Victorian Interior Design Is Making A Comeback

It’s no secret that Victorian interior design is creeping back into fashion and sneaking its way back inside the four walls of many homes. For many years minimalism and the concept “less is more” has ruled the roost for homeowners who strive for a home which is “fashionable”. This meant that ornaments and elaborate designs where scarcely seen, they’d been replaced by greyscale, neutral shades and very little accessorising. Although minimalism is still prevalent within the modern home, hints of Victorian-inspired interior design have been creeping back in to give homes that much-needed edge and personality.

Victorian Bathrooms

One of the most under-accessorised rooms of the house is the bathroom. White walls, white bathroom suites and white furniture aren’t uncommon and despite reflecting light and creating space they can severely lack personality and depth. If you’re looking at your bathroom and feeling bitterly underwhelmed, then use some inspiration from your ancestors to evolve your basic modern bathroom into a face oozing with elaborate beauty.

Floral Wallpaper

Floral wallpaper is perhaps one of the most notable aspects of Victorian design that has regained its popularity within the modern home. Although it’s not recommended to decorate a whole room with Victorian wallpaper (as it can make it feel cramped) feature walls are incredibly popular and can really add a feminine touch and a splash of colour.
Wallpaper isn’t the most suitable wall covering for bathrooms due to steam from showers and baths but using it to decorate a cloakroom suite, which merely consists of a basin and toilet, can make it look more like an actual room rather than an additional toilet. Always use bathroom or kitchen wallpaper as it’s specifically designed to cope with moist environments. Pick a floral pattern with hints of your accent colour in and hang on your chosen feature wall, accompany with 3 plain walls in a neutral shade to combine Victorian and modern design.

Roll Top Baths

Roll top baths were the pinnacle of Victorian bathroom design but are proving to be a popular choice for the modern bathroom too. With the revival of free standing baths in modern interior design, free standing roll top baths give a Victorian twist to the modern home. There’s something about that roll top design which simply oozes luxury, relaxation and begs for you to indulge in a long soak.

Bathroom Mirrors

If your bathroom is pleasantly decorated but lacks that “oomph” that defines it from every other modern bathroom on your street, then it’s time to get creative with your accessorising. Victorian mirrors are grand in design and are guaranteed to turn heads – perfect if your bathroom’s crying out for a focal point. The secret to finding a beautiful Victorian mirror is to source an antique which will be unique to your bathroom, avoid home interior stores which produce copious amounts of the same model.

Vanity Units

Furniture and ornaments were certainly not something the Victorians scrimped on. Bathroom furniture has rose in popularity in the modern home too, with vanity units and furniture runs almost considered to be essential aspects of modern bathroom design. Rather than opting for a basic vanity unit in the colour of your bathroom suite, try a Victorian vanity unit in a dark wood to add a new depth to your bathroom. Accompany your vanity unit with purposeful ornaments which add character to your bathroom whilst avoiding clutter. Ornamental soap dishes, toothbrush holders and handwash dispensers are useful accessories which prevent you having to display the toiletries in their unsightly branded bottles.

Victorian interior design revolved around personality and displaying interests through interior decorations. Allow a little personality to be displayed in your home through tactical accessorising. Incorporating some Victorian hints of design into your modern home can really give it a new depth.

Steph Staszko is an interior design junkie who expresses her love for decorating through her writing. She writes for bathroom suites retailers Bathshop321 and indulges in skiing to get her out of the house!