Interior Design

The Crown is bringing these extravagant interiors back – here's how to create them

Providing an insider’s look into the lavish lifestyle of royalty, this season of The Crown’s sumptuous interiors will have viewers captivated by the style of history’s most iconic people

The Crown interiors
(Image credit: Future / Simon Brown)

The Crown’s highly anticipated season four is back on our Netflix screens on Sunday 15th November, bringing headlines, heartache and home inspiration to millions. 

Covering the years between the late 1970s to the 1990s, the series will be filled with extravagant frills and ruffles, florals and the influence of The Sloane Ranger Handbook. 

Interior designer Benji Lewis offers seven The Crown-inspired interior design trends to follow to turn your space into a home fit for royalty.

1. Frills 

The Crown interiors

(Image credit: Future / David Brittain)

Frills and flounces encapsulated that era. Princess Diana’s obsession with layered frills, the pie crust collar and big puff sleeves, as seen in her iconic wedding dress or in The Sloane Ranger Handbook, were all interpreted into our home styling – the bigger and flouncier, the better. 

2. Florals  

The Crown interiors

(Image credit: Future / Simon Brown)

Floral prints adorned every home during this period. A multitude of rooms were filled with sofas and armchairs in flower patterned chintz – and Colefax and Fowler was the choice for many. 

The Crown interiors

(Image credit: Future / Jan Baldwin)

If you’re looking for a timeless design to work into your scheme, go for a classic floral print in a pared back color palette. This look works well in a traditional country cottage or period property and its long established popularity will stand the test of time. Choose a print that features large blooms, rather than a small repeat pattern, and is realistic in its design and style for an elegant finish.

3. Country house style        

The Crown interiors

(Image credit: Future)

Interior design and taste took a traditional country house turn – Laura Ashley and Jane Churchill’s chintz cotton prints were de rigueur – after the shagpile and geometric patterns we’d enjoyed in the 1960s. 

4. Brussels Weave carpets and Aubusson rugs  

The Crown interiors

(Image credit: Future / Debi Treloar)

Brussels Weave carpets and Aubusson rugs were considered the height of good taste, designed in shades of gold, tan, green and red, they adorned drawing room floors all, over the country.  

Unsurprisingly, this very look is seeing a welcome comeback – albeit in smaller doses.

5. Bold colors

The Crown interiors

(Image credit: Future / Carolyn Barber)

Colors were loud and proud – think tomato, greens and Tiffany blues.

There are plenty of ways to incorporate color into your life that don’t require painting a whole room in a bold  shade. It is easy to stay safe when it comes to color in the home, but by doing this you could be missing out on a whole spectrum of shades that could energize the spaces in which you live. 

It’s time to  embrace beautiful hues and be bold with color. Bringing color into your home doesn’t need to be scary, you can start adding colorful highlights that will make it stand out from the crowd. 

6. Maximalist wallpaper

The Crown interiors

(Image credit: Future / Jan Baldwin)

Patterned wallpaper was a popular choices during this time, and it is a look that can still work today. 

For a modern look, use different scales. Look for patterns in a variety of scales for a comfortable feel, such as a narrow stripe with a bold floral. A classic combination is a solid color, a geometric design such as checks or stripes and then something freer like floral or paisley patterns. 

Make sure all the patterns you’re using are made up of complementary colors, so that they knit together successfully. 

Alternatively, textured wallpapers are a great way to introduce a solid area of color, but with a textured surface that adds interest and depth.

7. Antique Emporiums  

The Crown interiors

(Image credit: Future / Mel Yates)

The TV show Antiques Roadshow was in its infancy but was an instant success. The popularity for Antique Emporiums increased, Georgian mahogany chests of drawers or an English oak dresser with mother of pearl details or a brass swan neck were the golden finds.

The Crown interiors

(Image credit: Future / Mel Yates)

Thanks to Benji Lewis, founder of Zoom That Room for the tips.

Jennifer Ebert
Editor

Jennifer is the Digital Editor at Homes & Gardens. Having worked in the interiors industry for a number of years, spanning many publications, she now hones her digital prowess on the 'best interiors website' in the world. Multi-skilled, Jennifer has worked in PR and marketing, and the occasional dabble in the social media, commercial and e-commerce space. Over the years, she has written about every area of the home, from compiling design houses from some of the best interior designers in the world to sourcing celebrity homes, reviewing appliances and even the odd news story or two.