Live Like Downton Abbey: An Ode to English Country House Style

SOURCE: Sotheby’s

The fairytale allure of aristocratic life continues to captivate on screen and in real estate.

It was the American-British novelist Henry James who praised “the well-appointed, well-administered, well-filled country house” as the most perfect invention of the English, revealing both “their social genius and their manners.” 

James would surely have tipped his hat to “Downton Abbey,” which after 15 popular years on our screens has secured its place among fictional estates as venerable as Jane Austen’s Pemberley, Daphne du Maurier’s Manderley and Evelyn Waugh’s Brideshead Castle. But while “Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale” marks the end of an era, the show’s influence on real estate continues, with buyers seeking properties that capture the same aristocratic elegance and country house appeal.

Steeped in tradition and landscape, the English country house style endures on both sides of the Atlantic—in bricks and mortar, as well as on screen. Recent Realtor.com research found “the timeless elegance and romantic charm of Tudor and Victorian architecture” infuses the oldest and largest grand houses in America, particularly those in the northeastern U.S.

The country house vernacular is a consistently popular choice for new homes, too: though barely 20 years old, the Georgian proportions of this house in Zionsville, Central Indiana perfectly capture that old-world charm. 

It’s hardly surprising the English country house has endured so well. The mix of old and new—in furniture, textiles and architecture—makes for a reassuring blend of nostalgia and continuity, while comfortable elegance balanced with tasteful formality creates lived-in sophistication.

For John Goodall, architectural editor of “Country Life” magazine, this combination of comfort and formality is key. “It’s a very different vision of elegance and it’s bound up with country living and sports, but also high culture,” he says of the style. “It’s a place where you can see a Titian on the wall, but the dogs are running around.”

Denham Place, a palatial 17th-century manor house in Buckinghamshire, England, is a fine example, complete with its own cinematic history as a location for the 1973 James Bond film, “Live and Let Die.” Amply set up for equestrian pursuits and bordering a championship golf course, the house’s interior balances luxury and relaxation, from its magnificently restored state rooms and private chapel lounge to both a formal and informal dining room and a fully equipped gym.

Successfully blending period details with the changes demanded of modern luxury living is key to the country house aesthetic, as reflected in the evolution of Downton’s own style.

The Crespi Estate exemplifies the art deco style featured in the latest movie. Built in 1938, this stunning Texas property showcases the same period aesthetic and “is a rare expression of old-world opulence brought to life on Dallas soil,” according to Pogir Pogir, global real estate advisor with Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty, who emphasizes the timelessness, romance and exceptional craftsmanship that make it chime with its English cousins. 

And for potential homeowners keen to embrace the country house lifestyle, but on French soil, a classic 17th-century château at Pézenas in the Languedoc-Roussillon offers an irresistible combination of opulence and tranquility. 

Airy interiors, with generously proportioned windows, frame a backdrop of century-old trees, ornamental fountains and elegant parkland, a setting as suited to events as it is to relaxation and retreat. In our restless age, the country house lifestyle feels more precious than ever.

SOURCE: Sotheby’s