The Georgian period .covers the reigns of George I to George IV (1714-1830).  George VI also acted as Prince Regent whilst his father was incapacitated - so we in fact have a period within a period 'Regency'.

This is usually considered as the age of elegance in clothes and furniture, simplicity in buildings, classical music, fine prose and country houses set in beautiful landscapes.

During the first fifty years rules of proportion and composition were established.  The were 'enshrined' n many of the pattern books of the time so that even the least talented had some idea of design.  As time progressed there were so many styles that by the end of the Georgian Period there was an enormous and bewildering choice - Rococo, chinoiserie, Greek Revival to name but a few.

There were perhaps three main styles:

Picturesque  - this covered the improvement of country house estates with the planting of many trees, creating 'undulations' on flat land, and also the creation of artificial lakes all to add to interest to the landscape.

The Beautiful - this covered proportion, uniformity and variety.  It also covered the use of bright, clean colours and 'smoothness'.  There could be no use of angles, or anything that could cause emotional unease - it was indeed a time of 'good taste'.

The Sublime - this was seen as a stimulus to the imagination as people began to respond to the building of large mills and warehouses also aqueducts and railway viaducts.  These could be associated with flights of fancy, terror and irrational emotions.

In forms of architecture the Palladian is the 'expected' Georgian style the characteristics of this scheme being the use of a central, semi-circular arch flanked by pilasters, an imposing entablature and symmetry of design.

The Greek Revival style was predominant in the late eighteenth to early nineteenth centuries and was characterised by symmetry and proportion as well as sobriety in design.  The scheme became popular with the increasing expectations arising from the travel of young aristocratic gentlemen (The Grand Tour).  Unfortunately, the resulting structures were not always successful as 'standard' Greek emblems such as Doric columns were often linked to Palladian elements.

Regency design can be said to have been divided into two extremes.  At one end was the classical and simple, elegant architecture of the crescents in Bath (identified by the use of white stucco, dark, usually black, front doors centrally located in the facade, and symmetrical designs of windows and columns) at the other extreme was the whimsical and elaborate Royal Pavilion in Brighton (known for its excess and exotic/Far Eastern elements)

The Georgians accepted without moralising.  The aesthetic and the irrational with exuberance, inventiveness with agreeableness (although sometimes the 'ordinary man in the street' was more than a little exasperated by the cost of these buildings when they, themselves, were with out decently paying jobs).

Another design style prevalent at the time in Central Europe was Biedermeier (dates approximately 1814 to 1848) - this covered various art forms including interior design and architecture.  It can be described as simple, elegant and uncluttered with excessive ornamentation.

Biedermeier sofa

Royal Pavilion, Brighton