Victorian style in the interior: the history of its origin. Victorian style in architecture: features, architectural masterpieces

Victorian architecture - the most general term that is used in English-speaking countries to refer to the entire variety of varieties of eclectic retrospectivism common in the Victorian era (from 1837 to 1901). The dominant trend of this period in the British Empire was neo-Gothic; whole neighborhoods in this style have been preserved in almost all former British colonies

The Victorian era was characterized by a love for the free combination of decorative elements borrowed from various styles. The term “eclectic,” meaning “borrowed from many sources,” is descriptive, but it is often used to refer to 20th century styles, which causes confusion. The mixing of styles and the use of new ornamentation that does not have historical prototypes is typical of furniture and other objects of the Victorian era, when owners and tenants of houses, without hesitation, mixed, altered and refurbished their properties, guided by their own whims.

The first skyscrapers

With the growth of large cities, business life was concentrated in the central regions. Before the advent of the telephone, quick and easy business communication was greatly facilitated by the proximity of firms, companies and other commercial organizations. The need to locate offices in the "business district" led to a sharp increase in rents and land prices. Property owners realized that their income depended on how many square meters of leased space they could fit on a limited plot of land allocated for construction. with the advent of passenger elevators, it became more profitable to build tall buildings, but their height was still limited by construction technologies, since walls and columns made of stone were still the main structural elements.

Cast iron, a versatile material, was used very widely, including for the construction of the first skyscrapers. In large American cities there were entire "cast-iron districts" of buildings, the role of supports in which was played by metal columns, and the outer walls, like in the Crystal Palace, were glazed metal structures. With the help of metal casting, any shape could be obtained, which made it possible to decorate the facades with classical columns, Gothic arches or any other decorative elements. The floors were wooden, so such buildings often suffered from fires, the damage from which could have been incomparably less if it were not for the absence of fire escapes through which it was possible to get to the upper floors of the building. Many buildings with a cast iron frame were purely utilitarian structures. These were warehouse and factory premises, in which production was often located, where manual labor was brutally exploited. Other similar buildings housed retail stores, including those selling dry goods, prototypes of modern department stores.

Cast iron allowed the architecture to "fly" into the sky, since the greater strength of this material allowed to reduce the size of the supports inside the building. However, stone was still the most popular exterior wall material as it does not burn. Wooden floors were gradually replaced by brick or terracotta tiles, which supported metal beams or columns lined with thermal insulation tiles. The refractory metal structure and elevators made it possible to construct buildings of eight, ten or twelve stories. The construction of "skyscrapers" finally became possible in the late 19th century, when the Bessemer process made it possible to make columns and beams from steel. High-rise construction in the late Victorian era posed challenges for designers. The West Union Building (1873-1875) by George B. Post or the Richard Morris Hunt Tribune Building in New York is an unusual combination of masonry, vaults, dormers, attics, and clock towers - loosely molded together elements of the past ...

Offices in these skyscrapers and smaller buildings tended to be purely utilitarian in nature. A typical office building is characterized by small offices located along the corridor so that there is access to windows that served as a source of light and air. Individual offices were separated from neighboring offices by glazed wooden partitions, which allowed some daylight into the interior. Movable transoms above the doors allowed air entering through the windows to penetrate into rooms and corridors located in the depths. Larger "shared offices" with clerks or stenographers working in the same space began to emerge as large companies grew and required large numbers of employees. Office equipment, filing cabinets, typewriters, adding machines, and timekeeping clocks gradually took their place in the late Victorian office, along with pull-out tables and swivel chairs. Gas lighting, which was later replaced by electric lighting, replaced windows, while the telegraph, and then the telephone, became vital means of communication. Floors, ceilings, partitions and furniture were usually made of wood, most often oak. Even the offices of powerful bosses and the rooms in which board meetings were held differed from ordinary offices only in that there was carpet on the floor, there were leather chairs, and paintings hung on the walls.

High-rise multi-storey hotels and residential buildings were built with the same considerations as high-rise office buildings. The problems associated with the design of the facades were also of a similar nature. The Waldorf Hotel (1893) and the Dakota Tenement House (1884) in New York City - both designed by Henry J. Hardenberg (1847-1918) - are a complex jumble of rooms, intricately arranged around skylight yards so that daylight enters large rooms. Outside, they are designed in a style that the designer himself called the "German Renaissance", with arches, bay windows, balconies, turrets, dormers, chimneys and roofs. The interiors of the hotel have been decorated in a magnificent Victorian style. The front rooms of the apartment buildings had fireplaces with marble boards, sliding doors, colored glass, parquet floors, and wooden paneling on the walls. The servants' quarters were either in apartments or, as in the Dakota, under a roof. Residents chose exactly the same carpets, wallpaper, draperies and furniture that adorned private houses of the same level.

Public buildings

In the construction of public buildings, the same styles were used as in the construction of private houses. The official architecture of France during the reign of Napoleon III (1852-1870), which became known as the style of the Second Empire, caused the greatest delight among Americans. The works of the French architect Mansart formed the basis for such projects as the grandiose City Hall in Philadelphia (1872-1901), the architect John MacArthur Jr. (1823-1890), with an inner courtyard. Interiors, many of which have been carefully restored, radiate energy and vitality. American administrative buildings designed by Alfred B. Mull (1834-1890) during his time as chief architect of the US Treasury, such as the monumental Department of State and Navy building in Washington, D.C. (1871-1887), now the Executive Office building, were built in the same style. Mansards and heavy architectural details are characteristic of the facades of these buildings, while the elegance of the interiors compensates for any stylistic deficiencies.

Furniture and other interior elements

Industrial production during the Victorian era made furnishings relatively inexpensive and accessible to the general public. The emergence of new materials and technologies contributed to the emergence of fundamentally new interior items. In Austria, the Thonet brothers are starting to use steam to shape thin hardwood planks. Chairs and other pieces of furniture made from curved wood by the Tonet Brothers firm were durable, lightweight and inexpensive, and found widespread use in cafes and restaurants, as well as in private homes.

Plywood, invented in Europe, was made from wood veneer. Plywood replaced solid wood, it was cheaper and less prone to deformation and splitting. The wall panels, seats and backrests were made of plywood, which was combined with solid wood elements to create completely new types of furniture. From iron and brass pipes, originally intended for water supply networks, bed frames began to be made. Simple objects and fine furniture could be made from these materials.

The Victorian style was distinguished by increased decorativeness. The products of the New York workshops of John Henry Belter (1804-1863), especially chairs, armchairs, sofas and tables, were usually curved, lush upholstered and decorated with exquisite carvings with plant motifs. Many of these furnishings were manufactured from plywood industrially. Such items were the main elements of American Victorian interiors. This style is often called neo-rococo, and Belter's name is also mentioned when referring to other workshops making furniture in the same style.

