What Defines the Victorian Style of Furniture?

The Victorian era refers to the time when Queen Victoria reigned over England, between the years 1837 and 1901. Therefore, Victorian-style furniture refers to any furniture that was crafted during these years.

The key phrase that describes the Victorian furniture style is "nostalgic." The Victorian-style doesn't have any unique, original characteristics of its own; rather, it borrows from and combines characteristics of other styles, like Gothic, Rococo, and Renaissance. In terms of when different styles were revived, the Victorian era can be broken down like this: Gothic Revival (1830-1860), Rococo Revival (1840-1865), Renaissance Revival (1860-1890), Eastlake (1870-1890), and Arts and Crafts (1890-1914). Because furniture from the Victorian era combines the characteristics of different styles, trying to distinguish a Victorian piece of furniture from other styles can be difficult, but there are a few traits that set Victorian-style furniture apart from the rest. Most of these traits involve the decorative details you'd find on Victorian-style furniture as well as the proportions of each piece.

Decorative Details

Ornate carvings:
One of the most common, distinguishable traits of Victorian furniture is the intricate detailing found on most pieces. However, the way these ornate carvings express themselves changes from one Revival period to another Revival period. For example, the Gothic Revival featured ornate, geometric carvings in its furniture to replicate the designs found in castles and cathedrals. Some of the specific carvings of this period included pointed arches, spires, quatrefoils, trefoils, and crockets. On the other hand, the Rococo revival showcased its love for the natural world by imbuing its furniture with nature carvings, ranging from florals and fruits to shells and vines. The Renaissance revival moved away from natural, floral motifs, instead featuring carvings of animal and human figures. In response to the mass manufacturing of Victorian furniture that the Industrial Revolution was responsible for, the Arts and Crafts movement started moving away from ornate carvings at the very end of the Victorian era. Instead, artisans focused on simple, straight lines that were crafted by hand the way furniture used to be. Since this wasn't incorporated until the end of the Victorian era, though, it's a lot easier and more common to find Victorian-style furniture with the ornate carvings that we mentioned above.

Heavy upholstery fabrics:
The use of heavy upholstery fabrics, such as velvet, damask, or even leather, started with the Gothic revival in the mid-19th century. The first coil spring was created in the Victorian era and featured in furniture designs, but for the furniture to stand up against the abuse of the spring, heavy, durable fabrics were needed for the upholstery process. Most often, you would find heavy brocade, velvet, or damask on chairs and sofas alike, though tufted fabric was also particularly popular on sofa backs. Tufted fabric is stitched into a diamond pattern, and during the Victorian period, small buttons were also used to decorate the fabrics. Tufted fabrics gave Victorian pieces of furniture a lush, luxurious appearance, which is what the period was all about.

Dark woods and colors:
Most furniture was manufactured from dark woods like mahogany, walnut, oak, and rosewood throughout the Victorian era. With the addition of rich, dark upholstery fabrics, most Victorian furniture was dark in appearance, which gave the impression that each home had more belongings and possessions than it did; however, some pieces, especially those crafted during the Rococo revival, also featured gold gilding reminiscent of the Louis XVI style. Another exception to the "dark" rule included the patterns on upholstery fabrics, which sometimes featured lighter floral patterns to match the very common wallpaper found within the traditional Victorian home.

Proportions

The Victorian-style era believed that "more" was better, so homes tended to appear full and furniture pieces tended to be large and imposing. People didn't mind a cluttered look within the home. Queen Victoria loved grand, elaborate, luxurious pieces, which became the style within the common home. Even women's clothes were expected to be oversized, featuring large, voluminous skirts. Women's ensembles needed special accommodations for the furniture they sat on. That's why the chairs in the Victorian period featured balloon backs, low armrests, deep seats, and short legs.

Though the Victorian era is known for its large, imposing pieces of furniture, that trend didn't appear until the Renaissance Revival between 1840 and 1865. The Rococo Revival, occurring right before the Renaissance Revival, focused on pieces that exemplified feminine grace. The Renaissance revival brought back bold, masculine features on heavy, imposing pieces of furniture. When we admire the grand stature of most Victorian furniture pieces, we have the Renaissance Revival period to thank.

Furniture produced in the Victorian era is defined by its dark colors, intricate carvings, and imposing stature. Decorate your own home with handcrafted Victorian pieces found right here on our website.