About Victorian Style

The Victorian style, both in architecture and interior design, is eclectic. It is a mix of styles past and contemporary conveniences. Victorian embodies a variety of architectural and decorative fashions, from old world ornate to what was then edgy and urban.

Time Frame

The Victorian style was popular in America from 1837 to 1901. The style derives its name from the reigning British monarch Queen Victoria. This era is also the advent of new technologies born of the Industrial Revolution. This allowed craftsmen to design and produce intricate decorative items that are a hallmark of Victorian design. With the invention of such tools as the jigsaw, woodwork became more detailed, and the Victorian home was adorned with gingerbread, spires and fretwork.

Features

There are common traits among the various styles of Victorian architecture. A Victorian style house will be ornate. From balustrades to spires, the house will be a display of ornately carved wood, wrought iron, and arches and pediments. Any Victorian home worthy of the name will have a front porch that may also wrap around the side of the house.
Victorian homes are colorful. The exteriors will be painted in deep reds, sage greens, earthy browns and golds. Rich blues and creamy whites are popular accent colors. Often, a home will be painted using two or three colors.

Types

The Victorian style encompasses many variations, from Gothic Revival to Italianate to Queen Anne. The Gothic Revival was in response to the so-called pagan styles of classical Greek and Roman architecture. A Gothic Revival Victorian has steeply pitched gable roofs adorned with spires and towers. The windows will be shaped as pointed arches and panes will be leaded.
The Italianate is inspired by the Italian countryside. Less ornate than the Gothic, this style still boasts great detail. Pediments, columns, round arched windows and square towers distinguish this style.
The Queen Anne is probably the most recognizable style. A Queen Anne is lavished in gingerbread and stained glass, fish-scale shingles, clapboard and stonework. The porch wraps around the home, with turned balustrades and extensive use of finials. Often referred to as painted ladies, the Queen Anne exterior is painted with multiple colors and these are complimented by accent colors for window frames and porch railings.

Considerations

The Victorian style is not confined to architecture. At that time, architects often contributed, and often were in control of, the interior design of the home. Like the house itself, the Victorian interior is ornate, lavish and colorful.
Velvet was a popular textile used in upholstery, as was Jacquard. Cotton and lace were used for tabletops and linens. In winter, heavy fabrics were used for window dressings and these were exchanged in the warmer months for lightweight linen curtains.
The furnishings were elaborate. Wood was always carved or turned. Upholstery was tufted and every surface was covered with knick-knacks, books and glassware.

Significance

The Victorian style merged the old and the new. It borrowed heavily from styles past, such as Classical, Federal, Gothic and Tudor. But it also displays the emerging technologies and modern conveniences known today. It was during the Victorian era that homes became equipped with electricity, indoor plumbing and central heating. The Victorian style bridged the gap between the pre-industrial era and the modern home.