How to Recognize Victorian Style

The Victorian era, named for England's Queen Victoria, lasted from the 1830s to the turn of the 20th century. During those decades, styles changed considerably, but the following guidelines generally apply.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Study a Victorian-style interior, and you'll come to the conclusion that it tends toward the frilly and feminine. Patterns, which often include floral designs, are used heavily.

2. Think excess in terms of furniture carving, textiles, trims, wallpapers and embellishment in general. The period saw the revival of pointy-topped Gothic pieces and heavy, ornate Renaissance furnishings; Oriental influences were embraced, too.

3. Note the exposed, carved wood on many upholstered pieces, from ottomans and chairs to sofas. Fabrics are often velvets, damasks and needlepoints, and the most popular colors include eggplant, bottle-green and red.

4. Look at the wood (usually stained dark) used in Victorian-style furniture: Mahogany and oak were especially popular; walnut is also found. Marble tops and marbleized wood were mainstays in Victorian furniture, and faux and real bamboo were used, too.

5. Examine the windows: In Victorian interiors, they typically wear grand, billowing styles with luxurious gathers, swags and tassels that might overlay intricate lace panels. Stained-glass windows were popular during the era, too.

6. Look at the floor and you'll probably see hardwood, possibly with an inlaid design, or small ceramic tile. Floors were warmed up with elaborately patterned area rugs, including Oriental rugs and florals.

7. Notice the excess of bric-a-brac, including silver and china collectibles (Blue Willow is an example), around tabletops.

8. Check out the floral wallpapers, beaded board (grooved pieces of wood joined in panels) and decorative ceramic tiles on the walls. Crown molding was often used as well.

Tips & Warnings

• Victorians enjoyed houseplants; tall, slim tables called fern stands were a popular decorative furnishing.

[janikaa]

on 2/4/2009 blue willow is not a victorian china, majolica or chintz are much better examples of Victoriana, dark colors in victorian furniture only came about after Queen Victoria died in 1901, where most furniture was not stained dark it was painted black. Also Mahogany is very rare in Victorian Furniture the primary wood is walnut.

on 11/22/2005 Those "Oriental influences" offer an opportunity to fill in around good antiques with less expensive but nice screens, wicker, Chinese boxes and other objects from import stores.