There's this old money trend, and then there's 'olllddddd money', as in what it was like to live as a Tudor person in the sixteenth century. I've done my fair bit of poking around historic homes and digging through Tudor wills and inventories so I think I can help you out. If you're interested in exuding historic vibes and enjoying a bit of Tudor-inspired decor then look no further...
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| Photo by Katie Puzatova on Unsplash |
Opt for a variety of textures
Think leather and wool, tapestry and silk, wood and linens. Faux fur throws or blankets will add a bit of warmth and fluffiness, while a wooden floor would look perfect with a sheepskin rug. Tapestries added even more range, and could be woven to depict everyday scenes or those with themes of romance. The Victoria and Albert Museum in London has a display of a number of early sixteenth century tapestries showing hunt scenes and a unicorn. Henry VIII once paid a fortune for tapestries showing Biblical legends. The weave and colour will also complement other textures in the room and add pops of colour.
Get yourself a wall painting or two
Wall paintings were sometimes religiously-themed, especially pre-Reformation. In churches they sometimes painted scriptures on the wall, or further back to the medieval era more images of saints and Biblical scenes. But wall paintings served practical reasons too. Sometimes they were painted to look like tapestries or curtains on the wall, like in Ledbury. It was actually cheaper to pay someone to paint a wall with colour and repetitive patterns than it was to buy tapestries. There are similar paintings in The White Horse Hotel in Romsey, Hampshire. These were painted onto walls and made to look like carvings - one was in the shape of a Tudor rose, painted in browns, greys and whites to look as if it had been chiselled into the wood. If you do decide on a wall painting, I can help you with that.
Go big on colour
Beds often were four-poster beds with curtains that could be drawn for privacy and warmth. They were hung with material in primary colours like blues, yellows and reds. A merchants house in Newcastle in the 1570s had black pillows, and green carpet. The medieval period was even more brightly-coloured. Aim for red, green, blue and yellow in various shades - Tudor decor wasn't like you see in the movies and period dramas, it was far brighter and much more colourful.
Show off some silver or gilt, but do it sparingly
Families liked to show off a bit of bling to show that they were wealthy or influential locally. They might have had a display of silver in a cupboard to casually show guests. While we don't show off our silver plate today, we can evoke the Tudor equivalent by having a few goblets made with gold gilt, or a salt-cellar in silver. This was placed at the table next to the head of the household, and was sometimes beautifully carved or decorated.
Keep your valuables in a wooden chest
Wooden chests were safe, sturdy and portable, and Tudors stored anything in them from money to documents to table linen. A couple of big wooden chests (extra points for metal or ironwork reinforcements at the hinges) will give you that Tudor look as well as store away valuables or household stuff.
Go natural
The sixteenth century pre-dates the use of polyester or nylon, so go natural. Sheepskins, linen, tapestry work, faux fur throws and wool are the way to go here. Wealthy Tudors also used silk in the their homes - Mr Jenison in Elizabethan Newcastle had a pair of silk curtains hanging up at a window. Opt for wooden furniture over modern flat-packed or plastic items, which will look lovely alongside these natural fabrics. Got some fresh foliage? Make up a wreath using rosemary, thyme, spruce or other plants from the garden and use it as a table centrepiece or hang it on your door.
Liked this? You might also like my book Forgotten Women of the Wars of the Roses, a look at the roles of women - royal and non-royal - during the conflict. Order your copy here at the Pen and Sword website.
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