- Follow us:
Wednesday, February 24th, 2016
FFDM Antebellum Collection
Owning a Victorian home is not everyone’s privilege. To others, this is just a dream; to you, however, it may not be as dreamy especially when you discover that as ancient as the design are the roofing, wirings and windows. ‘Thinking of remodelling your Victorian home?
Most of the time, remodelling projects is not simple. Revamping an old home can be time consuming. Before you jump into modernizing your beautiful historical home, you may want to speak to some of the preservation societies first.
Owning a Victorian dwelling is intriguing and a lifelong journey for some. Such a home is full of character and works of craftsmen that – even when it’s already old – it can still catch home buyers’ attention.
Victorian Characteristics
Victorian homes were built somewhere between 1837 till 1901. This was the era when Queen Victoria still ruled. There are some people, however, who have also typified Victorian architecture to be Edwardian as well. This is what takes the period all the way to 1910.
Figure 1FFDM’s Vintage Classics
Edwardian and Victorian housing dominate the British suburbs today, for instance, the City Centre Conservation Areas and the Peterborough’s Park. Edwardian homes are seen to be less in value when compared to Victorian though most of their features tend to be similar.
FFDM Vintage Classics Collection
The traits that separate Victorian homes from the rest are –
Terraces. As more and more country people went to the urban areas, Victorian homes were then built in terraces where the kitchen is at the back while the garden is both at the front and rear. There are no garages since Victorian homes were built during those times when there were still no cars. These days, the gardens are often removed in favor of the parking slot.
Patterned bricks. The advent of the railway brought about easier transport for bricks and other such materials. It is because of this that patterned brick became quite popular. The Flemish Brick bond is often used in many Victorian houses. This is characterized by alternating headers or bricks whose ends appear on the face of the house’s wall. Stretchers, on the other hand, are the long sides of bricks appearing on the face of the wall.
Barge boards. These are the decorative wooden panels that are found on the gable ends of buildings. This is that triangular portion of the pitched roof. Look for these sections because they point directly to the Victorian period when such decorative panels were popular.
Bay and sash window. It was in 1832 when the plate glass arrived. This resulted into larger windows with six or four panes and a vertical sliding sash window, a single glazing bar right down the middle.
It was also fashionable to have a three-sided bay window. A ground floor bay window usually had a roof of its own.
Decorated roof line. Slate roofs are quite common among Victorian houses. Thanks to the wonders of the railway, the trains were able to haul slate and deliver at longer distances. Finials are often seen on the ridge and gable ends. Roofs also have ridge tiles that are made of terracotta. Whether it is glazed fired clay or unglazed, the color used is often red.
Stained glass. One of the most exciting design materials is stained glass. It originated from the Gothic revival and was popular during the Victorian period. Mosaic stained glass even replaced painting in many homes. These are often found on top of windows or on doors.
Floor tiles. Most Victorian homes come with geometric terracotta tiles especially on the porch areas. The ground floor is also often made with these materials. These tiles come in natural colors such as brown and red, dark blue, off-white and black.
A fireplace. What is a Victorian home without this? This is used to keep the house warm and is often surrounded by marble, stone or wood. Terracotta chimney pots are also quite common.
Tags: British, classic, classic design, classic home, classic interior design, classic interiors, classic style, classicism, Edwardian, McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings, Victorian, Victorian fashion, Victorian furnishings, Victorian home, Victorian interior design, Victorian interiors, Victorian style
Posted in Interior Design 101, Interior Design Themes | No Comments »
Follow us on our social media
© McCreery's Home Furnishings | All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy
