ARTICLE: Get the Cheltenham look #1 – The exterior
When people talk about the Cheltenham look, or Cheltenham townhouse style – what they’re referring to is the particular Regency architecture that the town is famous for.
Regency architecture refers to classical buildings built in Britain during the Regency era of the early 19th century when George IV was Prince Regent. Strictly speaking the Regency period lasted only from 1811 to 1820 but Regency style houses were still being built in Cheltenham well into the 1840s because it was so popular.
Many buildings of the Regency style have a white painted stucco facade and an entryway to the main front door (usually coloured black) which is framed by two columns. In town centres the dominance of the terraced house continued, and crescents were especially popular, as seen for instance in the Royal Crescent in Cheltenham. Elegant wrought iron balconies and bow windows also came into fashion as part of this style. In Cheltenham however, there are also a lot of Regency buildings which don’t have obvious classical features but follow the more simple Georgian style – elegant, uncluttered and beautifully proportioned.
So, if you’ve got a Regency house, or a simple Georgian property that needs bringing in line with the Cheltenham style then what can you do to ensure it’s on trend, fits with the era’s style and stays looking good from the outside?
Three areas you can work on for the Cheltenham look
Exterior walls
The most typical colour for Regency properties was and still is white, but across the town various light shades are also used including light pink and creams.
White, if kept in good condition, certainly has the wow factor and almost shines in sunny conditions.
To get the look ensure you have the exterior of your property re-painted every 3-5 years to keep it looking fresh and get rid of any nasty water marks.
Frames & doors
Regency and Georgian properties are likely to have sash windows and fresh white frames are typical, or you can opt for a bold look in a contrasting colour.
Doors were typically painted black to set off the white walls but other colours to consider are deep shades of green and blue.
Some Regency doors are set with beautiful stained glass and a good fresh coat of exterior paint will do wonders to keep them in good order.
Balconies
The beautiful intricate wrought iron balconies on some of the Regency properties around the town are simply stunning, playing host to small, discreet seating areas and tumbling, creeping plants.
If you are lucky enough to have one then take good care of it, black paint can end up flaking off and eventually rust will appear.
Simply keeping up with regular painting of the iron will keep the metal work in good condition.
In our next blog post we’ll be looking at some ideas for getting the Cheltenham look inside your home, not only Regency styles but also more modern ones.
If you’ve got a period property that needs walls, frames or balconies painting then get in touch with ProGlos for a quote. We’re experts in exterior painting and can advise on the work that needs doing. We can also arrange scaffolding for taller properties.