At one time in England and America, the oriental style was in vogue, as a result, furniture "under bamboo" appeared. Items made of real bamboo were brought from abroad or made on site from imported materials. Screens lent an intimate character to the room. Wicker furniture made of rattan or other elastic materials was one of the favorite furnishings, especially in private verandah houses, in nurseries, or simply in combination with other types of furniture. Upholstery is a staple of Victorian seating furniture. The pillows, usually attached to wooden frames, tended to be plump and soft. Metal springs hidden under pillows were widely used to make them soft and resilient, and upholstery fabrics adorned with delicate floral patterns; horsehair fabric and leather were alternatives. Leather was commonly used in rooms where men gathered in smoking rooms, study rooms and men's clubs.

The furniture of the Victorian era was distinguished by its large size and rich ornamentation. Hat shelves with mirrors were a favorite in hallways and lobbies. The pianos had a rich and sophisticated finish and testified to the high social status of their owners.

Large, bright floral designs, both woven and printed, prevailed in the fabrics that were made on the looms. Carpets, now mostly made with looms, were decorated with motifs similar to those used for fabrics. Leaves, flowers, arabesques, and curls formed repeating patterns that made it possible to sew together large carpets and cover large areas with them. Linoleum, a recently invented material, featured floral patterns and imitated carpets. Plank floors or floors lined with patterned hardwood parquet or colored tiles were also common.

Wallpaper has become an especially popular material for wall decoration. Factory wallpapers were decorated with geometric, floral ornaments, landscapes or oriental motifs. Some of the wallpapers were embossed and embossed. Printed paper borders were also used, imitating the architectural details of cornices and friezes - with Ionic kimate or meander. The gluers created compositions designed specifically for a particular room or wall.

The Victorian color scheme gradually changed from bright and bold colors to dark and gloomy ones. Owen Jones' book The Grammar of Ornament (1856) contains illustrations in vibrant colors that promoted rich, rich hues. Over time, dark muted colors - brown, yellowish-green and mauve, began to be considered more "sophisticated". Lewis Mumford called the end of the Victorian era "the brown decades"; dark tones at the beginning of the 20th century. inherited the Edwardian era.

The spread of the Victorian style was facilitated by innovations in the field of commerce. Department stores in major cities offered a wide variety of products, so the Victorian shopper had the opportunity to compare, select, and order everything needed to decorate a home. Far from American metropolises, especially on farms in the Midwest and Far West, mail order catalogs, Sears Roebuck, Montgomery Wade, and other smaller companies, offered even more merchandise that were shipped to even the most remote areas. In addition to furniture, fabrics, carpets and wallpaper, mail order firms offered ovens, sanitary ware, kitchen equipment and all kinds of household goods. Cast iron stoves and stoves were richly decorated, but they also had a lot of useful devices for heating and cooking. Firewood was replaced by coal, and in big cities gas. The adjustable chair, patented by Wilson in 1871, was equipped with cushions on a metal frame, thanks to which it could take various forms. Bathroom furnishings included toilets, bathtubs, and washbasins in a wide variety of styles, from the strictly utilitarian to the sophisticated.

A variety of oil lamps, from the simplest to the most luxurious, were the most common lighting fixtures, but with the advent of household gas, candelabra-like gas lamps began to be produced. Chandeliers were always popular, often with brass decorations and crystal trimmings. With the advent of electric lighting, lamps and gas fixtures were adapted to fit Edison bulbs wherever electricity could be conducted. The first electric fan was created in 1889, and by 1893 the fully electrified kitchen was ready for display at the World's Columbus Exhibition in Chicago. In 1851 the first Singer sewing machine for home use was constructed. The machine was mounted in a table on cast iron legs and equipped with a foot drive and a flywheel. The typewriter was adorned with stenciled gilded designs. The top cover was usually made of plywood.

The combination of functionality and decorativeness is the hallmark of Victorian design that makes this period so challenging and so interesting. This combination can be seen in the British Museum of Transport, where very elegant and very simple steam locomotives are exhibited. The magnificent Stirling Single is named in memory of its creator Patrick Stirling (1820-1895) and for the only pair of giant eight-foot main wheels painted green, with no decoration other than stripes that accentuate the shape of individual parts. It contrasts with the passenger carriage built for Queen Victoria. Inside, the car is covered with fabrics, covered with gilding, decorated with wooden Gothic decorations and furnished with luxurious soft furnishings. Fringed curtains draw up the windows.

Style development history

Since the beginning of the XIX century. in Europe, the middle class, represented by traders, highly skilled professionals and artisans, was a minor force, both socially and economically. In the 19th century, the aristocracy began to lose its dominant position, this was due to both economic and political reasons. The number of peasants dwindled as factories, factories and mines appeared. The middle class has figured out how to turn the Industrial Revolution into a source of personal wealth. The wealthy and influential aristocrats who lived in mansions, palaces and castles were always surrounded by richly decorated interiors, expensive carpets, lush draperies and other things made by hand from expensive materials by the best craftsmen. The middle class were able to afford such things only when their cost was reduced by mass production; the main thing is decorativeness and bombast.

The origins of the Victorian style

The long reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901) coincided with historicism, the 'battle of styles', the Industrial Revolution and the Arts and Crafts movement or aesthetic movement in England. However, in the history of art, "Victorian style" is a trend in 19th century English and American design. (and parallel currents in other European countries), which is characterized by excessive decorativeness. Many critics and specialists in the field of 20th century architecture. deny the importance of the Victorian style, seeing in it a tastelessness reaching the point of absurdity.

However, the Victorian style is often characterized by energy, liveliness and freedom, which are sometimes lacking in the styles of previous and subsequent eras. In some style options, the decor is restrained or completely absent. They anticipate 20th century design. The Victorian style, as it were, splits into two areas: a style with a lush finish (government and administrative buildings, church architecture) and austere style (industry, transport).

Evidence of this can be found in documents relating to the World's Fair held at the Crystal Palace in 1851. This famous building, which seems quite modern, was built from new materials, sheet glass and metal. However, the exhibits exhibited inside had a completely different character, each participant in the exhibition seemed to try to surpass the others in a flashy bad taste, which today looks ridiculous. The illustrated exhibition catalog and magnificent color lithographs allow us to explore this amazing contrast in some detail.

A remarkably simple building structure is visible in the background. Ladies in crinolines and gentlemen in top hats examine furniture, mirrors, pianos, fireplaces, porcelain and glass with various ornaments. Greek columns and Gothic arches are rare; almost every object is adorned with figures of people and animals, leaves, flowers and complex arabesques, which at first glance have nothing to do with historical styles.

Models of locomotives, pistols, telescopes and various mechanisms were lost among "artistic" things. There were tables supported by cast-iron swans, papier-mâché chairs decorated with, as the catalog says, “two wings,” carved sideboards, cradles, an iron bed “with elements of the French Renaissance,” factory-made Axminster carpets, printed fabrics with floral patterns.

The Industrial Revolution simplified and, as a result, reduced the cost of the production of household items, which were previously made by hand. It should be noted that the artistic quality (sometimes not only artistic) of things deteriorated in comparison with previous eras. In the pre-industrial era, painters, architects (often self-taught) and artisans worked within a tradition that had slowly developed over a long period of time. The furniture maker learned the craft gradually and became familiar with the style of his era through examples of the best works of art and architecture. The weaver was very attentive to the materials and patterns of the fabrics that he weaved. The silversmith, glassblower, watchmaker, woodcarver and plasterer worked in a specific tradition for a clientele that valued aesthetic perfection as well as practicality.

