Home Remodel
Style guide

Victorian

High ceilings, deep colour and ornament at every junction.

Palette
Parchment#E8DEC8
Antique Gold#A8862F
Deep Teal#22454A
Bottle Green#26382B
Burgundy#4E2029

Where it comes from

Nineteenth century British and American town houses.

Victorian remodelling is largely restoration: cornice, ceiling rose, picture rail, panelled doors and deep skirting, usually reinstating what was stripped in the 1970s. The colour palette can then go much darker than most people expect, because the ceiling height carries it.

Lighting

Warm and layered — wall lights at picture-rail height, lamps below, a central fitting used sparingly.

What breaks it

  • Bare white walls
  • Flat-pack furniture
  • Downlights
  • Half-hearted colour

Where to spend

Cornice and ceiling height. Restore the plasterwork and the room becomes Victorian; skip it and no colour will.

Victorian by room

30 rooms

Try it on your own room

Upload a photo and the Studio redesigns it in Victorian, keeping your walls, windows and camera angle where they are.

Open the Studio