Why Celebrate Victorian Homes?
Gingerbread detailing, curved-glass turrets, and deep porches often characterize the Victorian style. Sometimes the taste for elaborate building design becomes questionable in its excess. A well-designed and preserved Victorian building can enhance a neighborhood in ways that modern minimalist designs simply fail at. Several styles of homes fall into the true Victorian category. Others simply receive credit because they appear to be from the same era.
Some Examples
Certain regions are well known for the traditional flair in their Victorian home designs. These include neighborhoods from San Francisco, California to Brooklyn, New York. Many smaller towns that rose during the last half of the 19th Century have tree-lined streets with home after home sporting carved sunrises, lacy woodwork, and delicate lathe work for railings. The two most popular styles were the Italianate and Queen Anne. The first is more square and reminiscent of an Italian villa. The second recalls British influence.
Common Yet Unique
Many residents of eastern regions of the United States have no trouble finding Victorian architecture to view. They may walk by it every day. Not only are private residences a source for Victorian charm, but older government buildings still exhibit a sense of grand stateliness that makes them beautiful. It has not always been easy to maintain these buildings due to the effects of local weather and rising costs. Many gorgeous examples of Victorian architecture have been lost to the ravages of time. This is to be expected. Hopefully, modern methods for preserving records can save these buildings as images. The experience of walking through individual homes may be lost, but pictures and videos can save some of the experience.
How to Recreate the Look at Home
The Victorian style appeals to many people with its maximalist decor. Whether they renovate an entire home or recreate the look in an apartment, aficionados often use recycled Victorian pieces. This can include recreated Victorian wallpaper, carved wooden details saved from older buildings, and antiques that may or may not be authentic. This timeless grandeur of the Victorian Age reminds us of a society with polished manners and romantic notions that we may not see regularly today.