Decorating With Style: Using Victorian Pieces

If you’ve ever spent time in our store, you’ve probably stumbled upon several pieces of beautiful Victorian-style furniture. While a lot of what you’ll see in today’s consignment market tends to have been made during the 1940’s and 50’s, Victorian is a term that is generally used to refer to characteristics of design from the early-mid 1800’s through approximately 1901.

While it’s obviously been recreated over the last 100 years or so, the style tends to draw inspiration from nature, geometry, and theory, and generally encompasses a wide range of sub-styles—to include Eastlake, Anglo-Japanese, Greek revival, and Persian design, etc. Therefore, if you’re interested in decorating your home with a Victorian theme, it’s important to understand the four basics of using this type of inspiration.

1.) COLOR: Known for its sophistication, the Victorian palate tends to utilize an abundance of tertiary colors—those created by mixing equal amounts of primary and secondary colors. While deep colors are used to emphasize the importance of certain rooms, the walls tend to be lighter, leaving the overall feel of the space to be somewhat warm and subdued.

2.) FABRICS: When it comes to choosing the right fabrics for your drapes or reupholstery projects, it’s important to note that it’s actually quite possible to complete historically-sensitive home decorating while maintaining a strict budget. To keep things in check, make a point to visit stores that market their fabrics at below-wholesale prices and don’t be afraid to buy in bulk. As far as patterns are concerned, look for printed floral chintzes, toiles, silk damasks, and velvets. Opt for heavy, plush fabrics and make a point to mix the silky floral patterns with heavier tapestries.

3.) PATTERN: Aside from the complex fabric patterns found on a large portion of the furniture, complicated patterns tend to cover every surface of these types of homes. From multiple wallpapers to luxurious fabrics and oriental rugs, most Victorians loved pattern and made a point to use it lavishly throughout a space.

4.) ROMANCE: Victorian décor remains extremely popular and one of the reasons revolves around the fact that Romanticism drives it. Evoking a certain fairy tale quality in regards to its imagery of love, turrets, and gargoyles, its lush layers of fabrics, sensuously carved furnishings, and exotic trimmings are all used to add a bit of seductive appeal.

In the end, the Victorian look is somewhat complex; however, it tends to be a very warm, welcoming design which is easily reproduced with the right sense of patience and an eye for amazing deals.

Susan Hill | All Around the House Fine Consignment | www.allaroundthehouse1.com | 770-781-8777