Many of the nobility undertook enormous expenditure on interior decoration of the great houses in Britain. They followed the royal fashion of French taste, and a desire for recreating the appearance of continental homes. Decoration became more varied, with wainscoting, carved features on walls and ceilings, tapestries, carpets, painted cloths, and rich French brocades.

Rich families began to value their privacy more, which caused servants to become separated from family life. Rooms were divided into smaller chambers, adding more fireplaces and windows to the structure.

Garden fashion changed from geometrical patterns with tall trees and numerous shrubs, to a mix of flower gardens, avenues, gravel paths, aviaries, beehives, orangeries, mazes and statues. The fashion of straight avenues and canals was set by the Stuart kings, and copied by their subjects. Herb gardens and orchards were also planted to supply the kitchens.