When weaving became an industrial production, factory workers were not involved in the design of the fabrics produced in their factory. Factory furniture was no longer created by furniture makers, it was assembled from machine-made parts by workers who played no role in the design. The design was less and less handcrafted, it fell into the hands of factory owners and managers, who only knew that customers wanted as much jewelry as possible and that industrial production could satisfy all their wishes quickly and easily. During the Victorian era, the "flashy" style became the norm and spread everywhere.

Britannia

The Gothic Revival lasted until the 1880s. as one of the styles that competed with each other and enjoyed success with wealthy merchants, breeders, bankers and other members of the new bourgeoisie who yearned for the same mansions as the nobility. The palaces of the Tudor era, Queen Elizabeth, Kings James I and Charles I and II served as models, sometimes even castles lying in ruins were acquired, as a result, antiquity was mixed with a remake.

Mansions

The architects who built homes for the English nouveau riche were well acquainted with the historical styles that they recreated. Victorian mansions were large structures with state halls, chapels, dozens of bedrooms, and service wings that housed servants. Half-timbered houses with gabled roofs, crenellated towers and clock towers, visible for miles around, were favorites. In Cheshire, John Tollenmach commissioned the architect Anthony Salvin (1799-1881) to build Peckforton Castle (1844-1850), which resembles a medieval castle. Along with the circular main tower, the main hall and the stone-vaulted chapel, there was a billiard room, a classroom for children, and a bathroom adjacent to the master's study. Tintesfield in Somerset, the creation of John Norton (1823-1904), was built in 1863. Styles are mixed, the Gothic style prevails, but the bay windows, turrets and towers are not medieval. The interiors, decorated with pseudo-Gothic carvings and colorful tiles, are lined with furniture in different styles, the walls are covered with ornaments, vases and ceramics from China and Japan are placed along them. There are many similar mansions in England, which an inexperienced viewer may mistake for monuments of earlier eras.

Middle class homes and public buildings

Town houses that wealthy people chose for themselves were usually built in the style of Georgian classicism. However, the interiors were an example of artistic disorder. It is hard to imagine how the tenants managed to move around the rooms or find a place to sit.

The interiors of more modest houses were also cluttered, and all surfaces were decorated with patterns, but still there was some restraint in them, either due to taste or tightness of funds, in any case, the result was often a cozy atmosphere. The reception room of the house, which belonged to the writer Thomas Carlisle, in London's Chelsea was turned into a museum, from which one can judge what were the dwellings of the middle class in the middle of the 19th century. During the Victorian era, suburbs sprang up around major cities. There, terraced houses were built for people with modest incomes, and "villas" were erected for the wealthier. On the outside, they were in the Regency or Neo-Gothic style, sometimes with elements of the Victorian style. Residents furnished the interiors in accordance with the fashion of the Victorian era, guided by their own tastes and sense of proportion. Most public spaces, clubs, restaurants, theaters, hotels and railway stations were decorated with carpets, draperies and pillows, which gave the interiors a special comfort typical of the era of "gas lighting", it was in such interiors that Arthur Conan Doyle's hero, the famous Sherlock Holmes, unraveled the mysterious crimes.

United States of America: Variations on a Victorian Theme

The American Victorian style was more original than the more restrained English Victorian style. Although after the Revolutionary War Americans respected democratic ideas, the country was undergoing the same processes as in Britain. Farmers left villages and moved to cities, becoming managers, skilled workers and businessmen. Mansions became a symbol of material well-being. The flow of goods from Europe increased. The American clipper, McCormack's reaping machine, Colt's revolver and Waltham's watch speak of Yankee ingenuity and practicality, but architecture has moved away from purely practical issues.

Historians often subdivide the Victorian style into several distinct styles:

Carpentry gothic - American Gothic Revival. The material is usually wood, often in the form of planking or planking. Pointed arches are used along with wooden elements decorated with Gothic ornaments. Colored glasses are often inserted into lead binders. Small train stations and village churches are usually built in this style.
Italian style - a style characterized by hipped roofs, terraces, loggias, cornices on brackets and towers. Windows and doors often end in semicircular arches.
Mansard style - a style that is distinguished by the use of attics. The attic has a ledge and is usually covered with slate. Cast iron ornaments are often present. The mansard style was often used for public buildings, ships, and train stations. The term General Grant is often used for Victorian loft buildings.
Queen Anne style (or revival of Queen Anne style) - late Victorian style, which is characterized by refined decor, asymmetry, a combination of brick, terracotta, shingle, bas-reliefs and stained-glass windows are often used.

The 1876 Philadelphia International Art and Industry Exhibition was a showcase of American Victorian style, just like the World's Fair in England. The exhibition halls house exhibitions devoted to technology, gardening and art. Small pavilions in a variety of styles were built for various industries and individual states. A real pagoda was brought from Japan. One of the most impressive exhibits is the giant steam engine built by Corliss Iron Works for the city's pumping station. It was shown in action and delighted the audience. Household items are overloaded with decor. The Mason & Hamlin organ, perfect for Victorian interiors, features inlays, carvings and foliage, but critic Walter Smith described it as "devoid of the deformities of the ornaments that disfigured many instruments."

The style in which the organ and furnishings of this era are decorated is often called "Eastlake", in homage to the English painter and writer Charles Lock Eastlake (1836-1906). His book Tips for Home Improvement (1868) was immensely popular in America and had a great influence on American interiors. Eastlake advocated simplicity and restraint, but the illustrations accompanying the text indicate an excessive enthusiasm for details.

Mansions

The bourgeoisie built mansions, both inside and out, decorated in every possible style. The home ("Armsmer") of Colonel Samuel Colt, inventor of the revolver, was adjacent to his factory in Hartford, Connecticut, and was built in several styles, vaguely reminiscent of Italian palazzo with Moorish domes. Frederick E. Church, a landscape painter, made his dreams come true by building a house on the Hudson River, which he called "Olan." The artist designed it in a style that, in his opinion, was "Persian", he was assisted by a professional architect and landscape designer Calvert Boxing (1824-1895).

Born in England, Boxing rose to fame in America (working with Frederick Law Olmsted) by designing large parks, including Central Park in New York City, Parks in Riverside and South Park in Chicago. In 1857, he released the album Villas and Cottages, which was based on architectural designs that he developed in conjunction with A. J. Downing. The book begins with practical advice on home planning and bathroom projects. It then discusses the decorative elements used both outside and inside buildings, and finally provides thirty-nine design options for houses, ranging from the most modest cottages to giant mansions. Projects with titles such as Scenic Villa with Wing and Loft and Irregular Stone Villa with Tower (there are twenty-nine rooms excluding an attic and a tower: $ 30,000 price tag) reflect the Victorian style a tendency to over-embellishment.

Vernacular styles

The Victorian American farmhouse was different from the colonial and Georgian homes. Symmetry and austerity gave way to irregular plans, elongated proportions and varied designs, from the austere, simple settlers' homes in the Midwest to the lush gingerbread patterns popular with wealthier families in the East and South. In industrial cities, small houses were built around factories for workers and middle managers.

