Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Decorating your home with Victorian interiors

The Victorian era has been regarded as a classical, historical and romantic era in the history of "major ruling periods". It was an era of prosperity, industrial, educational, political and cultural reform. The Victorian era is often characterized as a long period of peace and improvement! The Victorian homes were a symbol of exquisite designing and mind-blowing architecture- and are still highly regarded by people all over the world.

The Victorian homes were decorated gracefully and elaborately- depicting exuberance, grace and charm. Remember the fact, that the Victorian homes were luxuriously and eloquently decorated! Here are some of the ideas which you can follow for decorating your home with Victorian interiors:

1.Firstly, let's start with flooring! The typical Victorian flooring may be deluxe carpeting, geometrically patterned tile or rich wood. In case, if you have wooden flooring in your home, then you can stain it dark colors such as rosewood, mahogany and walnut. Those who prefer tiles can opt for a striking combination of black and white tiles-it will be simply perfect for your Victorian setting!

2.In the early or mid-Victorian period, elaborate and floral wallpaper patterns were quite common. The backgrounds of red, green and blue, mixed with shades of cream and tan were in vogue. So, you can opt for these colors or have floral patterns inscribed all over the walls. You can even use embossed paper on ceilings and frizes for counterbalancing exquisite patterns and colored papers.

3.The furniture is one of the most important aspects of Victorian home decorating. Choose furniture that is large or elaborate, with pieces composed mainly of dark or rich woods. The wooden furniture pieces should or may have superbly carved designs of flowers, scrolls and animals. The tapestry used for covering the pillows or cushions of the Victorian furniture should be heavy and rich in color or design.

4.For the bedroom, you need to introduce large or heavy beds (known as four-poster beds) and use bed sheets that have laces or intricate designs on them. Windows can be accessorized with floral patterned drapes having a lace inset or can be hand painted as well. The draperies should be heavy and classy! The bedroom should also have a dressing table or vanity lined with fabrics or perfumed with sachets. The top of the table can be covered with muslin or lace, for enhancing the overall look of the dressing table.

5.The Victorian kitchen was kept relatively simple in comparison to the other rooms of the home. The kitchen walls can be painted light tones- bottle green or chocolate brown and the flooring can be of brick, marble or hardwood. The floors may be left bare or covered with rag rugs or carpet remnants. The kitchen windows have to be lined with curtains with brocaded fabrics, lace, netting or muslin.

6.For lighting the home, you can select crystal lighting fixtures, traditional style lamps such as ginger jars and candlesticks, for occasional tables of bedrooms, parlors and other living spaces. You can even set out slim candles made in holders made of brass, glass, china, crystal, and wood.

Well, above are some of the tips which can be kept in mind for decorating your home in the Victorian manner. I hope that you will like and implement the above ideas!