Medieval Interior Design

Medieval interior design is a fantastic, historical look for your home.

• The Medieval era stretches quite a period of time – from the 12th Century Gothic period, right up to the beginning of the Tudor period in the late 15th Century.
• The Medieval look is quite a dramatic look for your home – but it is warm and comfortable too. It is a great, historical style, to fit in with a modern life.
• A modern interpretation of a Medieval interior design style does (understandably!) tend to focus more on the style found in castles and fine homes in Medieval times, rather than everyday homes, which, a lot of the time, were actually quite poorly furnished.
• If you go for this look, then you will get a very traditional style – dramatic, and with a real sense of purpose and grandeur.
• The sense of history and culture found in a Medieval decorating scheme will really give a feeling of comfort and ‘solidness’ to your room – something that is so often lacking in fast-paced, ever-shifting, modern lifestyles.
• It is not important for your Medieval interior design scheme to be precisely historically accurate – it is the right style and feel which you need to concern yourself with – and don’t worry… that is actually pretty easy to do…

Walls and Color

• Try to use wood panelling on your walls, for a great Medieval interior design look. Try squares of wood panelling – or add chunky, vertical battens to your walls (about 3 to 4 foot apart), above a waist height dado rail.
• Dark wood panelling or wooden battens – especially oak – will give the most authentic Medieval look.
• For paint on your walls, choose very deep, rich colors - deep reds, greens and golds are all ideal Medieval style colors.
• For something a little lighter try creams, with dusky pinks, blues, greens and rusts.
• If you want to choose a patterned wallpaper, go for something in these colors, with heraldic designs, fleur-de-lys or tapestry-style, floral and foliage patterns.









• Wooden ceiling beams, in dark, chunky oak, would be an ideal addition to your Medieval design scheme. If you are not lucky enough to have the genuine article in your home, you can get some really good quality, and authentic-looking, reproductions these days – some in a very good, lightweight, fibre-glass.
• The fireplace would have been the main focal point in any Medieval room. Massive, floor-to-ceiling fireplaces were usual – in stone, brick or chunky timber.
• Try to make your fireplace into the unquestionable focus of your room – light a roaring, open fire and draw attention to the area with log boxes, wrought-iron fire grates and fire-side tongs and poker sets.

Flooring

• Hard flooring is essential for an authentic Medieval interior design look – stone, concrete or hard wood flooring.
• But make sure that you keep your toes warm ,and cosy the whole look up, with big, soft rugs, in typical, Medieval colors and designs.

• Steer clear of anything too dainty when you are looking for your Medieval style furniture. Look out for very chunky, solid furniture - obviously not too new looking!
• Go for a dark wood - dark oak is ideal.
• Look for solid dining tables and chairs, chests, benches, dressers, four-poster beds and even cupboard beds (yes – Medieval people really did have their beds in cupboards! But I’m not sure that I fancy it myself, to be honest, do you?!)

• Use plenty of textiles to get a really authentic, Medieval interior design look.
• At windows, fit full, thick, floor-length curtains, in heavy weight fabrics, like velvets, brocades and tapestry fabrics.
• Cream, with dusky pinks, blues and greens, or deep, rich reds, greens and golds are ideal colors. Look out for heraldic patterns, fleur-de-lys and tapestry-style, floral and foliage designs.









• Also include plenty of throws and cushions in similar, soft and luxurious fabrics.
• Include rugs on the floors, and wall-hangings and tapestries on the walls. This gives a really warm and friendly feel, and makes your room very cosy – absolutely essential in Medieval times, as there was no central heating (of course!)!
• Include wrought-iron chandeliers, wall-sconces and candlesticks, to really enhance your Medieval interior design scheme.
• Medieval times were times of War. So look out for authentic, or reproduction, suits of armour and swords. These will set your Medieval interior design scheme off really well, and give a really striking and authentic feel.









• Also look for pewter table ware - tankards, pitchers, bowls and platters. Set them out on tables, chests or dressers, or display on shelves, or on plate-hangers, on the walls.
• Include some Medieval-style dragon and gargoyle accessories – especially around your fireplace, where such ‘beasties’ were often carved in Medieval times. They will make a really unusual (and somewhat quirky!) addition to your Medieval scheme.

Medieval interior design is a great look – steeped in historical grandeur, but warm, cosy, relaxing and very easy to live with!

The look is definitely worth trying out, if you want a striking and traditional look for your home…

Are you ready to crack on with your Medieval interior design scheme? Then go first to my interior design tips and checklist page – where you will find everything you need to guide you easily through the whole design process.

You might also be interested in a Gothic interior design look, or a Tudor interior design style.

Look at more historical and 19th Century interior design styles.

Browse more interior design themes for inspiration.

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