Everything You Need to Know About Victorian Interior Design
Ranging from the 1830s to the 1900s, the Victorian era was a time of innovation and creativity. As technology made mass production and global communication possible, interior design went from being a hobby for the rich to a part of everyday life for the common person. Known for its ornate and elaborate decor, Victorian-era design continues to have an influence on modern design ideas.
A History of Victorian Interior Design
Understanding the cultural and technological changes of the Victorian era provides a lot of fascinating insight into how the period’s interior design developed. One of the biggest influences on Victorian design was the industrial age. As factories gained the ability to easily and cheaply create furniture, art, and fabric, common decorative arts became a lot more accessible to the common person. This led to the characteristic “busy” look of Victorian design. For the first time in their lives, people were able to get all the beautiful objects they wanted, so they stuffed their homes with furniture, hung art on every wall, and loaded down every shelf, sideboard, and table with decorative items.
Another big change that influenced Victorian design was new painting and dying technology. For centuries, all the color in a home came from vegetable-based dyes that had soft, muted, earth-toned colors. However, in the Victorian era, aniline dyes were invented that could create strong colors like deep purples and glowing yellows. Thanks to new printing and weaving techniques, these strong colors could be used to craft stunning plaids, stripes, and florals. These trendy new designs quickly showed up in wallpapers, curtains, and upholstery, leading to cheerful, colorful homes for Victorian people.
Victorian design was also heavily influenced by increasing globalization and communication. The design moved from just being a way to showcase wealth and turned into a way of showcasing one’s personal style. Thanks to new publications like The Ladies Home Journal, the idea of design trends, with the various decor being “in” or “out” for each season, started to develop. Trends traveled all over the world, with motifs from cultures like Egypt, Greece, and Asia becoming popular. People started to create distinctive interior styles, like Arts and Crafts or the Aesthetic movement, to show off their style.
Characteristics of Victorian Decor
So what did the average Victorian home look like? The period involved a lot of focus on trendiness and individualism, so there was a lot of change and variety. However, certain distinctive features show up again and again in Victorian homes. Here are some of the key hallmarks of Victorian design.
Colors
The first step towards any authentic Victorian design colored. In the earlier parts of the era, dark, jewel tones like burgundy, emerald green, navy blue, and deep brown were popular. These shades were useful because most homes were heated by coal fires, and the dark colors hid any lingering smoke and ash. Towards later periods, when cleaner gas lighting became possible, brighter colors and pastels became trendy. Most people think of darker, muted colors when they picture Victorian color palettes, but bright shades can be just as appropriate as long as they are used with Victorian-style furniture and decor.
Furniture
Victorian furniture tended to have a lot of excess ornamentation. Many pieces had gilt, mother of pearl, or cloisonne insets to add color and interest to the pieces, and they were often carved very decoratively. There was no single dominant style of furniture though. Some people loved European rococo furniture, with its delicate, frilly lines. Others leaned towards Arts and Crafts style designs that had bulky, geometric designs meant to reference Tudor era furniture.
Architectural Features
It is impossible to talk about Victorian design without mentioning architectural features. Many people embellished their homes with decor like elaborately carved crown molding or built-in bookcases. Decorative wainscoting paneling was also very common, along with stained glass and wrought ironwork. Wood was one of the most popular materials, used for a lot of architectural features that pulled together decor.
Flooring and Wall Materials
One of the biggest trends in Victorian interior design was wall decoration. Many people applied wallpapers, particularly those with elaborate floral, leaf, and vine patterns. Another popular option was painting walls to create faux marble or wood-grained finishes. Victorian flooring further emphasized the era’s love for pattern and ornamentation. Wood was the most common flooring, with many homes having parquet wood patterns. Often, people covered wood floors with woven rugs to add more visual interest and warmth. Starting around the mid-1800s, tile became popular. Most Victorian tiled floors had a border around the edge with a repeating geometric design in the middle.
Decor
Of course, the finishing touch in any Victorian home was the decor itself. Just about every surface, from furniture to fireplace mantles, tended to be covered with decorative objects. Windows had beautiful, fabric drapes, couches were covered in delicately embroidered cushions, and doilies and vases were on every flat surface. Victorians were all about greenery, with potted plants, particularly palms and ferns, being trendy. Wall art was especially popular, with new photography and printing techniques making it easy for people to have portraits of relatives, landscape paintings, and other images hung everywhere in carefully organized layouts.
How to Create a Modern Victorian Design
Right now, a lot of Victorian design features are actually very trendy. As people move away from the minimalist designs of the 2010s, a lot of Victorian styles are starting to pop up. So how do you incorporate elements of Victorian design without looking like your living room is straight out of Queen Victoria’s time? Here are some tips for adding Victorian flair to home while still making it look modern and fresh.
Mix Up Upholstery Styles
Those who love the curves and carving of Victorian furniture need to carefully look at their upholstery choices if they want to avoid things looking stuffy. Picking modern designs, like sleek stripes, for upholstery on Victorian style furniture can be a great way to modernize these pieces. Another option is using more modern furniture with clean lines but upholstering the furniture in Victorian patterns like floral or damask.
Experiment With Wallpaper
Wallpaper is actually one of the biggest interior design trends for 2020, and many modern designers are taking notes straight from the Victorian playbook. Patterns made by the Victorian designer William Morris are especially popular right now. They can look great when you balance the ornate wallpaper with minimalist fixtures and decor.
Add a Gallery Wall
The Victorian style of covering walls in pictures can look great in a modern living room. The key to making it look contemporary is simply being selective with your art. Blending older Victorian pieces with some abstract art or quirky wall hangings can look fun and fresh.
Add Architectural Details
A lot of the character of Victorian design came from the rooms themselves. Parquetry or patterned tiled floors, wainscoting, built-in shelving, and carved moldings provide a lovely Victorian style backdrop to newer furniture.
Our Team Can Help
Ron Nathan Interiors are a team of professionals that can help you achieve the looks that you want for your house. Whether you are a busy professional or just don’t have time to improve your home, we are here to help you. Let’s take your home to the next level, contact us through our website or by calling 201-666-8185.
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