How to achieve a Victorian window look | 247 blog

Inspiration

Posted 16/11/2021

The Victorian look has come back in fashion with a bang, so of course you’ve made your way to our latest blog for a few sparks of inspiration! Always keen to impress, we’ve put together a whole host of tips that will get your interior design mind working overtime as you start to piece your new-look interiors together in record time. Let’s jump right in…

What are Victorian window coverings?

We’re not talking about antique pieces that cost the world here, so don’t worry if you’ve already started being put off by the budget. Everything we’re going to share with you is made to measure and readily affordable, it’s just that it comes with the touch of regal style the Victorians would have been proud of. Think Venetian blinds, bold fabrics and patterns, and classic style shutters.

It's all about those heritage windows...

The Victorians were the height of the British Empires power and influence, from this came a “new Renaissance” of design, inspirational pieces came along the Far East and Silk Road, and materials streamed in from the colonies. 

 

Britain saw a resurgence of wealth and prosperity.  This also saw the emergence of the new 'middle' and 'working class' families, who came from new wealth.  This saw architectural changes both in the countryside and within the town places, as merchants build wealthy avenues and properties sprang up around work hubs.  The Victorians re-designed whole cities and created a refined style that they became very well known for in the decades to come.

 

Part of this design overhaul and abundance of supply saw the Victorian's embracing large panes of glass, with opulent designs found in doorways, roadside windows and, of course, bay windows.

A photograph showing off a Victorian row of houses. Likely London or BathA photograph showing off a Victorian row of houses. Likely London or Bath

— Photo by Jordan Brierley on Unsplash

Beautiful Bay windows, serene sash windows and detailed doorways.

If your home is blessed with bay windows, then your Victorian style is going to come to life with ease, but don’t worry if your windows are a little more modest either. No matter what style your home was built in, you can find something in our range that will catch the eye for all the right reasons.

 

Shutters: You might think that these are more for a country style cottage, but they were common in Victorian homes that wanted a parlour style look and feel. Choose a rich brown that sets the tone for the rest of your interiors and you’ll be on the right track.

White Shutters are shown in a living room bay window. The room is neutral using white and grey tones.White Shutters are shown in a living room bay window. The room is neutral using white and grey tones.
- Shutters can complete the look of a bay window, with fantastic light and privacy control, shutter blinds are great for roadside houses.

 Wooden Venetian Blinds: They come in all shapes and sizes, but there’s only certain colours a Victorian lady and gentleman would be seen with.Dark browns,light beige andwoody tones are what they’d be searching for.  Coming into style in the late 1760s, Venetian blinds really came into style in the Victorian era. New wood materials were imported from the Americas and India, with lighter hardwood making things a lot easier for this blind.

 

These days real wooden Venetians are mostly made from a tree called the Linden tree, also known as “Basswood”.  This light material allows for easy carving, and is usually taken as an off-cut and impacted to create the slats.  Grown in “eco-forests” this tree is a fast grower, and these forests are looked over by the FSC, to ensure these blinds are produced using a sustainable source.

 

A more recent variant, with a better carbon-footprint are known as faux wooden blinds.  Made from uPVC, these blinds are made to look like normal wooden blinds, with stains, grain-effects and various shades and colours available.  Both blinds offer a great way to control the light and privacy in your home, however as faux wood blinds are made from a denser packed material, these blinds are also great noise absorbers!

 

To achieve the Victorian look, the more grand and impactful the better, so get busy choosing your free samples.

 

 

 

Real wooden blinds are shown in a living room bay window. The walls are cream, the sofa is grey and the room sparsely decorated.Real wooden blinds are shown in a living room bay window. The walls are cream, the sofa is grey and the room sparsely decorated.
- Wooden venetian blinds create a refined, sophisticated look in this living room bay window.

Aspirational design, and new materials to show off.

It wasn't all generic fabrics or clean-cut materials the Victorian's loved.  From the ends of the earth came silks, hand-stitched fabrics from India and new woods from the new world.  Queen Victoria also pushed this popular trend to new heights, and built several museums dedicated to the fantastic things found overseas.

 

This saw an influence inside the home, from rich and fruity teas found in kitchens, imported rugs and lamps to, of course, a surge in soft furnishings, curtains, and blinds.

 

These days, a lot of the fabrics today are still imported from Turkey, India and Israel, especially for bespoke curtains and found in Roman blind design.  Much more cost-friendly, patterned Roman blinds are a stunning way to ease yourself into the style, creating a homey, warm look to the home.

 

Bold Patterns: This one is very much down to personal taste and preference, but take a quick peak at that link. You’ll see it has bold patterning, regal colours and that little touch of class that it can be hard to put into words. The good news? There’s plenty more where that came from…

The room is decorated with various Moroccan-styled upholstery, throws and blinds. Each fabric is different and the scheme is mix of texture and red, orange and brown schemes.The room is decorated with various Moroccan-styled upholstery, throws and blinds. Each fabric is different and the scheme is mix of texture and red, orange and brown schemes.
- From the ends of the Empire came new styles, prints and materials. These Roman blinds show the Moroccan style off beautifully!

What if you don’t have bay windows?

While they’re a staple of the classic Victorian style, if your home was built without them, there are various styles and option that could work to help you create Victorian style in your space. If we were you, we’d certainly drop all notions of giving up on your Victorian home dream and instead focus on bringing your windows to the fore. Shutters are the best way to do it because they add a real statement finish that will catch your eye the moment you walk through the door. Give it a little thought, and you’ll be amazed at how far you can take things with a few clicks on our site and a little bit of measuring!

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