Owning a Victorian home can feel like both a blessing and a curse. You’re blessed with wonderful feature pieces, but the repairs seem endless. They lend themselves to beautiful and elegant design, yet you can’t seem to see past painting the hallway.
If this sounds familiar and you’re stuck in a rut with your Victorian house interior design, don’t panic. At Shelved, we’re always on hand to help.
In this blog we’ll give you our top tips on how you can elevate your Victorian house interior design today – from free-standing shelving to harnessing lighting. Let’s go.
Harness the power of light
Victorian homes are often blessed with large windows that flood rooms with natural light, making the sunny days and the spring and summer months feel light and airy within your home. However, when winter arrives, that same Victorian interior can feel dark and cold.
The solution is to harness the power of layered lighting to transform long shadows and high ceilings into cosy and comfortable spaces. Collect a variety of lamps and lights, and try positioning them on sideboards, shelves, or countertops throughout your Victorian home. By layering the light at different levels, you can create cosy spaces without making them feel too cramped.
Tip: try to keep the lighting colour warm. Anything too white will make your Victorian interior feel too clinical.
Pay homage to vintage interiors
The heart of your Victorian home is hundreds of years old, and while you may not go full vintage with your interior design, paying homage to that heritage can help elevate your Victorian interior. But what do we mean by that?
Often, this begins by looking at how these homes were designed in the past and considering how you can incorporate that into your own space. This could mean positioning a vintage leather chair in the corner of your living room or placing an old vase in the entrance hall.
One sure-fire way to pay homage to the original interior is to include a library. Statement book storage nods back to older interiors but can also serve as feature pieces to draw attention, displaying your beloved books or ornaments.
Tip: use modular shelving and try installing shelves without drilling into the walls. Older walls often hide damp or deteriorating brick, which shouldn’t be alarming but is best left undisturbed. Try free-standing shelving to avoid the mess.
Inject a modern twist
Just because you own and live in a Victorian house – or you're nodding to vintage interiors – doesn’t mean you need to fully embrace the past. In fact, one of the easiest ways to elevate your Victorian interior, and one of the best home improvements you can make, is by injecting your own modern twist into the space.
There are countless ways to incorporate a modern twist into Victorian house interior design, but one of the simplest is to experiment with different materials. Try using materials that wouldn’t necessarily have been part of the house when it was built.
Clear plastics, concrete surfaces and glass units – by juxtaposing the old bones and heart of the house with more modern aesthetics and pieces you can elevate your Victorian house interior.
Tip: while injecting a modern twist is essential in any home, it’s easy to go overboard. Keep it simple and avoid anything that screams "futuristic."
Embrace the architecture
Victorian house interiors are often jam packed with beautiful period features. You only need to look up to see the ornate coving and ceiling roses or down to the solid wood floors and fireplaces to realise how lucky you are. And lucky for you, these features can help elevate your design.
The period features are not only visually stunning but also provide a sense of authenticity to your Victorian house interior. Don’t hide these features – enhance them. Consider restoring or adding a period-style fireplace as the focal point of your living room, or give your wooden sash windows a fresh coat of paint.
Tip: if you’re blessed with high ceilings as many Victorian homes are, you can use a pendant light to emphasise the space’s grandeur.
Care for your Victorian house interior
One of the best ways to elevate your Victorian interior, and one of the most effective home improvement tools, is a little good old TLC.
While it may sound simple, your Victorian home is likely well over 100 years old, so it’s important to treat it accordingly. The small jobs, the restorations, and the fresh coats of paint will all help keep your Victorian home in top condition, which, in turn, will elevate your interior.
Tip: This means spending a little extra on high-quality materials, paints, and furniture. Whether you're outfitting your home office, repainting your living room, replacing a tap, or mending a curtain rail, opting for quality will get you further, faster.
Make your Victorian house a home
Elevating your Victorian interior isn’t easy. Home improvements can be a nightmare, but when you get it right, the payoff is huge. You’ll have a wonderful space, rich in history, where a blend of vintage and modern elements creates something wholly unique – something that’s truly yours.
At Shelved, we help people elevate their interiors every day. From corner shelving to hallway storage, TV units to housing that beloved vinyl record collection, our modular shelving units hold the keys to great storage and even better design.
If you’re considering working modular storage into your home, or maybe you have a questions about designing your own modular furniture – or any of our other products – don’t hesitate to get in touch. We’re always happy to help.
