Regency Era Pride (& Prejudice)

On the anniversary of the publication of Pride & Prejudice, we are looking at the style of the period in which the novel was set- Regency. The early 1800s were characterized by a very formal style with lots of detail in furnishings. We are based in Texas and there was not a ton going on at this time in our state, though we are proud to say our family came to Texas immediately after (in the Antebellum period). However, this means we don't often come across genuine regency pieces when we are sourcing our shop. We focus on the rebirth of this style that came during the Golden Age of Hollywood, Hollywood Regency. We touched on this briefly in our last post about Grace Kelly and Princess Caroline. This look is what was used in the movie Jackie about Jackie Kennedy with Natalie Portman. Below is a picture of the set for her room at The White House. The canopy is beautiful!

From Architectural Digest

This Hollywood Regency style used a lot of gilt pieces. We always sell gilt mirrors and vanity trays. Below is the gilt vanity tray I store my perfumes on and a cute little piece I use for q-tips and cotton balls (but have also used as a candy jar in the past). We love the use of the mirrored surface on the vanity trays from this time period. (Please excuse my perfume hoarding as I am just noticing doubles on Burberry Brit and Estee Lauder Private Collection...yikes)

If you like the regency look, we suggest you try out the accessories from the vintage version first. If you then absolutely love this formal style, find a great designer to do a canopy for you or source some regency bergere chairs to have upholstered.

From 1st Dibs

Alternatively, we LOVE the idea of leaving your house as it is if you like regency but acquiring some prints of the architecture and interiors. We got this idea looking through one of our favorite coffee table books last night- Decorating With Pictures by Stephanie Hoppen. These prints are a great alternative to the botanical prints we love so much. They are great if you don't like too many flowers actually! The following are Ackerman's Repository Furniture Plates from the early 19th century and we will leave you with these!