Victorian Homes
were Often Painted with Earth Tones on Their Exteriors.
If you have recently acquired a Victorian style home, you may want the inside to match the outside. Victorian homes are associated with simple elegance, beauty and offer a distinct style for your home.
Natural Hues
In the Victorian era, many homes were outfitted with earth tone colors. Most homes were painted with yellows, reds, greens, browns and oranges to compliment the Victorian obsession with nature. If you want a truly authentic Victorian home, stay away from bright colors such as pinks, purples and whites, as these are less true to the period.
Original Resources
Go to the library or search online to find pictures of the interiors of Victorian homes. Make a few notes or photocopies so that you can have it on hand when picking out artwork, color patterns and furniture.
Go the Thrift Store
Visit thrift or antique shops in your area. Once you have decided on a color scheme, look around for objects made between 1837 and 1901 or look for replicas of these objects. If you go with originals, they might be in poor shape, so it is a good idea to plan to budget for repair. Ask the thrift store or antique store who they recommend.
Artwork
Several movements in art were popular during this time. For example, many "in" Victorians might have decorated their home with seascapes, landscapes or pictures of fairies. Often depicted in paintings and sculptures were classical figures as well as medieval, biblical and Shakespearean characters. Famous painters of this period include Renoir, Degas, Manet, Monet, Alma-Tadema, Hughes and Waterhouse. Visit Victorianweb.org or HuntFor.com for a more complete list of artists (see links in Resources). Decorate your home with reproductions of these famous paintings for an authentic feel.
Old Photographs
Find old photographs of your family members taken in that era. Frame them with gold or silver frames and hang them around the room.
Carpeting
During this period, it was common for many people to paint their hardwood floors themselves. In addition, Oriental rugs and Venetian rugs (striped carpets) were used. Visit several carpeting stores to find the perfect rug for your rooms.
Walls
During this period, many people sought to wallpaper their rooms. Realistic designs and scenes were avoided, and wallpaper gave way to stripes, abstract floral patterns and ornate trimming around the ceiling area. Sometimes papers fashioned to resemble Renaissance paintings or tapestries were used. With the wealth of wallpaper that exists today, you are likely to find something Victorian to suit your taste at your local home supply store.
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