A Victorian Look For Your Home

Think about Victorian decor, one of the mainstays of the “new vintage” trend, and what comes to mind? Rich-looking, ornate styles, with big price tags attached, right? It doesn’t to be expensive if you know how to make the most of what you already have, along with fabulous finds from other sources.

Repainting is the best start for a decorating project and using Victorian colors is no exception. You would have to use rich and dark colors to stay true to this look. Because of the richness of the colors, it’s not advisable to paint the entire walls especially if the room is a small one. Dark colors absorb light making a small room appear even smaller. Hence, it’s better to choose and highlight one wall, accent it with a dark shade and then paint the rest of the walls a light color.

Do as the Victorians did by adorning the floor with a beautiful Oriental rug. The intricate patterns and vivid colors of the area rug will add beauty and depth to the room’s decor.

With a good rug on the floor, it’s time to think furniture. One way to keep to the budget is to get distressed tables and drape them with single-size white or floral sheets. You can tie them up here and there with ribbons (another Victorian touch) or let them pool onto the floor or area rug and top them with lace doilies.

For the bigger furnishings, instead of the typical Victorian walnut furniture, you can opt for the wicker type.

Wicker comes in three types: paper, reed and resin. Paper wicker is made by twisting paper into strips that are then woven. Reed comes from natural fibers that are soaked until pliable and then woven into the familiar crisscross pattern. Resin wicker is actually made from molded plastic, and is the most durable of the three types. All three types can be cleaned gently with a damp, but not dripping, cloth. Reed and resin wicker also can be hosed down if they get extremely dirty, but don’t hose paper wicker. As you might guess, paper wicker will soak up the water and rot.

With wicker you’ll also want plenty of cushions and pillows in floral patterns, as well as linens with embroidery, ribbons and lace in white or natural. Thrift stores, yard sales, even flea markets can be good sources for vintage linens with handmade embroidery. Linens with less expensive machine-embroidered patterns can be found at discount stores. Embroidered linens and fabrics are used on tablecloths, curtains and even upholstery in Victorian decor.

Speaking of fabrics, Victorians were big on brocade, velvets and toiles. Any one of these can break a decorating budget, so keep watch for accent pieces in these more expensive fabrics that will add a touch more vintage.

Now for the finishing touches. While you’re shopping in thrift stores, look for ornate frames to display sepia-toned photographs or nostalgic reproduction postcards or greeting cards. Remember that Victorians loved groupings, so look for china pieces in rose or floral patterns. You can even press flowers and frame them for group displays on wall or table.

Victorian decor is a beautiful design to work with. The great news is that it doesn’t even have to be expensive, regardless of how its name sounds.

If you found this information about budget interior design beneficial, then you are going to love these budget bedroom decorating ideas.