Go Victorian Fashionable Features Borrow From The Past To Bring Home Decorating Into The Present

You may live in a turn-of-the century home that begs to be a period showcase. Or you may reside in a split-level rancher, but have a penchant for 19th-century decor. The Victorian style of decorating is fitting for both.

A room done in Victorian does not have to be an exact replica of the 19th-century interiors. It can be eclectic, combining old ideas and new. Subtle or splashy, Victorian decor can be adapted to fit ever-changing tastes.

The style is velvet and lace, rich colors, dark woods and heavy fabrics. It is fancy and frilly: cherubs, statues, crystal, flowers, candles, books, vases, pillows, teddy bears, dolls and collections. And the more of it the better, filling every space and surface in a room.

In the era from 1815 to 1914, Queen Victoria gave her name to a period known for its excessive ornamentation.

“The fashionable notion held that bareness and insufficient ornamentation in a room was in poor taste,” says Judith Miller, author of “Victorian Style.”

The cluttered look was considered a high form of godliness.

“In fact,” says Miller, “in an 1891 edition of an American magazine, The Delineator, it was suggested that poor standards of decoration and bad housekeeping were tantamount to being immoral.”

The style originated when the Industrial Revolution brought a surge of wealth to the middle class. They wanted their homes to display their newfound affluence, but they were unsure how to decorate. So, for reassurance, they turned to the styles that had previously been the exclusive domain of the aristocracy and the upper classes: Classic, Queen Anne, Gothic, Rococo, English Baronial, Renaissance and so forth.

The newly rich applied these styles to the architecture, textiles and furnishings in their homes. But they also made changes and improvements and the resulting look became known as Victorian.

For those who wish to delve into the decor of a century past, go slowly, experts advise.

“If you are not sure the Victorian look is for you, answer some questions before you invest a lot of time and money or throw things out you shouldn’t,” says Denise Venier, owner of D. Marie’s Discount Decorating of Spokane, which specializes in vintage wallpapers and furnishings.

“Do you enjoy having vintage visions of the past?” asks Venier. “Are you a nostalgia buff? Are you a collector of a smorgasbord of memorabilia? Do you feel cozy in a room full of ‘warm and fuzzy’ stuff?”

Study magazines before you begin, she suggests. “Look for appealing ideas and plan how you want the finished look to be.

“As you continue with the project and begin buying, obtain product knowledge on all purchases. Keep a journal listing what you bought and where you bought it, brands, patterns and so forth. When working on a major project, it’s best to keep organized,” says Venier.

“Start out simple and see where it leads,” says Patricia Volking, owner of Victorian Treasures in Coeur d’Alene.

“If you have a limited amount of money, it is better to buy one piece you can add to in the future that will enhance the room rather than buy 20 pieces that won’t be valuable to you in six months,” Volking says. “Don’t over-decorate. Remember, you can always add. Victorian decorating is supposed to be made up of things you love and treasure, not a mass of things you buy. Choose items that mean something to you.”

Venier encourages her clients to discuss what heirlooms they want to incorporate into a room.

“Everyone has some goody that was handed down from a previous generation,” she says. “Don’t get rid of any family heirlooms. They may fit in well with a few Victorian pieces.”

Begin with one room. Paint the walls cream or light yellow to remove bright whites.

“Start out in neutral colors instead of too many colors,” says Volking. “You can always add color in flowers and pictures and other accessories.”

For an unusual effect, streak the paint to replicate the unstable pigments in paints of the 19th century.

“Search for fabrics, wallpapers and accessories that have the aged look from eras gone by,” says Venier. “Vintage wallpapers look pre-aged without being aged.”

Wallpapers of this period depicted three-dimensional scenes of children, animals, landscapes and flowers. Others resembled tapestries with repeated patterns and strong, rich colors.

Window drapes were made of heavy fabrics and bordered with braid or fringe. Flower knots were commonly affixed to the drapes. Sheer “insertion” drapes hung behind the heavy drapes to soften the window glare were made of muslin or lace (for the middle class), silk or satin (for the upper class).

For the living room, choose a focal point, such as a period-piece sofa in mahogany or walnut with ornate carvings. Or a curio case to display a collection of silver frames or ceramic figurines. Choose an overstuffed armchair draped in a heavy fabric. Consider a floor vase as a focal point or an ornately framed oil painting above the fireplace.

Touch up the room with the right number of accessories according to your preference. Not everyone appreciates the cluttered look.

“I prefer a softer touch of Victorian,” says Volking, “to create an inviting atmosphere. A few beautiful pieces with some frou-frou pieces around.”

Accessories can be pillows with tassels, crystal chandeliers, groupings of decorated hat boxes or Victorian dolls, cherub statues, candle holders or miniature vases.

For the bathroom, many companies are now reproducing bathtubs, sinks, toilets and fixtures in the late-Victorian style. Consider a claw-footed bathtub or a vanity draped in a heavy fabric to display various bric-a-brac.

Volking suggests bathroom accessories such as candles, crystal, soap collections and silk flower arrangements. A porcelain washing bowl and pitcher make a delicate focal point.

As for the bedroom, Volking says, “they were very romantic people and their furnishings reflected this.”

The main feature of the Victorian bedroom is the canopied four-poster bed, in brass or wood. Cover the bed with a lace spread or a patchwork quilt. Victorian linens are crisp, white and laced. Pillows and afghans are abundant.

If your bedroom or budget cannot afford a four-poster bed, choose an armoire, a vanity or a beveled mirror. For the space at the end of the bed, consider a chaise or a “fainting couch” (which allowed the Victorian lady to collapse upon it if her corset was too tight).

Bedroom accessories displayed on a vanity include: perfume bottles, silver brush and comb sets, pin containers, pill boxes, dried flowers, a silk bonnet, and lace.

Lamps will give the bedroom warmth, either in crystal or fabric with fringe. Add plenty of books to the bedroom or a collection of teddy bears, suggests Volking.

“Don’t be afraid to mix and match colors, textures, florals and stripes,” says Venier, “and don’t consider your room to be finished. Your collectible nature will always be on the hunt for that special something that will fit in that room. People who ‘get into Victorian’ are those who are always hunting around.”