Victorian style is the conventional name for English art history period, the reign of Queen Victoria, in the second half of the 19th century. With the rapid development of industry, the bourgeoisie grew rich and began to form their own class. At that time, many interior items, that were previously not available to everyone, gained mass popularity. Furnishings and decor of houses acquired a demonstrative character of their own status and wealth. Travel and acquaintance with oriental cultures also left a certain imprint on the arrangement of a Victorian interior.
A characteristic feature of Victorian style in an interior is eclecticism, combining the features of Gothic, Baroque, classics and exotic motifs. This style has become a combination of unsurpassed quality of ancient and classical canons. On its way, Victorian style went through several stages of development from cumbersome neoclassicism with ornate ornaments to English classics, with its inherent respectability and sense of proportion.
An interior in Victorian style is characterized by a certain degree of deconstructivism, when each individual room can be finished and decorated in a different stylistic direction. For example, libraries and offices are usually decorated in Gothic style, ladies' boudoirs in Rococo style, and dining rooms in "Oriental style". A single piece of furniture can also be made in different styles.
Victorian style implies the use of expensive interior items and high-quality finishing materials - everything should look expensive and dignified. In addition to considerable costs of materials, this style requires spacious rooms with high ceilings.
Starting to design a room in Victorian style, first you need to decide on a color scheme and color of your furniture. As a rule, furniture is selected from natural fine light brown or dark red-brown wood. The rest of finish can be in pale pink, lilac, red-brown and almond shades.
Walls can be decorated with stucco or fabric wallpaper with stripes or with a pattern depicting blossoming rosebuds, realistically drawn birds and animals. Quite often, you can find wall decoration with tapestries or wallpaper with a complex three-dimensional ornament resembling a bas-relief.
Natural wood parquet or tiles with an original pattern or ornament are used for floor covering. Window frames are also made of natural wood, mostly in Gothic style. Doors are made of solid wood with decorative brass details.
In Victorian interiors floral patterns, canopies, bedspreads, burgundy plush draperies are widely used. In general, all those elements that help to recreate the atmosphere of home warmth.
For curtains, the best curtain fabrics are used, gathered and decorated with braid with soft pom-poms. At the same time, heavy fabrics should be combined with lighter lace curtains.
Furniture in an interior, as a rule, is heavy and massive, decorated with carvings. Chairs, armchairs and sofas have three-dimensional shapes and dense upholstery. Chests, chests of drawers and grandfather clocks are popular as an extra furniture. An integral part of a living room is a fireplace and its accessories. Most often it is made of red or black granite, in a Classic style to match wall panels. Fire is covered with a screen, and a fireplace itself is fenced off with a black metal fence, 40-50 cm high, with Gothic spiers.
Paintings and clocks are essential attributes of Victorian style in a house. Frames are heavy and voluminous. Portraits and landscape contrasting the room arrangement go along with the atmosphere of this style. Full-length mirrors, framed in the same frames as paintings, can become fitting interior accessories.
Also, in a true Victorian house you can find many flowerpots, ottomans, screens, ashtrays made of expensive stones or metals. “Trinkets” are used as decor: Chinese vases, stuffed animals, oriental boxes. Surfaces can be decorated with rich ornaments depicting birds or plants.
However, do not forget that Victorian style does not tolerate cheapness, so you should give preference to real accessories, that is, if it is antiques, their price should be significant. In any case, the game is worth the candle, because the result is a warm and comfortable home, which is the pride of its owners.
