Victorian style in a non victorian house?

4 years ago

hi all

Currently starting another house project after we recently moved and are now loving the idea of going for a victorian style decor rather than the contemporary we did on our last house.

My only worry is that we only have 2.4m ceilings unlike the 3m you usually see in a victorian town house. Will it look odd if we followed this through?

Found some lovely fireplaces and coving ideas but before we purchase would like to see examples in a standard 2.4m ceiling house.

Please ignore the cabling, I'm an electrician and currently rewiring the property.

Picture of our lounge currently.

Many thanks

Anthony

Featured Answer

E D

4 years ago

last modified: 4 years ago

I would say no to your question.

‘Pastiche’ springs to mind and not for snobistic reasons :-)

You mention the ceiling height already and yes, the proportions of most, if not all modern houses wouldn’t lend themselves to having a Victorian style forced upon them.

Of course if you are smitten, by all means do it but since you're asking our opinions... 😊

Would it be for yourselves to live in?

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Comments (18)

E D
4 years ago
Some Victorian decorative items can look great, even in a modern house but to me architectural changes are a no no.
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Anthony Driscoll
Original Author
4 years ago
hi E D,

Yes it's for ourselves to live in. So maybe stay with the contemporary theme again?

And thankyou for the quick response.
E D
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
Well, its my opinion, but your decision. 😊

Interesting to see what others say as well I think.
J
4 years ago
Victorian furnishing would look good, but I think adding Victorian architectural features (fireplace, picture rail, cornice, etc) would look a bit odd.
PRO
User
4 years ago
Don't go for the full Victorian theme. The proportions of coving & fireplaces will look out of scale. You can go for something a bit eclectic, however. Try an open fireplace with a chunky wooden shelf above which makes a good focal point and a place to lean a vintage mirror/ objects upon. You can mix up your furniture perhaps. I like a mixture of mid 20th Century furniture with a random shabby period table or console thrown in. Add a Persian rug, large plants, large art work! Enjoy!
arc3d
4 years ago
I agree. Victorian elements are fine but not the whole design. It will look "themed". Victorian fireplace is a definite no. Especially not on a chimney like that.

But I also agree that its your house and if your're not planning to sell for a while then go with what ever makes you happy.

Judging by the floor I'm guessing the house is 60's/70's? I think that wood floor sanded and re-stained would look awesome. That room would look great with a mid-century vibe. The angle on that chimney! Very groovy.
Jules Mc
4 years ago
Agree with the above about a mid century aesthetic, particularly looking at your flooring. You don't have to go the whole hog which can end up looking themed or like a museum piece but look to add a few key pieces (gplan, schreiber etc) and then mix it up like the examples below have done. You could use some colour (which I assume you like if keen on Victorian decor) or keep it more monochrome. Best of luck
Sonia
4 years ago
In the 80s Victorian styling was popular and people were adding dado rails and picture rails etc in pretty modern houses and even then I didn’t think it sat well. As everyone is suggesting mid century may be a better bet. Beautifully styled furniture with a bit of a boho twist will look amazing. I’m not adding photos as Jules has beaten me to it! I’m also crazy about Persian rugs which again go so well with that look.
Anthony Driscoll
Original Author
4 years ago
thank you for everyones inputs. I think we wont go full out on the Victorian style then.

I will be squaring the chimney off to make way for a victorian fireplace though and will mount the tv above it.

We will try to bring some victorian styling into the house but not fully themed as you say.

We quite like this sort of look below with the fireplace as the main feature.

Naturally there will be no picture rail and the skirting will be slightly shorter with shutters in the windows. What are your thoughts?
E D
4 years ago
I’m not a fan of hanging the TV higher than eye level (when seated) and particularly, if you want the fireplace to be the focal point, it may not be a good idea to hang the TV above it.

Your photo of the period home shows a good layout and there'll be no stiff necks after watching telly. 😊
Anthony Driscoll
Original Author
4 years ago
Yes I agree to an extent.

With my trade I fit many tvs and we do suggest to clients that they should be fitted at eye level due to the stiff neck scenario.

Contradicting myself with this idea as even our last house had the tv mounted to the right of our chimney lower level. Not sure where it would look best .

The only thing I can think of doing is making a bespoke unit to house the tv into along with some lower level storage cupboards on the adjacent wall to the chimney opposite the front window. But then we would have trouble with the glare on the TV.

thanks for your input E D. This app is so much better than Pinterest!
Sonia
4 years ago
That is a Victorian house with lots of Victorian features but furnished and styled in a slightly more modern way. Fireplaces are great and do add character but plonking a tv above it detracts from the fireplace immediately. It is my pet hate. Much better to have a tv unit to one side for the tv, and as someone who suffers with neck pain, having a tv at eye level when sitting is a much better option. Of course it is your home and you must do with it what you wish, but mid century goes beautifully in both modern and period homes.
Jonathan
4 years ago
Given the sideways chimney and wide window I think this house will always feel kinda mid century or modern and so Victorian adornments probably won’t do what you are thinking. Furthermore a TV over a fireplace is uncomfortable to watch and will likely make you more aware of the ceiling height. Plus adding coving will highlight the different ceiling heights.

Do you really want this house to feel Victorian (which it probably never will) or do you just want the decorating style to be fancier than your previous house?

Maybe the starting point should be your existing furniture and what you have to work with..... perhaps you already have a contemporary sofa and in this house you choose to decorate the walls in warmer shades..... or use wall paper or wall panelling?

Instead of a contemporary floor covering at the last house perhaps you might choose a warm hardwood for this one or something patterned such as a Herringbone woven carpet?

Instead of downlighters and a ceiling pendant perhaps you might choose wall lights and walk over lights here?

And given that the chimney is clearly to the right you can remove a lot of the current chimney breast replacing it with side by side TV and fireplace which means a well planned wall with electric flame effect fire (so needs no chimney and can be used year round) and TV at eye level when sitting.
Anthony Driscoll
Original Author
4 years ago
thankyou both!

I'm liking all these mid century ideas too but need to run it by my wife.

Regarding the TV above the fireplace I have found an adjustable pull down bracket that will work well over a fire place.

Our main issue is that we went for a very contemporary style in our last house and it worked a treat but felt it lacked character so want something a bit more quirky.

The modern fireplaces are great but do come at a cost. We have fitted many for clients before.

I'll show some pictures of how we did our last lounge and see what you think. We still have the same furniture so could be resourceful and reuse it in places.
E D
4 years ago
Looking good, Anthony. 👌

I can see why you are looking for some character/quirkiness.

Tricky challenge. I can only suggest taking your time. Don’t rush things. Think them through.
Alice E
4 years ago
Lots of great advice here that iI cannot add much too! I would have a think, what is it about the victorian style that you love and use that as your starting point. Theres variation within the style too. It is your home to live in and you should love it!
Sonia
4 years ago
I will say I actually added a traditional fireplace to my 1930s house to create a bit of character. We already had picture rails and tall skirting boards and we opened up the fireplace that was boarded up, cleaned the bricks and added a sandstone hearth. We then bought a pine fire surround from B&Q and painted it white. I think it works despite not being the right “era”?