A Stroll Through Downton

I admit it…I love Downton Abbey. The characters, the trials, the intrigue, the scandals…I can’t seem to get enough. But I’m also fascinated with the house itself. I find myself pausing the show at times just to study the details of the rooms–the carvings around the doors, the way the pictures are hung, the shape of a sofa.

While these things aren’t what I would choose today, I still find myself being whisked away in my mind to that place of “what if?“. What if I were born in that place and time? What if I were raised in a sprawling home like that? What if I couldn’t choose my furnishings and decor, because my house and everything in it was inherited? What if we still “dressed” for dinner every evening? What if….?

First of all, could you even imagine living in such a grand and sprawling place?  I would imagine there would be bedrooms…even wings…of the house that would go unused for years at a time.

The grand hall is filled with gorgeous archways and exquisite architectural details.


 


 


 

One of the things I really like is the use of massively overscaled artwork, such as this one on the stairway…


 

And then this one in the dining room…


 

Do you notice how the bottom paintings on either side are hung?  One of the many details that caught my eye…


 

This sitting room gets quite a bit of screen time.  I think the wall color is so pretty, and I’m fascinated with the detail on the doors.


 

And a pink sofa?  I’d take it!  But just take  a look at those doors.  What detail and craftsmanship!


 


 

One thing that caught my eye is how high the paintings are hung.  Did you notice that?


 

Cora’s bedroom has a very understated elegance to it.  Notice how the door and moulding are painted the wall color?  I think I actually like that look.


 


 

And do you spot the ceiling in the mirror in this photo?  Another beautiful detail…


 

Robert’s room (I believe he calls this his dressing room) definitely has a more masculine look to it, with the dark walls and the dark furniture.  I admit that I really like this dark wall color, especially for a bedroom.


 

The library is another main area of the house that gets quite a bit of screen time.  I really do like this library, filled with books, dark walls and furniture, but also loads of light from all of the windows.


 


 

This sofa is actually one of my favorite pieces of furniture in the whole house…although I’m not crazy about the pillows.


 

I’m telling you…I have a fascination with the doors in this home.  The detail is amazing…


 

Aside from the house, I also can’t seem to get enough of the clothes.  Could you imagine if people still took this kind of care in their appearance?


 


 

So are you as enamored of Downton Abbey as I am?  Do you also find yourself fascinated with the details of the home?  Could you ever live in and care for such a place if it was passed down to you?

(All photos are screenshots from the show, taken from Netflix and PBS.)

 

 

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13 Comments

  1. Yes, LOVE that show! I discovered it on Netflix – watched everything I could. And now I keep up on Sunday nights on PBS. And last nights show was 2 hours long! But yes, everything in that home looks so real and true-to-age.

  2. I just finished watching the show a few nights ago. I too am amazed by the clothes, decor, and architecture!
    I can’t even imagine what it was like to live in that time and place (either in the upstairs or the downstairs.)

  3. I am definitely hooked on the plot, characters, dress and way of life! Like a snapshot of life one hundred years ago–for both the wellborn and the not-so-wellborn. I read an interesting article in TIME magazine about the owners of the real castle that poses as Downton Abbey. You might like reading it!

  4. I am not into Downton Abbey, but I never watched it either. I am not into ‘soap opera’ type shows (dramas) usually though I love mysteries in settings from the past, I love Poirot and love the details in it that you enjoy seeking out in DA. You are tempting me to watch it for the costumes and settings alone;)

  5. I have been hearing so much about this show but I want to watch the first season before I get into what is currently showing. I can’t figure out how to rent the first season though. All of the blockbusters around here have closed and I am not a member of netflix. Any suggestions as to how I could get hold of the first season? Great post. The pictures are amazing and stay positive!! Good health !

  6. Are you kidding? Isn’t everyone an Abbey fan? I absolutely love the show, and the furnishings just take me back in time…I love the clothing too! I have only seen on Netflix…is it out there somewhere and I have totally missed it….Noooooooo!

  7. I haven’t checked out a single episode of it but with the way you described and featured the house with its intricate details, I am thinking of checking it out for the first time. Last few weeks, I saw pictures like those on top and now I know it was from that series. Great! Thanks! 🙂

  8. i don’t know how people could warm the place. i like a cozy environment and i don’t think that’s possible in such an enormous place

  9. I have watched every episode, while no one else I know has even heard of it! For those of you having trouble finding it, check your local library. My library has it and I intend to watch the whole thing again when I can. Although I love the story, house and clothes, I also love the setting.