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 The
Victorians: The Victorian Home
The Early Victorian Period
The ornamentation of the home is what shows
the style and taste of the individual or family that occupies within. The
interior design of a home encompasses a full array of decor including furniture,
fixtures, collectibles, artwork, and more.
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Why the
different style changes in household furnishings during the Victorian Age?
1) Style changes in furniture design were
influenced by the historic and romantic reflections
in literature.
2)The Industrial Revolution and technological
innovations brought about mass-production of furniture. |
The Victorian Age possessed its own unique
qualities and form in furniture design. Although we
tend to view the Victorian home as one type of furniture design, in truth,
throughout the Victorian period many distinct styles emerged. Most of the
styles were borrowed modes from the past.
The Early Victorian Period had several styles
that characterized the furniture design of a Victorian's home.
Furniture - More Than
Function
Furniture is the moveable decoration -
tables, desks, chairs, cabinets - that can characterize the fashion of a time
period. Between the 1830s and 1880s, the Victorians experienced several
distinct styles in furniture design.
Gothic Revival (1840-1850)
The style of the Middle Ages and Romanticism blended
together to create the Gothic Revival style. Craftsmen designed the furniture to
include arches, spool turnings and carved trefoils*. The style embraced the
romantic movement that encompassed the mid-nineteenth century. Gothic Revival
furniture was primarily constructed of rosewood and oak.
*Carved Trefoils: ornament design that resembles a three leaflet plant
Rococo Revival (or Louis XV) (1850-1870)
The Rococo Revival was a graceful style that was reminiscent of eighteenth
century France. The Rococo Revival style is the fashion, which is most
associated with the Victorian home. The style would prove to be very popular in
the United States even through the end of the century.
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John Henry Belter
A well-known furniture craftsman in this
period was John Henry Belter (1804-1863). Trained in
Wurttember, Germany, Belter immigrated to America in 1844. Established in
New York, he became an important cabinetmaker in America. |
Furniture pieces are extremely ornate and intricate. Constructed of rosewood
and black walnut, the furniture was a blending line of angles with natural
figure carvings such as flowers, vines, fruits and flowers. Other features of
the style include cabriole legs.
Renaissance Revival (1860-1880)
The French also inspired the Renaissance Revival. The revival was a
creative translation of the Renaissance style rather than a literal reproduction
of the historical period.
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The Pattern Book
The Pattern Book came into existence during the first
half of the nineteenth century. Customers could now easily view designs in
furniture and decor in the comfort of their home or local shop. |
Furniture was constructed of walnut and was larger in form. Pieces had side
boards with pedestal bases, tapering baluster-turned legs, arched pediments and
ornamentation of scrolls, medallions, game, and fruitwood pulls.
The Crystal Palace Exhibition
of 1851 in London would make the Renaissance style popular in Europe.
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REFERENCES |
Collier’s Encyclopedia,
Volume 7, 1995
Everyday Life In Regency and Victorian England ,
Kristine Hughes, Writer’s
Digest Books, 1998
Victorian Home: The Grandeur and
Comfort of the Victorian Era, in Households Past and Present, Ellen M.
Plante, Courage Books, 1995 (ISBN:0-7624-0390-X) |
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