Houses for workers were built in rows or united by a common wall, more spacious single-family houses were located on separate sites, but almost closely to each other. Such homes were usually built for sale or for rent, and the importance of fashionable decoration was clear. Books and magazines offered “perfect” plans and designs that included decorative items that could be industrially manufactured or purchased from a lumber warehouse. Wall panels, fireplaces, stair railings and cornices were made in different styles, and the residents further intensified this “stylistic mess”.

Neo-Gothic stepped in to carpentry Gothic, which led to the appearance of the "gingerbred" ornament, cut from wood or cast from cast iron. In this way, a simple wooden house could be turned into a Victorian structure replete with decorative ornamentation. Inside, the walls were pasted over with colorful wallpaper; there were carpets on the floor. Wooden elements, usually painted in dark colors, were decorated with rich carvings. The stove could be decorated with fancy cast-iron decorations, and the room organ (or harmonium) with the same decorations, but only made of wood. All rooms were cluttered with upholstered furniture and rich carvings. The oil lamps had exquisite shapes and were fitted with colored lampshades. A bookcase, a new type of furniture, a stand with several shelves for all kinds of knick-knacks were put in the free space. The free sections of the walls were covered with lithographs, and the small sculptural groups of plaster, produced in huge quantities by John Rogers (1829-1904), were very popular.

The Victorian era was characterized by a fascination with octagonal houses. The idea came from Orson Squier Fowler (1809-1887), an eccentric architectural theorist best known for his pseudoscience phrenology (defining a person's character by the shape of a skull). A prime example of such a building is Armor Steiner House (1860) in Irvington, New York. The building is surrounded by a covered gallery with cast iron columns and railings and is topped with a dome with a spire. The lavishly finished interiors include rooms with an unusual plan: a triangular library and a music room.

In large cities, whole neighborhoods were built, consisting of terraced houses. Such neighborhoods, for example the Brownstones in New York, the brick neighborhoods of Philadelphia and Baltimore, were monotonous, but their undoubted advantage was that the even rows of houses, located along the streets, drowning in the shade of growing trees, turned into corners of peace and tranquility. The Italian style was popular for drill sandstone terraced houses, attics and verandas elevated the status of detached houses. Inside, all these buildings had central heating (usually hot air was used), gas lighting, bathrooms and kitchens. Kitchens were refined with running water, first coal, then gas stoves and refrigerators. Built-in wardrobes provided for the layout of the houses, as well as additional dressing rooms adjacent to the bedrooms and often equipped with sinks with running water. The larger houses had marble cladding and built-in mirrors.

Shingle style

The Queen Anne style, in which Shaw worked in England, was accepted with enthusiasm in America along with neo-Gothic, Italian and attic. Architect Vincent J. Scully's book Shingle Style (1971) helped spread the term to refer to American country houses that echoed the style of Queen Anne Shaw. Wood was the main material in "Carpentry Gothic" and a simplified version of the style, which Scully called the "plank style" - an indication of the clapboard facades of houses. Shingle-style buildings often have masonry, especially at the ground floor level, sometimes of rough stones, external walls and roofs were sheathed with cedar shingles, resistant to the harsh climate. The decor is often absent, the main elements are pediments, protruding wings, porticoes, dormers, bay windows, and sometimes towers. The style is most evident in residential construction, but hotels, casinos and clubs were also built in this style. Craigside, a private mansion in Manchester (Peabody and Stearns, circa 1882), is a fine example of this architectural style, with an asymmetrical layout, picturesque porticoes, turrets and an archway in one wing of the building through which cars drove. Inside, wall panels, finely glazed windows, fireplaces and cozy nooks with built-in sofas created a typical Queen Anne style interior.

H. X. Richardson (1838-1886) worked in the shingle style, including when he set about creating the Watts Sherman House in Newport, Rhode Island (1874). Numerous examples of this style were created by the McKim, Mead, and White firm, such as the seaside mansion in Elberon, New Jersey (1880-1881), built for Victor Newcomb, and the casinos in Newport and Narragansett Pier, Rhode Island (1879 -1884). These architects are better known for their more formal designs, but these less austere buildings are among the most striking and original. The "artistic" mess of the main hall in the Elberon mansion is characteristic of the Queen Anne style, which reached its highest peak in America.

Adirondack style

One area of \u200b\u200bthe Victorian style was recently named Adirondack, in memory of its formation in the mountainous region of the same name, located in the state of New York. As the railway network expanded, and train travel became comfortable, everyone who could afford to relax in the summer sought to find untouched corners of nature, where mountainous landscapes and cool summers made it possible to forget about the stuffy bustle of cities. In the Adirondack Mountains, cottages and camps for hunters and fishermen were built. Although at the end of the XIX century. the camps and bases began to grow and become more and more comfortable, the rustic character of the cottages remained. Adirondack furniture was made from tree branches (even twigs remained), skillfully selected so that benches, tables and chairs were obtained, thinner branches were used as decorative elements. Large fireplaces were central to the rooms, which were covered with unpainted boards.

Created in the mountains, "camps" with summer houses were often quite luxurious, but they deliberately retained the artlessness, which was achieved with the help of furniture and stylish design. The fireplace is made of raw stone, trimmed with roughly hewn logs, from which the bed was also built. Lanterns, fans and all sorts of curiosities are in keeping with the Victorian style. Camps with unusual names "Pine Knot" and camp "Cedars" consisted of cottages and hunting lodges with roughly knitted furniture, rugs, cloth-covered walls, hunting trophies and oil lamps.

Sheker style

The pretentious Victorian style is in stark contrast to the Sheker style prevailing in the sectarian Sheker communities that were fenced off from the outside world. The first Shekers arrived in America from England in 1774, fleeing religious persecution. Communities were villages built in the middle of cultivated fields. The property belonged to all members of the community, but everyone, without exception, had to work for the common good - a simplified form of communism. By 1800, a number of such villages emerged. In large houses, women and men lived separately. Religious beliefs forbade any excess and encouraged efforts to create necessary things. The Sheker style reached its peak in about 1830 and lasted until the end of the Victorian era.

Sheker interiors are characterized by a complete lack of decor. Smooth white painted walls are characteristic of this style. Wooden plank floors were also covered with paint, often in rich colors. Furniture is very simple benches, tables, chairs and cabinets, made with extraordinary care. There were no carpets on the floors to make them easier to keep clean, things were kept in dressers; hats and cloaks were hung on wooden nails driven into the walls. Boxes for storing small items, baskets, cast iron stoves, clocks and fabrics were distinguished by aestheticism, although the Sheker communities did not adhere to any aesthetic theories and did not attach much importance to style. Although there are very few Sheker communities today, several villages, including Hancock, Massachusetts, Sabettday Lake, Maine, and Pleasant Valley, Kentucky, have retained their distinctive character today.

Show and revival of Queen Anne style

Richard Norman Shaw (1831-1912) has created many Victorian-style projects during his long career. His early work is associated with the Gothic Revival. For country houses, the architect used half-timbered structures and masonry (the so-called old English style); but by about 1870 he had developed a more original style, which was called the Queen Anne style. It had little in common with the style of the early 18th century. Country houses and London mansions built in this style had elaborate plans. Red bricks and wooden elements painted with white paint are the main elements of the facade, large windows with small glazing. Bay windows are becoming very popular.

