Your own Encyclopedia of Victorian Furniture

Victorian furniture

If you are planning for a revamping of your home and things like intricacy detailing and richness of tradition comes primarily in your mind, then Victorian furniture are the best choices for your interiors. The grandeur, sophistication and era marking effect of these Victorian versions will render a classy look in your adobe. But, before you install them in your living space let us update you on all the factors that make Victorian furniture the most sought after ones.

What the history says

This range of furniture took birth in the erstwhile England when Queen Victoria was reigning. It was a time when the emergence of the middle class was witnessed in the nation and they were fortunate enough to spend quite a lot of sum on pretty and pricy furniture for their homes. Actually, furniture was regarded as the symbol of status and fortune during that time and some of the interiors were literally overcrowded with these Victorian species, taking up a major part of the walkable area!

The types

Victorian furniture was made during the Victorian era by a variety of manufacturer. While on one hand, some exclusive designer stuffs flooded the market, on the other hand, some big manufactures also came up with their unique versions. So, it is needless to say that various types of Victorian furniture were found. Let us have a look at the major ones.

Gothic Revival style:

Victorian style 1

Gothic Revival Victorian versions flooded the market during c 1830 to 1860. This style of Victorian furniture was marked by the presence of spires, arches and trefoils. There were more intricacy and detailing with a lot of handwork.

Renaissance Revival style:

Victorian style 2

The Victorian varieties under this category raged during c 1860 to 1890. It was marked by the predominance of inlaid panels, masculine arches, gilt incising, burl panels and motifs depicting features of human and animal. The intricacies were still prevalent, but the incisive detailing of the Gothic Revival was now getting smoothed.

Rocco Revival style:

Victorian style 3

Victorian furniture belonging to this category was found in the period from c1840 to 1865. It had sharp French influence prevalent in it. So, the prevalence of natural essence was obvious in this category of furniture. Therefore, birds, shells and flowers formed the major designing elements of this variety.

Tudor Furniture:

Victorian style 4

The characteristic appeal of this variety of Victorian furniture was its oaken infrastructure and bold, embossed carvings. They had strong detailing and a heavier look. They has a slight resemblance with The Gothic styles. But, they were very expensive, rarely made and remained as the sole property of the utterly moneyed class.

Predominant features of Victorian furniture

Victorian furniture had certain characteristics that secluded them from the rest of the lot. They were bulky and predominated by heavy ornamentation. Rosewood and Mahogany were the primary materials for the same. However, the much preferred English wood, oak was also being used in the later periods for the production of Victorian furniture. Let us break up these characteristics to get a closer view of it all.

Bulky feature:

Bulky and heavy look were the trademarks of Victorian furniture. So, things that were commonly found in Victorian furniture were heavy pedestals, huge sideboards and other hulking proportions. Based on these fundamentals Victorian models reflecting various influences were built in the later ages, with the dominant attributes of each influence prevalent in them.

Basic materials

As we have already remarked, rosewood and Mahogany shared the major part of Victorian furniture, with some oak wood makes too. Walnut wood also became the material of a few of them. Actually, attempts were being made to make Victorian furniture pocket friendly. These woods were pre-processed before being converted into furniture pieces. But, the major pre-processing treatment of the modern varieties included staining the wood in deep brown or cherry colored lacquer and seasoning them, so that these prototypes looked exactly similar to their original versions.

Carvings and contour

Curvilinear features and natural images were the characteristics of Victorian furniture. The lines were curved and angular and carvings found all over the surface of the same depicted natural images, such as leaves, floral patterns, roundish masculine and feminine motifs and faces of humans and animals. The common elements of Victorian pieces are curved moldings and decorative friezes. If you look carefully at a Victorian chair or a table you will find that the overall shape is straight. But, the back rest, feet or the ornamental bottom part of the same, just underneath the cushion, have characteristic curvy detailing.

Victorian embellishment

Embellishment was the chief part of these bulky pieces of sophistication! So, things you will always find in Victorian species as additional embellishments are ornate silk tassels, embossed effects in the cushions and pillows, quilt detailing and layer formations with expensive materials. Detailing and texture were the two prime essentials of Victorian furniture as the makers emphasized on aesthetics a lot. So, furniture which does not have these detailing is a prototype and not at all real specie.

Characteristic upholstery

Upholstery in Victorian Furniture reflected traditional and classy appeal. Hence, the pillows and cushions present in the same were made from rich satin, expensive silk or textured fabrics, such as silk Velvet, so that visual and material comfort could be equally enjoyed by the user. Victorian embellishment was the mandatory part of these furniture accessories as well. The color palette of the same was restricted to the bold hues that would grab instant attention and the Victorian furniture would serve as breathtaking centerpieces of the living area too. So, the predominant colors were red, maroon, blue, dark purple, etc. However, plain, neutral backgrounds were also incorporated for a few of the Victorian furniture. But elaborate floral patterns in bright primary tones were a must in them, so that visual curiosity remained intact.

Thus, Victorian Furniture has a rich history behind it as parallel to its period marking name. So, they will definitely bring a charm of the English nobility to your household. The authentic antique pieces can be found with an antique dealer.

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