Victorian Interiors - An In-Depth Look from Canonbury Antiques

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(Above photo - Bonheur de Jour in rosewood perfect for Victorian interiors )

Victorian interiors reshape and redefine the looks of a home. Even though overly retro, people across the world are increasingly turning to it.
But what exactly is a Victorian interior? It is a design style named after Queen Victoria, who ruled England in the 19th century. At that time, there was a lot of travel to many parts of the world. Also, significant technological advances, including the industrial revolution, occurred at that time.

(Above photo - Pair Victorian walnut cabinets )

With that kind of exposure, Victorian interiors often featured elements from different cultural backgrounds. Designers also sought to revive styles that had long died centuries before—for example, the Gothic Revival, which dominated the earliest years of the Victorian era. Designers also favored Romanticism, in the middle of the period, and Arts and Crafts towards the end.

The Use of Color and Other Features

(Above photo - An antique bookcase - perfect for Victorian interiors )

Victorian interiors weren’t complete without the use of color and elaborate design elements. Due to technological limitations, the color pallet during the early period was minimal. Designers tended to use locally available pigments to create a color pallet. Most of the time, it was a mixture of muted plant pigments. There wasn’t any form of manufacturing going on, so it was hard to find commercial paints.

The choice of color differed from room to room due to the accumulation of soot. As such, public rooms such as parlors had darker colors, while bedrooms would be more on the lighter side. Revivalists in the earlier period would also paint over wooden furniture to conceal blemishes and dirt.

(Above photo - Victorian secretaire desk )

In later decades, industrialization led to the production of ready-made paint, which had a variety of colors and was affordable. At that time, designers began to experiment with elements such as color contrast and color harmony. No wonder interior décor mostly featured polychromatic schemes with the use of multiple colors outside and inside the house.

Elements, such as faux arts and elaborate, complicated stenciling – which had been used in previous eras – continued during the Victorian period. The wood on doors, floors, window sashes, chair rails, dados, and baseboards was smoothed out to look better. Many of the surfaces were covered wood-grained, spattered, sponged, and marbleized.

The Use of Patterned Ceramics, Textiles, Wallpapers

(Above photo - Victorian Oak Dining Table - Extending Aesthetic Movement 1880 )

Victorian decorative arts borrowed heavily from other cultures, including the Assyrian, Byzantine, Celtic, Egyptian, and Turkish. Artists used what they had learned from others to create patterns on ceramics, wallpapers, textiles, and so on.

During the Victorian period, a complete room décor had to have more than three colors. Designers went out of their way to strike a balance between color and texture. They sought to match color schemes to decorations such as musical instruments, trinkets, and ornaments. So, there would be a primary color and several others to accompany it.
These elements of design made their way into the wallpapers, which were manufactured during that time. Other items with colorful designs included fabrics and tiles. They mostly had animals, flowers, fruits, and wreaths. The main designer and influencer during that time was William Morris.