There is a hint of neo-Gothic and Dutch Renaissance in the projects, but in general, Shaw's style is unique and inimitable. The interiors in his houses are cozy and comfortable. Shaw's clients and himself in his home filled Queen Anne-style rooms with paintings, furniture and knickknacks that were so beloved during the era of Queen Victoria.

Shaw also designed administrative buildings (the most famous New Zealand Delegation in London (1871-1873)), banks and churches. Scotland Yard's new building, London, was designed by Shaw in 1887-1890. Shaw churches are built in the neo-Gothic style, which is almost indistinguishable from the medieval style. Shaw's country houses usually had a chaotic plan, with rooms arranged for convenience and aesthetics; some were large. Shaw steered clear of the Arts and Crafts direction, highlighting the chasm that separated his Queen Anne style and the aesthetic movement. Towards the end of his career, Shaw turned to classicism in anticipation of the negative attitude towards Victorian style in the 20th century.

Furness

The work of the architect from Philadelphia Frank Furness (1839-1912) had no relation to any particular architectural school or trend. Its style may be ugly, but it is powerful and original, and its ideas are borrowed from the neo-Gothic, Victorian woods, shingle and Arts and Crafts movement. Furness worked very hard, among his projects are churches, train stations, banks and private houses. On the first floor in the building of the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts (1871-1876) he built there is an art school, and on the second there are exhibition halls. The main lobby, which has now been restored and restored to its original colors, features magnificent iron railings, long-stemmed lighting, embossed wall ornaments, original Furness-style squat columns and pointed arches. The University of Pennsylvania Library (1888-1891), now known as the Furness Building, looks even more original. The walls are built of stone and brick. The intricate details of the arches and the huge fireplace with the clock above it have an unusual shape and are decorated with carvings.

A complex metal staircase leads upstairs. Residential buildings and other small buildings designed by Furness have many unusual decorative ornaments made of wood, stone and tiles. When at the beginning of the XX century. tastes of Americans have changed, the buildings of Furness, which caused controversial judgments even at the time of their creation, became the object of criticism and even hatred. However, this did not prevent him from collaborating with Louis Sullivan and influencing his creative development, and his work was studied and appreciated by such architects as Louis I. Kahn and Robert Venturi.

Are you fascinated by the wealth and extraordinary beauty of old castles, luxurious family palaces and the sophistication of expensive interiors of the times of ancient England? Bring this atmosphere to your home. How? Very simple, use a Victorian style in your home.

The Victorian style will appeal to those who prefer the combination of luxury and wealth with reliability, quality and comfort. And also to those who appreciates traditions, treats antiques with respect and some trepidation... Basically, this style is preferred by older and elderly people who want to emphasize their success and wealth. An interior of this kind for young people is considered unsuitable and even slightly inappropriate.

For the first time, such interiors appeared in England at the end of the 19th century, so the Victorian style combined all the most successful and expensive components of that time. Its main distinguishing feature is considered a combination of elements from styles such as gothic, classical, exotic and rococo.

History of origin

The Victorian style originated in England towards the end of the 19th century. Then the country was ruled by Queen Victoria, it was in her honor that the style was named. The English ruler was famous for her exquisite taste and love of luxury.

In the middle of the 19th century, England made a huge leap forward in the development of economy, as a result of which the bourgeoisie began to actively grow rich. This led to the fact that many began to allow themselves to buy expensive things and travel to different countries, including those that were then considered exotic. Wealthy people considered it their duty to bring home and decorate their interiors with souvenirs, paintings and other objects of art from various cultures.

As a result, this interior design led to the emergence of the Victorian style, which became a kind of mix of overseas exotic styles with the classic styles of England at that time.

Exceptional characteristics of the Victorian style

Despite the fact that the Victorian style is considered to be eclectic, that is, a combination of interiors of different styles, it has a number of specific features. With a few exceptional characteristics, you can always tell the Victorian style apart from others:

deconstruvism, i.e. decoration of each separate room of a house or apartment in a different style;
a combination of long-standing traditions with excellent quality;
exceptional symmetry;
a lot of massive heavy furniture and products from natural wood of noble species;
arched windows;
original stucco molding on the ceiling;
many antiques and various knickknacks;
expensive paintings, originals of famous artists;
the use of gilding and even precious stones in furniture decoration;
heavy doors with brass elements;
huge crystal chandeliers;
bookshelves that take up huge floor-to-ceiling space;
lack of any equipment in prominent places;
massive curtains in several layers.

The Victorian décor also features a variety of living houseplants, mostly large in large pots in a color that matches the overall range. The living room should have a so-called obligatory trio: a fireplace, an armchair and a coffee table with many magazines and books. The British have always loved to read, so the library is also an integral part of the Victorian interior. The walls are usually decorated with wallpaper with a floral print or with stripes of different colors, but if you want to comply with all the traditions of style, you need to give preference to wooden panels made of natural expensive wood. We should also mention the textiles used in decoration. All fabrics must be of extremely high quality, expensive and massive. Curtains in several layers are decorated with fringes, pompoms and draperies.

Victorian interior colors

The Victorian style is distinguished by its nobility, luxury and wealth, according to this, the colors for the premises are also chosen. The fulcrum when choosing the color design of the Victorian-style room is furniture, which, due to its naturalness, is usually chosen in color from light to dark brown. Based on the color scheme of furniture, colors are also selected for the rest of the design elements - from light pink, peach, pale blue to burgundy, coffee and red shades.

Often, when decorating in the Victorian style, fabrics with many colorful, rich patterns are used: stripes, floral motifs, various ethnic prints, polka dots. They add brightness to the design.

A separate obligatory element is the decoration of interior items with gilding and precious stones.

The use of the Victorian style in interior design is highly controversial. His opponents consider such an interior to be old-fashioned, overloaded with details and gloomy, while adherents value prestige, elegance, quality and high cost. How do you feel about him? Share your opinion in the comments.

Victorian style in the interior - this is discreet luxury and beauty,

this style gives a person a feeling of comfort, stability - it is the smell of good cigars, strong coffee and fresh morning newspapers. This style corresponds to the idea of \u200b\u200bprosperity, it conveys a kind of confidence in the future of the person who gave preference to him. Most of the materials used are difficult to replace if you wish to save money. And as for the numerous accessories, they must be real, i.e., in fact, these are antiques of the corresponding value. But if a person is willing to incur certain costs, in the end he can enjoy a cozy atmosphere in a warm, welcoming home.

As a rule, preference for the Victorian style of the apartment interior is given by connoisseurs of traditions, bourgeois quality, successful middle-aged people, businessmen, cultural figures, university teachers. Young people find Victorian-style interiors too pretentious and “complicated”, but it often happens that with age, yesterday's hi-tech and modern lovers sincerely fall in love with massive oak furniture, strict stucco on the ceiling and striped fabric wallpaper

The Victorian style implies by no means cheap interior items and finishing materials - everything should look expensive, reliable, stable and with dignity. No Victorian interior is complete without indoor plants. They are placed on the floor (in no case on the windowsill or on the table), grouped in one corner. The pots are mostly earthen and monochromatic, in harmony with the general decoration of the room.

