Victorian Design

Victorian design spans the long reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901), encompassing multiple sub-styles from early Victorian classicism through the exuberant High Victorian period to the aesthetic refinements of the late era. The Industrial Revolution drove an explosion of manufactured goods, enabling middle-class homes to be decorated with unprecedented richness. Key influences included John Ruskin's writings on beauty and morality, the Great Exhibition of 1851, and William Morris's design reform efforts. Victorian interiors were characterized by layers of pattern, color, and ornament that expressed the era's confidence and material abundance. Victorian design elements continue to captivate contemporary designers and homeowners with their rich character and decorative exuberance. Modern Victorian-inspired interiors often take a curated approach, selecting the most appealing elements—rich wallpapers, ornate fireplaces, patterned textiles—while editing out the era's tendency toward visual overload. Incorporate Victorian design through layered patterned wallpapers, heavy draperies with valances, ornately framed artwork hung salon-style, and upholstered furniture in rich fabrics. Deep jewel tones, dark wood furniture, and decorative objects displayed in abundance create the characteristic Victorian atmosphere of cultivated domestic richness.