 Although Colen Campbell was employed by Thomas Coke in the early 1720s , the oldest existing working and construction plans for Holkham were drawn by Matthew Brettingham , under the supervision of Thomas Coke , in 1726 . These followed the guidelines and ideals for the house as defined by Kent and Burlington . The Palladian revival style chosen was at this time making its return in England . The style made a brief appearance in England before the Civil War , when it was introduced by Inigo Jones . However , following the Restoration it was replaced in popular favour by the Baroque style . The " Palladian revival " , popular in the 18th century , was loosely based on the appearance of the works of the 16th @-@ century Italian architect Andrea Palladio . However it did not adhere to Palladio 's strict rules of proportion . The style eventually evolved into what is generally referred to as Georgian , still popular in England today . It was the chosen style for numerous houses in both town and country , although Holkham is exceptional for both its severity of design and for being closer than most in its adherence to Palladio 's ideals . 