In the true Victorian interior of the apartment you will find many flowerpots, ottomans, screens, boxes and ashtrays made of expensive stones or metals, holders for pens and pencils.

Since the early 1980s, neo-Gregorian buildings have reappeared in English fashion, with roll-up windows being the de facto standard. The windows did not possess aesthetic appeal, but even the fact that they also imposed certain inconveniences in practical use did not in any way affect the decision of post-modern architects and builders. Thus, lift-and-slide windows are quite susceptible to "sticking" and are difficult to clean. They rattle under the influence of strong gusts of wind. On the other hand, drafts penetrating through an imperfect design have a beneficial effect on the health of the British nation from a medical point of view. a fresh atmosphere is maintained in the room due to constant air circulation

Victorian style elements:

Decorative elongated windows

Decorative verandas

Dormer windows

Intricate intricate patterns on the cornice

Combination of a large number of colors

The Victorian style is characterized by the richness of the ornamentation of the roof and walls of the house. Widespread in 1837-1901, this style is characterized by neo-Gothic - the roofs have elongated multifaceted turrets. The walls are decorated with colorful ornaments.

The roof covering is selected here in combination with the colors used on the facade decor. Strong colors like red, green or mixed gray are suitable here, which will provide a strong contrast to the exterior of the facades of the house.

The British call the Victorian period briefly: “victorianism” and believe that in aesthetics it meant the triumph of pragmatism and materialism, which, incidentally, is generally characteristic of the “English style”. The Victorian style is characterized by presentability and heaviness of forms, massive decorations, careful finishing of details. The eclecticism and stylistic diversity of Victorianism are also explained by the natural reaction to the Puritan style, the severity of the preceding era of “Queen Anne style” and “Georgians”.

In addition to traditional materials, new ones were also used, such as iron and glass, but metal structures were usually hidden by decor. The furniture is usually heavy, dark, and richly carved. The mood of "romantic twilight" is created in the interiors, which is enhanced by accessories in pseudo-Renaissance, oriental and other styles

The characteristic features of the Victorian style are eclecticism, combining Gothic, Rococo, exotic and classic. Exotics at that time meant Indian and Chinese styles. In addition, the Victorian style is a combination of unsurpassed quality and old, classic canons. The Victorian style in the interior has gone through several stages of development. At the dawn of its development, the Victorian style in the interior was a bulky neoclassicism, the decor of which was distinguished by the whimsical and ornate patterns, ornaments and motifs used. And finally, this style has evolved into what we now call an English classic, distinguished by a sense of proportion and respectability. This style is known to us from the film about the well-known detective hero Arthur Conan Doyle Sherlock Holmes

In addition, it should be noted that the Victorian style is inherent in some degree of deconstruvism. Deconstruvism is a home in which each room is decorated and decorated in a different interior style. Offices and libraries are usually decorated in the Gothic style, ladies' rooms (boudoirs) - in the Rococo style, and dining rooms and hallways - in the “oriental style”. The Victorian style combines Scottish plaid and floral designs, mostly on curtains. A separate piece of furniture can be made simultaneously in several styles

The main elements of the Victorian style in the interior:

a mixture of Gothic, Baroque and Renaissance styles;

combination of ancient traditions and impeccable quality;

basic colors: brown, burgundy;

feature lines: straight and arc;

characteristic forms: vertical elongated planes;

characteristic elements of the interior: clutter of the interior with trinkets;

window shape: gothic, arched, rectangular;

doors: rectangular massive, brass trim.

History of the Victorian style

The Victorian style was formed in England during the reign of Queen Victoria, namely in the second half of the 19th century. At this time, thanks to the rapid development of industry and the colonies existing all over the world, the bourgeoisie began to grow rich and take shape as a class that sought to surround itself with the attributes of "luxurious life."

Many interior items, previously not available to everyone and considered a luxury, have gained massive popularity. Decorating, furnishing and furnishing houses has acquired a demonstrative character of status and wealth. The use of certain interior items has come to be considered a manifestation of excellent taste, solidity, prestige, wealth and respectability of the owner of the house. At this time, people began to travel a lot, coming into contact with different oriental and exotic cultures on trips, which they began to bring into the interiors of their homes.

There are three stages in the art of the Victorian period:

Early Victorian, or Neo-style period (1835-1855);

Mid-Victorian period ("Mid-Victorian period", 1855-1870);

Late Victorian, or "Free Renaissance Renaissance" ("Free Renaissanse revivals", 1870-1901).

The early Victorian period is characterized by the parallel development of the Neo-Greek, Neorokoko, Neo-Gothic, Byzantine, Moorish, and Chinese styles. The decline of art was inevitable.

“Gothic has been distorted for a long time to make it suitable for commercial buildings. Houses and banks were decorated with the facades of Greek temples. Roman baths were visible in the form of railway stations. " Eclecticism was accompanied by the negative impact of the early results of the industrial revolution. Neo-Gothic forms were used for churches, universities and government offices. In the construction of residential buildings, they focused mainly on classicism with an admixture of Byzantine, Renaissance and Baroque styles

Any “historical decor” could be made by machine method quickly and cheaply: “baroque carving” from papier-mâché, or painted plaster, “gilded rocailles” from tin. Ceramics imitated metal; “Victorian furniture” in the style of “Louis XIV” was combined with “Gothic” decor. And all this against the backdrop of heavy curtains and blackened academic paintings in gilded frames.

The late Victorian period is characterized by a mixture of “historical styles”: “Louis XIV”, Rococo, “Elizabethan Renaissance” and Tudor-Renaissance (“Tudor style”), as well as baroque styles of “King James” and “Restoration of the Stuarts”.

The art of the Victorian era was eclectic and therefore did not constitute a single artistic direction or style. Consequently, the name "Victorian style" should be put in quotation marks, understanding it figuratively.

In the 1890s, during the Modern period, a critical attitude to this "style" gave rise to the course of Edwardian neoclassicism.

Features of the Victorian interior style

The main qualities of the Victorian style of the interior of the apartment - comfort and diversity - perfectly meet the needs of a modern person in a comfortable, solid and at the same time refined apartment.

The harmony of an apartment in the Victorian style is that everything in it is balanced, symmetrical, imbued with a sense of proportion, but at the same time saturated.

Most often, furniture in light brown tones or dark reddish brown is chosen for a Victorian-style room. Accordingly, everything else will be from pale pink, almond, lilac shades to red-brown again. An important place is occupied by gilding and rich colors in ruby \u200b\u200bred or emerald green draperies.

In most cases, furniture used in the arrangement of Victorian-style premises is made from natural precious wood species. Often, gilding, inlaid with precious metals and other materials are used in the decor.

Natural wood parquet is used for the flooring. Do not forget that the use of natural wood in the design and decoration of premises from time immemorial was considered a manifestation of excellent taste, solidity, prestige and respectability of the owner of the house. In addition, tiles with an original ornament or pattern can serve as a floor covering. Windows are also made of natural wood, lancet in the Gothic style or rectangular with lintels. Doors are also made of massive natural wood with brass decorative details

All shapes are vertical, elongated, lines are straight and arched.

