April - May 2008 News

This Month's Tip:

DECORATING STYLE - Victorian and Colonial

By Sharon K Miller

Dove’s Nest home décor items compliment any decorating style.  We are going to look at Victorian and Colonial decorating styles this month.

Victorian, named after Queen Victoria, was in vogue from 1837-1901 and is one of the most intricate of all decorating styles.  It was originally an expensive style to maintain. 

The Victorian era was a time of abundance because of industrial advancement, mass production, and railway transportation.  Victorian decorating was influenced by a new wealth; mass-produced items of the Industrial Revolution made formerly expensive styles affordable.

The key to Victorian decorating is excess:  wood paneling, floral wallpapers, stained glass, pottery tiles, parquet and marble flooring, reproduced metal doorknobs and drawer pulls, decorative moldings, and ornamental plasterwork. Windows were often of stained glass.  Doilies and needlepoint abounded.

Many bed and breakfast establishments today favor the Victorian style because it speaks of romance, elegance, and relaxation.  The majority of Victorian styles shown in magazines today are Late Victorian.  When you think Southern plantations, you are thinking Victorian.

Victorian style decorating indicated wealth and included fancy wood furniture, expensive porcelain, sterling silver, china, crystal, elegant fabrics (damask, silk, velvet, brocade), beautiful wall coverings, wall paintings, lace, and multiple plants including orchids. 

Sentimentality and love of family is evidenced with photo albums, family-member photos, commemorative souvenirs of the Royal Family, and prints of small children and their pets.  The love of learning and collecting is an important feature of this style, so home libraries, lots of books and bookcases, and collection displays are encouraged. 

Travel is emphasized with map displays; interest in exotic cultures is reflected with decorative gadgets made of wild animal hides, Japanese screens, Belgian tapestries, and Egyptian artifacts. 

In Victorian times, the accomplishments of women were considered well worth display; idle hands were considered intolerable.  Embroidery, needlework, lace, painting, musical instruments and performance—all these accomplishments were demonstrated in home décor, and should be displayed in today’s Victorian homes as well. 

The Victorian era ushered in electricity and running water, placing the bathroom of a home in high priority.  Early Victorian baths and sinks were often encased with wood and ornate trim.  Ornate fixtures, hand-painted scrolls, florals, and sea figures were popular.  Later bathtubs had claw feet and were gilded with gold. Brass fixtures, heavy wood paneling, marbleized walls, and gas lights in the bath were both affordable and popular.

Colonial style was rooted in 17^th century English architecture and actually covers a 300-year period.  The first settlers’ homes were built by hand with local materials and had simple uncluttered lines. Most people in colonial times decorated their homes in what is now called “Early American” or “Country.”   

The colonial style decorating evokes American history, industriousness, and memories of our past.  It is nostalgia for a simpler time when we lived closer to nature and the simple chores of everyday life. 

Colonial colors are based on natural pigments.  Cream was the favorite for walls and woodwork, deep green and mustard yellow were popular, and almost all shades of blue.   Barn red was often used because it was less expensive at that time.  Red, white, and blue combinations always appear to be colonial favorites. 

Today’s Colonial furniture should be soft and cushy.  It should invite you to sink into it, to be comfortable, and to curl up. Stenciling was popular in colonial times because it was inexpensive, and framed folk art was popular. 

Accessories could include delicate crewel embroidery, needlepoint samples, family portraits, and pewter.  The eagle is a popular motif, and Blue Willow English china, earthenware pottery, enamelware, and cast iron all work well.  The display of butter stamps, rolling pins, wash boards, quilt racks, and spinning wheels complement the colonial home. 

Colonial Revival style became popular in the 1950s in America and has continued to be a favorite.  Fireplaces with wood mantels and bookcases, wood furniture—either antique or reproductions--and wood paneling were indicative of this style, though woodwork is often painted a pastel color. 

Carpet in a neutral shade is often used with colorful hooked or braided rugs.  Ladder-back chairs, Windsor chairs, and wing chairs are popular; Candle sticks and candle stands should be authentic pieces. The colonial look satisfies the desire for both tradition and stability. 

Window treatments might include pretty chintzes in small patterns or dotted Swiss.

Also popular were ginghams, plaids, and ticking.  Patchwork quilts, no matter how they are used, speak colonial. Use them over the sofa, as bedspreads, tablecloths, in open cupboards, or as wall hangings.  Nothing says colonial like a patchwork quilt, and you can pick up your decorating color scheme from the quilt. 

Natural fabrics—cotton, linen, wool, and homespun were the choices available in colonial times and should be used today to make your home authentic.  Work toward purchasing authentic antiques rather than reproductions, if possible.  Think history, collections, times past.

Not sure of your decorating style?  You might want to check out the following website quizzes:

www.decoratingsecrets.net/quiz

www.bargainclicks.com/Store/Style

Stop by Dove’s Nest at your convenience and check us out! 

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