dining table is a midcentury Burgess Furniture piece that we bought a few years ago. It is made from teak, is extendable and has upholstered seats. In our living room I have a few other timber pieces accentuated by gold and gilded picture frames. 

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Tip 3: Embrace wallpaper

There is beautiful, historically recreated wallpaper throughout Austen's house. If you aren't sure about buying or creating artwork for the walls, a delicate floral wallpaper can bring character and colour to a room. It is much loved in the decor of English homes, my husband (who lived there when he was a young man), tells me that it is because it takes so long for paint to dry in the damp weather! Whatever the reason, wallpaper can bring an elegant touch of colour or whimsy to a room. 

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Tip 4: Keep books behind glass

Where possible, keeping books behind glass reduces dust and cares for the books much better. It also offers the room a nice, library type feel. The books looked cared for, respected and ordered. The Reading Room 

Tip 5: Little vases of flowers throughout the house bring a sense of calm 

Have you ever considered taking apart a glorious, big bunch of flowers and breaking it down into a number of smaller vases to dot around the house? Instead of the overwhelming impact of one big bunch of flowers (which can be lovely if that is what you like), smaller vases bring a sense of calm, care and attention to detail. Especially if they are set on windowsills, on little tables in out of the way places, on end tables or next to other furniture. 

Tip 6: Make your bedroom a sanctuary

Choose the colours that make you most relaxed, a comfortable bed, luxurious bedding, and very little clutter to ensure that your bedroom is a sanctuary. Put things away where they belong, but keep a little table nearby to hold the things that you want to have at hand. Candles offer intimate, mood lighting and can help prepare the body for sleep (just be sure to blow them out before drifting off!) It can also be helpful to have a hanger in the corner of the room or over a door door for you to put tomorrow's outfit. This adds a whimsical touch of decor to the room but is also a practical idea to help morning's run smoothly. As always, don't forget the flowers. In my case I prefer dried flowers in my bedroom because my allergies don't allow me to have fresh in where I sleep. 

Tip 7: Use family memorabilia for art

I know that around Jane Austen's house there are letters, pictures, curios, articles and clothing framed for the purpose of educating the visitors, but I think it is a great way to display things that are important to us. Too often we keep these things hidden amongst clutter - jammed photo albums, boxes of treasure under the bed, family heirlooms in the closet. Consider picking some of your favourites and having them framed to celebrate your family's journey. 

Tip 8: Consider having the kitchen further from the dining room

This is a bit of a controversial tip and not one that we can easily incorporate into our own lives unless we're currently renovating, but I did want to include it here because Brian Kozlowski also mentions it in his book The Jane Austen Diet: Austen's Secrets to Food, Health and Incandescent Happiness. He says:

 It wasn't deemed proper, polite or civilised for gentlefolk to be constantly surrounded by the sights, smells or sounds of food. Regency kitchens were thus placed as far away as physically possible from everyday living quarters...Who can brainlessly binge when a trip to pantry involves a mini-triathlon?

As for me, I prefer to have a comfortable kitchen/dining room seperate from the living room but where we can all still gather round those tantalising "sights, smells or sounds of food."

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I love looking back at the classics for inspiration, including the homes of my favourite authors. Being able to use virtual tours to explore homes, galleries, museums and more all around the world is one of the benefits of technology that I can get behind. 

I hope you've enjoyed this little trip through Jane Austen's house and that these decor and de-cluttering tips inspire you. What did you think of Austen's house? Are there any aspects that you would incorporate that I haven't included here?