The walls are decorated with plaster, striped fabric / wallpaper or with round blossoming roses, realistic painted birds and animals. Often the walls are decorated with tapestries or wallpaper with a complex ornamental pattern, often voluminous, reminiscent of a bas-relief. Especially popular are British-made wallpaper imitating fabric. Images of leaves are used - maple, oak and birch, ferns, as well as forest flowers and berries: lilies of the valley, clover, strawberry.

On top of the wallpaper the size of a third or half of the height of the wall, panels of precious wood are attached. They have no carvings, but are decorated with ornaments in the classical style. By the way, it is categorically not recommended to cover the panels with varnish: glossy shine is alien to the Victorian style

The ceiling can be with dark beams or stucco with a plafond (a reproduction of a painting). A ceiling chandelier with an imitation of candlelight plays a decorative role. The main light comes from table and floor paired lamps with fabric shades.

The furniture is massive, heavy, decorated with carvings. Sofas, armchairs, chairs - voluminous with thick upholstery. The bed in the bedroom should be flat. Chests of drawers, chests and grandfather clocks are popular. An integral part of the living room is a fireplace (even an electric one) and all kinds of accessories to it.

The use of an unlimited number of "trinkets" is allowed: Chinese vases, Indian boxes, stuffed animals, paintings, etc. All kinds of horizontal surfaces should be covered with richly ornamented textiles, the floors are covered with thick carpets depicting birds and plants.

In the interiors of the Victorian era, floral patterns, burgundy draperies from soft plush are widely used, in general, everything that helps to recreate the atmosphere of home warmth. Bedspreads, canopies and, of course, curtains play an important role here. As a rule, Victorian curtains use the finest curtain fabrics, skillfully assembled and decorated with braid with soft pompoms. A typical phenomenon is several curtain rods for several types of fabric on one window, while the window is, as it were, "wrapped" in curtains. Heavy fabrics are sure to be combined with lighter, tulle or lace, curtains

Indispensable attributes of a Victorian apartment interior are paintings and wall clocks. Paintings are hung on a special rail made of the same type of wood as the panels, and therefore almost invisible against the background of the wallpaper. Frames in the Victorian style, on the contrary, are selected voluminous, heavy, but by no means gilded. As for the content of the paintings, they must correspond to the atmosphere of the Victorian style - portraits, landscapes, plot sketches and in no case abstractions. And so that they do not get lost against the general background, the tones of the works should be contrasting

Full-length mirrors will also look extremely appropriate in a Victorian interior, with the same frames as those of paintings - as a rule, they are placed in front of a fireplace, windows or doors and are often tinted yellow, red or green

Another frequent hero of the Victorian interior is the fireplace, made of granite, black or red, and always in a classic style to match the panels. It is better to cover the fire with a screen, and the fireplace itself should be fenced off with a metal fence with Gothic spiers, painted black, 40-50 cm high.

18.

19.

If you like Jane Eyre or Pride and Prejudice movies and books, you've definitely celebrated pretty Victorian dresses. Refined girls from that era in such luxurious outfits look very impressive. Therefore, many of the fair sex often present themselves in a similar way. Making such a dream come true is not so difficult, because some echoes of the Victorian style are present in modern outfits.

Style history

The Victorian style first appeared in the 19th century. Its name comes from the name of Queen Victoria, who at the time ruled over Great Britain. It was she who introduced fluffy dresses, corsets and skirts decorated with lace into fashion.

Victorian dresses allowed girls to get as close as possible to the canon of beauty of that time. The tight corset, which tightens the waist, created the effect of a feminine hourglass figure. Such dresses looked equally good on ladies with curvaceous shapes and on skinny beauties.

Luxurious dresses with corsets could only be afforded by noble ladies. These outfits were distinguished by sophisticated and sophisticated designs. It took a lot of time and effort to work out all the small details, which justified the high cost.

Dresses in this style were layered and puffy. The fabric of the skirts was decorated with lace, flounces, all kinds of bows and ribbons. Lacing corsets were a must. Sometimes they were tightened so tightly that the waist narrowed to thirty centimeters, and it was literally impossible for the girls to breathe.

Velvet, silk, satin, satin and other expensive fabrics were used as materials for sewing. Colors were chosen saturated and deep - burgundy, dark blue, green or black. The girl in this dress looked luxurious, so she did not need bright makeup. Ladies complemented their image exclusively with jewelry with natural precious stones.

Features:

Victorian dresses are very easy to recognize. First of all, they differ in femininity. The hourglass style allows you to emphasize the smooth lines of the lady's figure, and the corset lifts the chest. At the same time, due to the closed neckline, Victorian-style dresses look restrained.

Crinolines were added to add pomp to Victorian dresses. This is the name given to skirts on durable steel hoops that create volume. They also help maintain the level posture that we see among girls of that era in photographs and in movies.

In addition to dresses, in the Victorian style, you can also find spectacular combinations of layered skirts with blouses embroidered with lace or ribbons. In general, lace and embroidery complemented virtually all Victorian ladies' outfits.

Such luxurious images of the lady were complemented by real jewelry. Ornaments, as a rule, were massive and elaborate. Rings, earrings and bracelets in the form of hearts, birds, snakes or angels were popular. Also, many women wore shawls. Decorative capes, like dresses, were sewn from expensive fabrics and decorated in all available ways.

For the modern woman

With the death of Queen Victoria, fashion changed, but some elements of the Victorian style are still appearing in clothing. Many designers, inspired by this interesting era, supplement their collections with things that seem to have come to us from the century before last. So, for example, blouses with high lace collars have repeatedly appeared in the collections of such famous designers as Alexander McQueen and Ralph Lauren. Ruffles, lace, bows and frills decorate today not only dresses and blouses, but also jeans and other denim items.

Spectacular corsets are also often found in various designer collections. Now they are combined not only with dresses, but also with classic-cut skirts and even jeans, creating contrasting, but therefore even more interesting bows.

You can accentuate your thin waist with a lacing corset. It can be both an exclusively decorative element and a functional one. In the second case, the corset will not only focus on the waist, but also make it thinner. However, take into account the fact that corsets cannot be worn for a long time, so as not to harm your health.

Modern Victorian dresses are also slightly different from their predecessors. They are more comfortable, since they are not complemented by crinolines and a heap of skirts that interfere with normal gait, and corsets in them perform mostly a decorative role.

A Victorian-style dress will look spectacular at various special events. Choosing such an outfit for prom, you will definitely stand out among the same type of classmates.

A Victorian-style dress will also look original at a wedding. If you like this era with its romanticism, then it is quite possible to have a themed wedding.

Wealthy luxury or lurid bad taste? Absurd bombast or a reference example of aristocratic taste? None of the styles of the past eras have ever evoked such contradictory opinions of the public. Rather "culturological" than "stylistic", the concept of the Victorian style combined all new architectural trends and manifestations in the interior, which gave in to the English-speaking Europe of that era.

