Victorian theme is a popular design for modern homes. After all, who’s not intrigued by the elegance and grandeur of the Victorian era? A house that has the Victorian style in this day is an original choice given the rule of the contemporary style. The downside of going Victorian is the pricey tag that goes with furnishing your home with everything saying, “I live in the period of breeches, gowns, corsets, carriages and everything prim and elegant known as Victorianism.” The good news is that with some creativity and some guts to copy this style in your own 21st century way, you can achieve the look of this highly-regarded theme. Your home can look as polished, sophisticated and classic as any genuine Victorian mansion.
One of the key elements in Victorian style is the use of ornamental details. At the same time, the dark and rich palette is also crucial to achieve the full Victorian effect. Scatter decorative items – anything from good china to porcelain cats – throughout the room you are decorating. Wood panels, floral prints and stained glass are just some of the design elements which are instantly recognizable as ‘Victorian.’
This decorative quality is what makes stained glass a Victorian trademark. You don’t have to use stained glass in all the windows in your house, especially if your finances can’t accommodate it. Choose main rooms like the living room and the dining room. If you have bigger windows in some parts of the house, then use stained glass in those to maximize the effect. Another option is to use stained glass accents instead of the real thing.
Moldings and plaster decorations are also part of the aesthetic in the typical Victorian home. Instead of plaster, you could now get ornamental cornices from craft or builders’ stores for much less and then install them yourself. A little work with power tools and a small paint job should be all you’ll need to get you that very expensive-looking upper-class English look.
A Victorian home does not settle for plain. Because of the design’s penchant for details, moldings and plaster decors are big in a Victorian theme.
Victorian design is known to have dark colors. Painting your house with the cheery bright colors just won’t do. If you’ve noticed, Victorian homes look more formal because of the color. There are no quirky yellows, greens and pinks. Instead, the shades are geared to the browns and neutral tones. The more subtle, the better.
An area rug is one of the most important pieces in the Victorian-themed space, especially if you are working on a receiving area like a drawing room. Oriental or floral-pattern rugs give the most authentic feel because they were actually all the rage during the era. It’s also a good idea to choose the rug based on color; tying in the rug with the rest of the space really pulls the Victorian look together.
This suggests that decorating the Victorian style way is not as expensive as it may seem. True, the furnishings can be intimidating. However, following the style of the Victorian days can be as budget-conscious as the modern homeowners of our time.
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