Victorian Decorating

Lush and vibrant Victorian decorating is the perfect choice if you are looking for an interior design style with real unique flair. Both dramatic and charming, decorating your home in Victorian style will have heads turning.

The Victorian period of history (loosely defined as the 19th century and centered in Britain) is a study in contradictions. In terms of cultural values and customs, people were trying to shake off what they viewed as the excesses of the Romantics of the 18th century, and society as a whole became significantly more conservative, and in many ways, repressive. Frivolity was frowned upon and hard work and discipline became the order of the day. Practical living according to a strict moral code became the way of the Victorian period.

You’d never know it by looking at Victorian design. As society was becoming meeker and humble, homes were becoming more and more opulent. A series of events can explain this boom in dramatic and extravagant interior design. First, Britain was the epicenter of the Industrial Revolution, and this boom in industry meant not only that society as a whole was wealthier but that a new class of wealthy merchants emerged. Money was no longer centered in the landed gentry exclusively, and this new class had cash to spend and wanted to flaunt it. They often showed off their wealth by opting for extravagant interior design.

The second event that was important to Victorian decorating was the great boom of British colonization. The colonies meant further increased income and further development of the merchant class, but they also meant that Britain suddenly had access to exotic goods from around the world. The fabrics, colors and styles of British colonies certainly expressed themselves in the interior design of homes in Britain.

Most historians divide the Victorian period into three distinct periods, early, middle and end, and the difference in Victorian decorating are present through these periods. Generally speaking, the early and middle periods embraced floral prints and bright colors, while the late Victorian period became more Gothic in its design style.

These design features are the defining characteristics of Victorian decorating:

Color was incredibly important in Victorian decorating. Bold colors for walls in particular were common in Victorian design, but there were a few factors which influenced how colors were chosen:

• Strong colors were used in homes in cities because pollution would dirty a lighter colored wall
• Bold colors were often used in bedrooms and living rooms, while lighter colors were reserved for libraries and dining rooms

Most of the time, a special finish was used with the paint to enhance the colors and add texture to the room.

At the start of the Victorian era, floral wallpaper was used throughout the home. Most of the wallpaper used red, blue or green with tan accents. In the later Victorian period, these florals gave way to stylized leaf patterns and wallpaper in earth tones, in keeping with the popular Gothic inspired design of the time.

Several different floor types were common in the Victorian era:

• Parquet
• Matting
• Tiles
• Drugget
• Carpeting – broad loom, Venetian and reversible
• Floor cloths/oil cloths – similar to linoleum

The Industrial Revolution ushered in a whole new age of furniture manufacturing, allowing it to be produced on a large scale and driving the prices of pieces down. In terms of furniture style, Victorians often looked to either the past or to their colonies. Curved edges and scrolls a la 18th century French furniture was the most popular style in the early and middle Victorian period. In the late Victorian period, overstuffed furniture inspired by Eastern designs came into favor.

Victorian decorating is easy to replicate today in your home because the looks from this period continues to influence modern designers. Ethan Allen in particular tends to feature a great deal of Victorian inspired furniture, and you can turn to antique sales to find original pieces. When choosing paint colors and wallpapers, keep the Victorian look in mind. With a good understanding of Victorian design principles, re-creating the look with modern sources is a breeze.

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