History of the Victorian style

The early nineteenth century brought an industrial revolution to Europe and played in favor of class equality. By the time of Queen Victoria's ascension to the throne, an active modernization of already existing architectural styles developed and reached its climax in England. The excessive splendor of the interiors was a logical consequence of the emerging opportunity to decorate the ascetic life of the working middle class.

Characteristics

Mixing styles. The era of steam engines provided access to travel to neighboring countries, where everyone had the opportunity to bring something of their own from a foreign culture, the main feature that replaced at the end of the 19th century.
Pretentiousness. The furniture acquired smooth lines, acquired ornate patterns and engravings. A large number of curls and intricate elements that decorate a piece of furniture were considered a quality sign of good wealth.
Ornament. A complex pattern adorned the upholstery, was embroidered on curtains and canopies, and appeared on linoleum. Early "Victorian" wallpapers were full of flowers and leaves, and elaborate lines were applied to mirrors, fireplaces and window panes.
Stucco moldings, sills and cornices. Architectural elements, previously used only in outdoor decoration, have become an integral part of the decor of any room.
Overcrowding. Each room was "littered" with furniture, decor items, figurines and trinkets. The sense of proportion in the design of the premises was rather an exception to the rule.

Architecture and house designs

The battle of "" and "in the architecture of England was short-lived.

After a skirmish that arose between followers of different schools, the churches were given over to the Gothic decoration, and most of the administrative buildings were overgrown with elements of Greek architecture.

The speed of exterior decoration of buildings was high. The factory decorations lost their durability and individuality, but made it possible to dress up the country for half a century.

Eclectic retrospectivism

There are two options for imitating architectural styles:

Retrospective is the reproduction of decorative elements of a certain style.
boils down to mixing several styles within one building.

Ideas for decoration, tirelessly brought to Victorian England from different countries, formed an explosive, but quite attractive mixture with neo-Gothic, which held a strong position in British architecture.

Neogothic

The fashion for Gothic forms was started back in the 18th century by the English Earl Horos Walpole. He used bold solutions for that time in the interior decoration of the house. And the pioneer of neo-Gothic architecture is the son of the mayor of London - William Backford. It was the scandalous fame of his estate with a high octagonal tower that initiated the active work of the British engineering school on the restoration of the Gothic.

The neo-Gothic style received official support from the government only in the middle of the 19th century.

The Palace of Westminster, created on the site of the burnt building of the British Parliament, was recognized as a model and launched a series of renovations throughout England.

Art

Victorian décor has almost lost its artistic value. Furniture makers, glass blowers, and weavers were supplanted by cheap factory production. The designers and artists were replaced by a machine tool, which in a short time stamped the required number of "decorations". For half a century, there has been a rapid decline in the priority of high-quality handmade work and the devaluation of creative professions.

Figures

Joseph Paxton. A humble greenhouse engineer created his most ambitious project for the organizers of the First World Exhibition. "Crystal Palace" surprised the public with the concept of respect for the environment, simple but effective planning and the use of completely unusual materials in construction.
Sir Charles Barry. The restored Palace of Westminster, complete with Big Ben Tower, brought glory to the architect and London later.
Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin. The architect became famous for his reconstruction of Nottingham Cathedral and for helping with the project of the parliament building.

Interior

Businessmen bringing souvenirs from different countries to their homes could never suspect that their collection would result in a fashionable trend. In the photo above, you can clearly see how the houses were reconstructed in the style of Queen Victoria. at first succumbed to neo-gothic changes, more about the gothic style in the interior. Stucco columns and sills grew inside the room, a fireplace was laid out in the living rooms, carved animals and birds began to look from the walls and cupboards. A huge role went to the ornament, which occupied every surface that could be painted. Stained glass, an intricate Gothic heritage, did not take root well in residential buildings. Its echoes were occasionally found in the decoration of floor lamps and mirrors, entrance, sometimes interior doors.

Painting glass surfaces with oil paints had nothing to do with stained glass art, but survived in everyday life thanks to demand at the end of the 18th century.

By the middle of the Victorian period, the comfort of the rooms was complemented by rugs and paintings with Indian motives. Bamboo from the Far East has been used in furniture, and the range of draperies has been replenished with lightweight dense fabrics from abroad.

Style features

The eclectic confusion of style nevertheless gave rise to some patterns:

Each room in the house has been individually designed and decorated in an original way. Each of them had decorative neo-Gothic stucco moldings on the ceiling.
Massiveness was inherent in all key interior items - from the piano to the chandelier. Large objects created a sense of financial security of the owner of the house.
Each element had to carry a drawing or ornament. Their ornateness and complexity served as an indicator of high aesthetics.
Status was emphasized by the abundance of paintings, figurines and objects of antique value.
The fireplace and the piano were taken out by the British from the Gothic style and chosen in the new interior. The legs of the musical instrument are bizarrely bent, and the mantel has got fancy decorations.

Color spectrum

There were also trends in the choice of color palette. In the early period of the era, light and delicate types of modern, or bold and bright colors were popular. Over time, muted and pale colors began to be considered sophisticated, and the Edwardian era had already inherited the darkest tones.

A resident of the Victorian era can be accused of not knowing the measure, but never of not knowing the colors.

The "soft" contrast, built on a combination of light woods and variegated wallpaper, was strictly maintained in the same range. Dark and gloomy men's rooms, dressed in dark leather and strict wood of classical forms, have become the standard of the office of bosses and directors in the modern world.

Furniture

The stylistic variety of furniture sets was united only by the presence of smooth, curved elements, patterned carving and lush upholstery. The verandas of the country estates were decorated with light rattan armchairs; a massive wooden table and equally massive chairs reigned in the dining rooms. Leisure rooms were lined with plush sofas and armchairs upholstered in velvet, silk, or leather. Coquettish screens were popular with fashionistas, an intricate hat shelf became a mandatory attribute of the hallway .. These could be embossed canvases with repeating colored geometric patterns, images of nature and animals. In modern design, you can often find wall wood panels. This element, like furniture without drapery, is an echo of the classic style, which was practically supplanted by the then fashion.

Floor decoration

The bourgeoisie were not so radical in decorating the floors. Hitherto unknown curiosity "linoleum" made a splash. The patterns printed on canvases could be formed into a composition that creates the illusion of the absence of seams and the presence of carpets. However, wood hasn't gone off the list of popular flooring and hasn't even been disguised with fabric, as has happened in the furniture industry.

Unglazed floor tiles have been a characteristic feature in temples and cathedrals. Rare aesthetes risked laying out floors in their homes with it.

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conclusions

The contemporaries' notion of the prosperity of the English in the nineteenth century is still different from the vision of the average bourgeois, who received sudden access to previously inaccessible benefits. An avalanche of new products engulfed the suddenly wealthy middle class, diminishing its ability to sense the edge of bad taste.

Reconstructors and restorers have tried to recreate, which is very evident in modern designs of living rooms in private houses. And those adopted in the era of evolution are well reflected in high-tech style interiors. Designers use exclusively natural wood, select expensive fabrics, avoid vulgar gilding and excess decorative elements. There is no favorite linoleum in the reference compositions, the curtains lose the abundance of folds and the feeling of centuries-old heaviness.