During Queen Victoria’s reign of 63 years, Victorian style went through a number of very distinctive changes. The fact that furniture legs were covered up to maintain the parlor’s sense of modesty is well-known, but did you know that this Victorian decorating trend lasted less than ten years? A lot can happen in 63 years, and during the time Queen Victoria ruled, a lot did. The Industrial Revolution changed the way many household items were made, especially furniture. Now, instead of a sofa or dining table taking a carpenter months of painstaking craftsmanship, a piece of furniture could be made from start to finish in about a week.
Due to the breadth of the British Empire, which spanned several continents, the architecture, interior design and furniture of Victorian Britain were greatly influenced by Middle Eastern and Asian cultures. Because furniture was being mass produced, it allowed furniture designers and makers to be as opulent and lavish with decorative detail as they wanted. No longer having to wait for months for a piece of furniture to be completed by traditional woodworking techniques, designers could easily reproduce the lush look and feel of exotic cultures worlds away from their own island.
Since everything about the Victorian home was lavish, opulent, heavy, imposing and oversized, it might seem to an unlikely style to choose for apartment living. But this is what is so appealing to me – while lavish, opulent and imposing, Victorian style is also elegant, luxurious and dramatic yet romantic. Because manufacturers today are producing furniture in all styles from traditional to contemporary with smaller living spaces in mind, if this style appeals to you as much as it does to me, you will be able to create an inviting living space using Victorian interior design principles.
Walls and Windows
No television, radio or computer games, the Victorians had to entertain themselves somehow. Since the average length of an evening meal was three or more hours, the heart of entertaining was the dining room, where family and guests were treated to the best of everything, from food to flowers to wines and brandies.
To recreate a Victorian dining room, one that will be authentic but suitable for apartment living, let’s start with a classic chair rail to divide the walls into two; the top part will be papered while the bottom section will be painted. Colors are bold, deeper in shade rather than brighter, such as rich burgundies, darker shades of pink and royal and emerald greens. Wallpaper can be as simply elegant as gold outlined diamonds on a solid background to intricately embossed patterns.
While window treatments involved heavy materials like brocades and velvets, you can pare down the Victorian penchant for opulence by using a decorative valance and a combination of curtains in a solid color with sheers. Or go blind! The English Venetian blind originally made from the finest hardwoods, gained popularity in Great Britain during the 1890s. Select an updated version, pairing it with a valance and sheers.
Furniture Victorian Apartment Style
The pieces you choose for your Victorian dining room should be smaller in scale to fit the space you have to work with. But to keep to the spirit of Victorian style interior design, there is one essential furniture piece, aside from the dining table and chairs, you will need to include. Since entertaining was such a big part of the Victorian home, it makes perfect sense that the sideboard played an important role. Place a mirror over the sideboard: this will accomplish two major purposes. The Victorians were lavish in their use of mirrors and a mirror in a smaller sized room will make your dining area appear larger and more spacious.
The dining table and dining chairs should be made of wood in medium to darker stains such as ebony, mahogany, walnut and rosewood. While Victorian furniture, even in the dining room, was typically heavy with a chiseled appearance and much ornamentation, we can select a round or square table to take up less space and match it with chairs that have flowing, curving lines and profiles.
Lighting
Of course, when it comes to lighting, nothing captures the Victorian era more than a chandelier. Select a perfect confection of glass, crystals and beads for an elegant look that will make any meal, whether you’re entertaining guests or not, a celebration. Wall-sconces and oversized, silver candle holders or candelabra were also popular ways to light the Victorian dining room.
Come back and visit next Wednesday when we will tackle a Victorian styled living room suited for apartment life.
