HISTORY OF VICTORIAN

INTERIOR DESIGN
Ar. Priyanka
 -CHARLOTTE MOSS

"THERE ARE TWO THINGS THAT MAKE A

ROOM TIMELESS: A SENSE OF HISTORY AND
A PIECE OF THE FUTURE."
 TIME LINE OF HISTORY
Ancient Post-Classical Modern
Pre-History
History History History

• Stone Age • Classical • Middle Ages • Early Modern

Antiquity History
• Late modern
Period
• Contemporary
History
 MODERN HISTORY

Early Modern • Late Middle Ages (c. 1500)

Period • Italian Renaissance

• French Revolution
Late Modern • American Revolution
Period • Industrial Revolution

Contemporary • Post-Modern Movements(Soviet Union and

History United States, 1973–present)
THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION LED TO A REVOLUTION
IN INTERIOR DECORATING, AND FOR THE VICTORIANS.

HIGH STYLE WAS ALL ABOUT THE APPEARANCE OF

LUXURY, WHETHER REAL OR IMITATION.
 VICTORIAN ERA
What ?
Victorian refers to the reign of Queen Victoria (1837–1901),
called the Victorian era, during which period the styles
known as Victorian were used in construction.
Where ?
The name represents the British and French custom of
naming architectural styles.
When?
Victorian style revived in the mid-to-late 19th century
(1837–1901).

AMERICAN
• The impact of the Victorian culture was
evident after the Civil War. Some of the
popular cities having Victorian influence in
America were Boston, Chicago, Buffalo,
Albany and certain areas of Brooklyn.
• They adopted their culture largely from
European culture and in particular, the
French culture.
VICTORIAN STYLE
BRITISH
During the Victorian era, Britain could
claim to be the world's superpower, despite
social inequality at home and burgeoning
industrial rivals overseas.
 HISTORY OF VICTORIAN INTERIOR
DESIGN
During the Industrial Revolution, the middle classes were able to increase their prosperity and for
the first time invest in the decor and design of their homes.
The period between 1837 and 1901, the reign of Queen Victoria, saw the cheap mass-production of
countless household items, making them accessible to people who could never have afforded them
before. The Victorian type of housing was born.
They immediately began to emulate the aristocracy and filled their homes to bursting point with
accessories, furnishings and fabrics, all designed to showcase their new wealth and emergent
social status in their modern Victorian homes.
A bare room was considered to show a lack of taste and so Victorian interiors appeared to be very
cluttered compared to modern minimalist ideas at the time and later.
 VICTORIAN STYLE
This style draws inspiration from nature, geometry, theory, and many other resources. It also
encompasses a wide range of sub- styles including Eastlake, Aesthetic or Anglo-Japanese,
Gothic Revival, Renaissance Revival, Greek Revival (Neo-classical), Egyptian Revival and
"exotica" like Turkish and Persian design.

Feature of Victorian Styles

Lots of ornate
Beautiful colors Skilled Fakery
details
WALL SCONCES TAPESTRIES
 INTERIORS
Victorian interior design draws its roots from the
Industrial Revolution which had a dramatic impact
on design during the era, increasing the prosperity of
the middle class and allowing them to improve and
upgrade the decor of their homes.
 COLORS
Victorian interior design colors are warm and
subdued, and include soft colors on gray or cream
backgrounds, deep rich walnut and mahogany
browns, black, and shades of teal, plum,
aubergine, mustardy yellows and golds, burgundy,
rust, blue, green (think sage and olive, not mint
and kelly) and “dusty” hues like “ashes of roses”
and a subdued shade of lavender.
 WALLPAPER AND PAINT IN
VICTORIAN INTERIOR DESIGN
• Wallpaper was big news for the Victorian interior
design. Mass-production of wallpaper in the
1840s led to a surge in the interest of part-wall
papered walls.
• Applied from the skirting board to the dado rail
half-way up a wall or to a picture rail near the
ceiling
 VICTORIAN STYLE FLOORING
Parquet flooring or patterned tiles can be used to showcase
Victorian fashion. A large, interesting rug or patterned carpet
in the middle of the floor leaving a polished floorboard
border is ideal.
Several different floor types were common in the Victorian
era:
• Parquet
• Matting
• Tiles
• Drugget
• Carpeting - broad loom, Venetian and reversible Parquet -Flooring composed of
• Floor cloths/oil cloths - similar to linoleum wooden blocks arranged in a
geometric pattern.
 FABRIC AND PATTERNS
The Victorians favored two styles of
fabric in the home. The first is a heavy
silk damask or velvet which would be
perfect for curtains, while the second is
a heavily patterned floral print on either
toile or chintz – ideal for cushions or
seat covers.
The pattern were used liberally
everywhere. Often, multiple patterns
were in evidence in the same room.
 LIGHTING

Mood lighting in dining rooms and entryways was

considered essential to the Victorians. Most lighting
came from wall sconces and candles, while
decorative lamps achieved prominence towards the
later half of the movement. Tiffany was a popular
designer of the time.
 FURNITURES
In terms of furniture style, Victorians often looked to either the
past or to their colonies. Curved edges and scrolls a la 18th
century French furniture was the most popular style in the early
and middle Victorian period. In the late Victorian period,
overstuffed furniture inspired by Eastern designs came into favor.

• Cumbersome furniture, dust catching carving.

• Buttoned upholstery – armchairs frequently with low arms
scrolled at the front.
• Balloon back chairs and spoon back.
• Ladies easychairs without arms because the vastness of
the skirts.
 CHESTERFIELD
• A leather couch
• The Chesterfield sofa is certainly a refined
and mannerly example of seating.
• The chesterfield is synonymous with
elegance and class in interiors all over the
world, of every architectural and decorating
style.
WINDSOR CHAIR
• A Windsor chair is a chair built with a solid
wooden seat into which the chair-back and
legs are round-tenoned, or pushed into
drilled holes, in contrast to standard chairs,
where the back legs and the uprights of the
back are continuous.
 SMOKER’S BOW ABBOTSFORD CHAIR
The smoker's bow is a simpler, stockier version of the Inspired from Charles II era (Restoration)
Windsor chair which first appeared in the 1820s. It
lacked the high back seen on most Windsor chairs and
had a sturdier, heavier appearance.
 THONET BENTWOOD CHAIR
Thonet bentwood chairs were absolutely everywhere during Victorian Times. In the
beginning, the chairs were sold primarily to hotels and restaurants, but being so lightweight
and easy to ship—in parts in a crate, and assembled with only screws— Thonet’s pieces were
soon fixtures in homes.
Don’t be afraid to try out an Victorian look.
Have fun with it!