Perfect Homes Magazine - Issue 12 | Page 83

How Downton Abbey is Dominating Trends in Interior Décor Set in the exquisite Edwardian Highclere Castle in Hampshire, England, the British bombshell show Downton Abbey has been captivating audiences for years. There is something compelling about the upstairs aristocrats and the downstairs servants fighting the battle to bring their English country estate and their traditional way of thought and life into the roaring twenties, a time of social and political upheaval. One of the greater appeals of Downton Abbey is the setting. Those ornate drawing rooms, luxurious bedrooms, gorgeous meandering gardens and the fresh, crisp appearance of the downstairs servants make for a lively and interesting backdrop for the production. Many fans of the show are relinquishing the casual interior décor of their homes and are bringing the more formal style of the Downton Abbey era inside. According to interior designer Bill Stubbs, rich velvets, tassels on posh pillows, gold leaf and stately mahogany are all very much a part of the more formal traditional look in demand today thanks to the BBC production.