The Modern Victorian: A New Trend in Home Design

By Kathleen Wolak

 

When one thinks of Victorian décor, typically what pops into mind is a dusty, Dickensian setting full of heavy velvet and impossibly sculpted wood. To a younger generation, this classic style was always far too expensive and inaccessible. Furthermore, it never seemed inviting.

 

 

Fortunately, this past year saw a change in Victorian-inspired décor. Haughty pieces were painted with candy colors and given updated hardware. Designers started to produce comfortable velvet pieces, and chandeliers broke into the bohemian category thanks to toned down showrooms by Urban Outfitters.

 

This candy-coated homage to the excessive style is anything but excessive itself. The modern Victorian is playful rather than stiff, and a whole lot of fun to pull off!

 

Victor Victorian

The modern Victorian look is much lighter and breezier than its dark, traditional counterpart of the past. The goal of the modern Victorian style is to capture all the beauty of the era while leaving behind the oppressive palette and clunky pieces. Modern Victorian is a cheeky design technique that manages to be fun and mature at the same time, as long as you know what should be left in the past.

 

 

Keep wall art to a minimum with modern Victorian. Classic Victorian décor saw plenty of beautiful oil paintings, but these days you don’t want to overwhelm your walls, especially if you are working with patterns. The pieces are quite artful already, particularly if they have been upcycled. So keep them at the forefront of your space instead of distracting from the pieces with extra art.

 

Wuthering Lights

When you have mastered how to decorate for the modern Victorian look, you are then going to have to decide how to light your deliciously faux decadent space. Chandeliers have gone from the great hall to the hall closet in terms of cost and materials, so it is not hard to obtain one on the cheap. If you can, try to find a second-hand brass fixture to really pull the Victorian look together.  

 

 

Let’s Get Wilde

Remember, you don’t have to adhere to strict parameters with the modern Victorian, the only important thing is that you have fun with this style. The best part of the modern Victorian look is that it is all about taking a stiff design style and turning it on its head, Mad Hatter-style.

 

The decadent, overly rich style becomes breezy very quickly with a few fun colors and light pieces.  Modern Victorian is also a great tool for showcasing quirky items that you never felt quite fit in before (think China sets and creepy, porcelain dolls).

 

 

Pulling together the modern Victorian look is always fun and engaging. Everything is so rich and attention grabbing that your room will look like it is forever spinning a beautiful narrative. Tell your design story using our very cool online Virtual Rooms. Click around using House Tipster's 3D interior design tools and get to creating!   

 

Images used with permission, courtesy of www.shutterstock.com, www.pexels.com, and www.pixabay.com