The Victorian era gave us a plethora of beautifully intricate architecture that we still use as inspiration for our homes today. Even in more modern homes, people will still include elements of Victorian architecture to add character and charm to the house. If you’re trying to achieve a Victorian-style home design, there are a few key things to consider. Here are some ways to include Victorian elements in your home’s exterior.
Victorian-Inspired Color Schemes
One of the best ways to make your home fit in with the Victorian architectural style is by including a Victorian-inspired color scheme. There are a few directions you can go in with Victorian color design stories. For example, the homes from the Victorian era were often deep shades of green, blue, burgundy, brown, or maroon. Additionally, these homes often had accents of white, gold, or copper.
However, you can also use inspiration for your color scheme from the Victorian-era homes of San Francisco. People commonly refer to these particular houses as the “painted ladies” because of their bright, playful colors of yellow, red, orange, purple, and pink. Incorporating these colors into your home’s design will help to add the feeling of the Victorian era while even potentially adding some playful intrigue if you use the painted ladies-inspired color schemes.
Decorative Wood and Trim
Decorative wood and trim are other staple features of Victorian architecture that you can use in your home’s exterior. This type of trim is one of the most recognizable and prominent parts of what defines the Victorian architectural style. The intricately carved corbels, columns, and gingerbread-style trim molding under the eaves make these homes unique architectural treasures that we love and cherish.
You can get creative with your choices of trim and add it to your home’s eaves, porch fascia, and gables. However, make sure that your trim is cohesive and fits in with the home’s overall design aesthetic. The trim from this era is almost whimsical in nature, looking like something straight out of a fairytale, so it’ll give your home an almost romantic feeling of nostalgia.
Ornate Porch Railings
Another great way to make your house look Victorian is by adding ornate porch railings. Many Victorian homes have brilliant porches decorated with ornate porch railing, spindles, and balusters. These porch railings and spindles create a supportive foundational element and a stunning design feature.
If you want your home to fit in with Victorian-style architecture, you can add these elements to your porch or deck. There are all kinds of designs and styles of spindles and balusters that you can choose from to create the perfect look for your Victorian home. You want the entire exterior of your house to feel cohesive and well-designed, so you can’t leave out the porch detailing.
So now that you know a few ways to add Victorian features to the exterior of your home, you can include these elements in your own home today. Look at some homes from the Victorian era for any additional inspiration to get an idea of what direction to go in.
