Everybody loves the sad and wistful feeling that nostalgia brings. The obsessive melancholy can trap us in one particular moment. It’s only natural to miss the past days, no matter how imperfect they were. Call it instinct, if you will—a trait innate to every person. We’re all inclined to bring back a part of the past or preserve what’s left of it. In the case of interior design, many homeowners desire to incorporate classic Victorian charm in their modern abodes. They want a perfect blend of the old and the new. If you’re planning to adorn your condo or house with vintage themes, here are some design inspirations from the Victorian era that you’ll surely find useful.
Furnish Your Home With Hand-Made And Intricate Décor
Redesigning your house with a Victorian design touch doesn’t necessarily mean doing a complete overhaul. By mixing and matching the right elements, you can achieve an authentic modern Victorian look for your home. Focus on the details and fill in the gaps. The Victorian style is known for neither restraint nor moderation. Houses from that classical era were packed with decorative flourishes and trinkets from ceiling to floor. Carved wooden figures, intricate mirrors, oil paintings, Persian rugs, and heavy draperies define this unique style. Throw in one or two of these elements to your modern interior to give it a quaint vibe.
Invest In Top-Quality Ornamental Furniture
If you want a Victorian condo design, buying furniture of prime quality is a must. Their lavishness characterized Victorian homes. Everything was in excess—both in price and quantity. To achieve an authentic modern Victorian look, you should stay away from cheap factory-made furniture that will only ruin the antique appeal of your space. Instead, go for opulent centerpieces that will give your home an air of elegance if you can afford to have a chandelier or a four-poster bed, well and good. These two are among the most definitive and iconic features of the Victorian era, so you will be one step closer to achieving your desired classical look. One piece of the right furniture can make all the difference.
Create A Warm And Rich Color Scheme For Each Chamber
Victorian interior designs are the opposite of contemporary styles in terms of color. If their minimalist palettes characterize modern layouts, Victorian designs were known for their liberal use of warm and vibrant colors. You would rarely see white walls in those festive times. Gold, ruby, royal blue, green, and mahogany were among the most popular tones. Colors were used to emphasize the importance of a room. High-profile rooms like libraries and dining spaces were laden with bolder and more striking colors, while less essential rooms like the kitchen were ornamented with lighter hues. Painting the walls is not the only way to assign a color theme to a room. You can also add vibrancy via accessories such as curtains and other textiles.
Jazz Up The Living Room With A Faux Fireplace And Mantelpiece
When you think of Victorian interior design, what is the first image that comes to your mind? Perhaps you see a flurry of pictures, but there should be one that stands out from the rest. We’re talking about a fireplace complete with a fully decorated mantelpiece. This design element is a must-have if you want to go all-out with your Victorian design. If you live in a condo, you can’t install a real fireplace so that you could settle for an artificial one. As for the mantelpiece, you’re free to decorate it however you like. Just remember not to put too much clutter so as not to overdo it. After all, you’re after a modern Victorian style, not an old-fashioned one. Hang artwork on the wall over the mantelpiece to achieve a hint of modernity.
Reupholster Old Furniture And Pair Up The New With The Old
If your house features modern interior design, chances are your furniture vibrates a contemporary feel. It would be time-consuming and expensive to get new furniture to achieve a Victorian look in your home. That’s why it’s best to reupholster your old furniture to give them a more vintage appeal. You can use Victorian-style fabric like floral, tapestry, and damask to transform your modern chairs and tables into antique gems. Reupholstering your furniture will result in a natural blend of the old and the new.
Repurpose Old Architecture To Achieve A Classical Vibe
Your furniture is not the only element you can get your hands on when designing your space. If you want to go the extra mile, you can also repurpose some structural parts of your house or condo. For example, you can fit your house with sash windows instead of the regular ones. Also, you can preserve your original floorboards since they can be useful in giving your home a nostalgic charm. Ornate plasterwork cornicing can also work in giving your home the ultimate Victorian vibe.
Add A Floral Touch To Some Room Elements
What is the Victorian era without romance? What is Victorian design without a floral touch? If you remember the interior design in old Victorian homes, floral was prolific. You see them on ceilings, on tapestries, and pretty much everywhere else. They can dominate a room without necessarily overpowering it. A slightly more extreme take on modern Victorian design is an internal miniature garden that can produce real floral. Of course, if you live in a condo, this is a no-go since you can’t just create a garden in the middle of your unit without consulting the condo management. I may be for the better if you stick to the traditional floral designs that are easier to accomplish.
Expose Marble Tops And Brick Walls
Two materials dominate the Victorian style, namely: marble and brick. They may seem too simplistic, but you should know better than to undervalue them. These two materials, when used correctly, can provide dramatic effects to your home interior. A contemporary design injected with either or both of these materials will instantly achieve a Victorian feel. So, for example, instead of purchasing a new wooden table, you can buy a marble-topped table instead. Or, if you’re not sure about what to do with a specific wall in your bedroom, why not strip it down and expose its brickwork? Marbles and bricks can do artistic wonders to your modern home.
Blending classic and contemporary designs is something you should take seriously. It takes thorough planning, careful consideration, and a keen eye for design to mesh the two worlds seamlessly. You should be creative yet precise in marrying the two models since one careless move can turn it all into a mess. Take all the tips mentioned here to turn your modern home into a Victorian masterpiece.
