Georgian buildings with railings in front of them. One has a plant growing up the wall and over the ground floor windows.
68 Dean Street, City of Westminster, London. © Historic England / Contribution by Charles Watson. View the List entry.
68 Dean Street, City of Westminster, London. © Historic England / Contribution by Charles Watson. View the List entry.

2: 67 and 68 Dean Street

A brick is not just a brick. A yellow brick was cheaper than a red brick, but both were inferior to the super fancy crimson brick (technical types call it a 'rubbing-brick').

You can see these super fancy crimson bricks here around and above the windows, used for arches and as decorative dressings (that bit on each side of the window).

Many early 18th century houses couldn’t get enough of the fancy bricks and it all started to get a bit much. Finally, someone said “less is more” and around the 1730s the trend was on the way out, which may be why Meard (yes, he built these houses too) uses the effect sparingly here.

As we move along Dean Street and see more recent houses from the same period, the use of fancy crimson bricks becomes less and less.

While Meard may have toned down the dressing on the windows, you can see here on 67 and 68 that he turned up the bling for his front doors. He’s gone all out with Roman Doric pilasters, triglyphs and rosettes in the friezes and, projecting cornices.

Number 68 was to be his own home so he may have wanted a bit more wow than he did on Meard Street.

Also of interest

Meet the Georgians