Victorian-style homes became popular during the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901) and are characterized by Gothic influences and intricately designed woodwork. These homes often have pitched roofs, wraparound front porches, cylindrical turrets, and roof towers.
How can you tell if a house was Victorian?
Some distinctive characteristics of a Victorian property are:
- High pitched roofs.
- Ornate gable trim.
- Bay windows.
- Two over two panel sash windows (supported with a single astragal bar on each sash)
- Sash window horns.
- Decorative brickwork (often in red)
- Stained glass windows.
What are 3 characteristics of Victorian design?
Characteristics of Victorian Architecture
- Steeply pitched roofs.
- Plain or colorfully painted brick.
- Ornate gables.
- Painted iron railings.
- Churchlike rooftop finials.
- Sliding sash and canted bay windows.
- Octagonal or round towers and turrets to draw the eye upward.
- Two to three stories.
What did Victorian houses look like UK?
Often Victorian homes are one room wide, with a narrow hallway leading off into the different entertaining rooms, or two up, two down with just two rooms on each floor. The Victorian period covers the reign of Queen Victoria, from 1837 through to 1901.
Do Victorian houses have solid walls?
Solid walls are a common feature of the pre-1919 Victorian housing stock in England, however their construction results in considerable heat loss, and thus large heating requirements. Solid wall insulation of these walls would improve energy efficiency, and in turn should reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
What type of walls do Victorian houses have?
Victorian and Edwardian houses normally have solid walls. Pre-1930 properties normally have solid walls with some exceptions. Solid walls are not particularly practical from a weatherproofing perspective.
What are Victorian colors?
The traditional Victorian colour palette was dark and consisted of dark, rich and deep shades of maroon, red, burgundy, chestnut, dark green, brown and blues.
How do you decorate like a Victorian?
Here are great ideas to add craftsman character to your home:
- Add carved wooden pieces everywhere possible — not just in furniture, but in mirror frames, lamps, and picture frames.
- Buy high-quality furniture.
- Add a fireplace mantle.
- Salvage old architecture and repurpose it.
- Add marble.
What elements should a Victorian style house contain?
Key Elements
- Two to three stories. Victorian homes are usually large and imposing.
- Wood or stone exterior.
- Complicated, asymmetrical shape.
- Decorative trim.
- Textured wall surfaces.
- Steep, multi-faceted roof or Mansard roof.
- One-story porch.
- Towers.
Why do Victorian houses have two front doors?
One Door Was Formal, the Other Was Not
While one door may have led to a formal area, the other could have been used for day-to-day business. This thinking applied to other visitors as well—homeowners likely wanted to greet guests at a formal entrance.
How do I know if my house is Victorian or Edwardian?
Common features of Edwardian houses
Wide hallways: typically wider than the Victorian houses that came before them, and larger, brighter rooms. Off road: Edwardian houses were set back from the road, to cater for a desire for privacy. This means they have front garden space (in addition to back gardens).
What would a Victorian kitchen look like?
They were a luxury that would replace most kitchen cabinets. They consisted of lower cabinets, a bar for prepping food, and an upper cabinet. The upper cabinet had a flour mill and spice rack. Similar cabinets were hutches, pie safes, and Welsh dressers.
Why do Victorian houses get damp?
During the Victorian period (1837-1901), solid walls were still being used which were prone to rain penetration and became damp and cold. Some were rendered externally which over the years becomes defective, allowing it to trap rain which penetrates the property.
Are Victorian houses noisy?
Whether your terraced house has been recently built, or is an older Victorian style house, you are likely to have an issue with noise. It is very common for people living in terraced houses to suffer with neighbour noise – especially if you happen to live in a mid terrace property.
What rooms would be in a Victorian house?
The top floor would typically house the servants quarters and the children’s rooms with a nursery. The second floor would include the master bedroom and the second bathroom. On the first floor you’d find the drawing room or parlour, which acted as a receiving room for guests and visitors.
Do all Victorian houses have damp?
Many Victorian houses, particularly those to first feature a DPC, can suffer from damp issues in the modern-day because the DPC has been bridged externally due to an increased ground level.
Do Victorian houses have solid floors?
Most houses at the end of the Victorian period (1900) were built with suspended ground floors. There were exceptions to this. Many houses had ground floors constructed with stone or clay flags; basements too were covered with flags. These were laid on a bed of ashes or directly onto compacted earth.
What Colour were Victorian bedrooms?
The Victorian colour palette was dark and consisted of browns, maroons, deep reds, burgundy, chestnut, dark green and blue. But if this sounds a bit dramatic for a modern home you can mix this imposing palette with lighter shades.
What colour were Victorian front doors?
Victorian front doors were most often painted green or grained. Until the end of the 1860s, other colours used were dark blue, a chocolate brown, deep red, or else olive green. Supporters of the Aesthetic style used black, or slightly grey or yellowy white.
Why are Victorian homes so colorful?
Victorian Era Color Palettes
Various hues of ochre, russet, beige, brown and taupe were chosen because of the idea that the house should blend with its natural surroundings.
How many colors should a Victorian house have?
three colors
Speaking of color, the quintessential Victorian home’s exterior is comprised of at least three colors; some have as many as nine different hues and shades. Darker colors are meant to enhance unique architectural details, and outlining windows lends character to the home.