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Victorian Splendor: Re-Creating America's 19th Century Interiors
Describes the hallmarks of Victorian interior design, shows modern and historic homes that feature Victorian furniture, fabrics, light fixtures, and collectibles, and looks at hallways, dining rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, and baths. More than 150 color photographs of Victorian interiors in contemporary as well as nineteenth-century homes show decorating possibilities for every room in the house. An indispensable source of ideas and information. Includes a directory of dealers who specialize in Victorian furniture and furnishings and an extensive listing of historic Victorian houses open to the public.
272 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 1986
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
August 15, 2021
This is research for my dollhouse, but it's written for people who want to incorporate Victorian style into their home.
This book was published in 1986, and it shows in some of the illustrations. Yes, all the rooms are at least partially Victorian in decor, but some of the prints (such as a couch and armchairs in a big floral print) and some decor elements (such as a shiny bow on the fabric draped over a table) remind me of the 1980s, an era I didn't enjoy.
Now that I've made that negative comment, most of the interiors are gorgeous and very Victorian, and some even have William Morris design. Plus this book--talking about tables being draped with fabric and such--inspires me to look for scraps of drapey fabric that would be appropriate for decorating my Victorian dollhouse.
The book has highly informative descriptions of typical Victorian elements per room. I'm glad it also incorporates sociological information and Victorian etiquette, such as ladies leaving fans on the entrance hall table. I'm definitely incorporating that into my dollhouse.
Page 29: Did you really have to bring up "plantation mistresses" without acknowledging that they owned slaves? I realize you're writing about how all kinds of (wealthy and middle-class) Victorian Americans were into interior decorating, but still.
This book was published in 1986, and it shows in some of the illustrations. Yes, all the rooms are at least partially Victorian in decor, but some of the prints (such as a couch and armchairs in a big floral print) and some decor elements (such as a shiny bow on the fabric draped over a table) remind me of the 1980s, an era I didn't enjoy.
Now that I've made that negative comment, most of the interiors are gorgeous and very Victorian, and some even have William Morris design. Plus this book--talking about tables being draped with fabric and such--inspires me to look for scraps of drapey fabric that would be appropriate for decorating my Victorian dollhouse.
The book has highly informative descriptions of typical Victorian elements per room. I'm glad it also incorporates sociological information and Victorian etiquette, such as ladies leaving fans on the entrance hall table. I'm definitely incorporating that into my dollhouse.
Page 29: Did you really have to bring up "plantation mistresses" without acknowledging that they owned slaves? I realize you're writing about how all kinds of (wealthy and middle-class) Victorian Americans were into interior decorating, but still.
Displaying 1 of 1 review