No period of British history can rival the Victorian age for its sheer exuberance when it comes to architecture and design.

Around one in six homes in the UK are Victorian and, after a long post-war period of stripping away the past, many owners of these majestic houses are doing their best to rediscover the decor that suits these buildings.

So how best to go about getting the Victorian look?

Exuberant: Victorian furniture set against Morris & Co Willow Boughs wallpaper

Exuberant: Victorian furniture set against Morris & Co Willow Boughs wallpaper

Exuberant: Victorian furniture set against Morris & Co Willow Boughs wallpaper

Joe O’Donnell, director of The Victorian Society, says that one of the first things to consider is how you use your home.

Modern houses tend to have more open-plan living areas, but social changes including home working and soaring fuel bills mean the Victorian layout is practical again.

‘Houses were designed with individual rooms for a reason. They’re easier to heat and they provide separate spaces for activities,’ he explains. ‘So you’re able to have the children in one room while you can sit relaxing in another.’

Returning the house to its original layout is, therefore, useful, as well as being more in keeping with its history.

‘If all your period features have been ripped out, then probably the most impactful thing you can do is reinstate fireplaces, coving and sash windows,’ he says.

But don’t stuff every room with period features, he cautions. ‘Not all rooms would have had the same level of decoration,’ he says.

The small bedrooms would have been for staff or children, so ceiling roses and ornate mouldings look out of place.

There can sometimes be a bit of conflict between modern expectations and period properties. Take poor insulation and draughty single-glazed sash windows, for example.

So fall back on how the Victorians themselves dealt with these problems, says Joe: heavy curtains; maintaining the windows well so they fit snugly; and shutters which are good for insulation.

Researching what was there originally can be tricky, but the easiest shortcut is to snoop in your neighbours’ houses. 

‘You can make an exact replica of any features you’re missing, and get to know your neighbour,’ says Joe.

From a different time: Around one in six homes in the UK are Victorian, but many owners have stripped out most of the original features over the years

From a different time: Around one in six homes in the UK are Victorian, but many owners have stripped out most of the original features over the years

From a different time: Around one in six homes in the UK are Victorian, but many owners have stripped out most of the original features over the years

Louise Booyens, an interior designer specialising in period homes, says that we need to unite the Victorian style with how we live today.

‘The Victorians’ interiors were cluttered — more was definitely more, as a way of showing off the family status and wealth,’ she says. 

‘Now you don’t want to create that, so you need a balance of old and new. If you have period mouldings, combine them with modern lighting to show them off. Don’t create a museum.’

She suggests designing a room around one standout object or piece of furniture, and recommends finding items at auction houses and antiques fairs, such as the Newark and Ardingly fairs. 

‘Create a sense of drama — Victorians loved drama. So try an opulent sofa in dual colour,’ she says.

For fabric, Morris & Co have recoloured some William Morris designs for the Queen Square collection. ‘They’re a nod to the past, but in bright, fun colours,’ says Louise.

Her idea of designing a room around a single object is a plan Katie Wolicki and her husband used when they renovated their Victorian terraced house in Greenwich, London.

For the downstairs toilet, Katie went for half-panelled walls, with the top half covered in wallpaper featuring an imperial print of Indian scenes.

‘But the room was defined by the sink,’ she says. ‘It’s a huge red and purple Chinese porcelain bowl that I found online and fell in love with. It’s absolutely my favourite room.’

This post first appeared on Dailymail.co.uk

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