The interior design styles of the Victorian era have been undergoing a revival in recent years. This has partly been a reaction to the ubiquity of the minimalist trend and strictly neutral colour schemes, and has also reflected a nostalgic mood driven by a longing for past times, sometimes referred to as ‘cottagecore.’
During the Victorian era, Britain became a wealthy and powerful nation, with huge progress in scientific and cultural life. The flourishing economy, driven by the industrial revolution, created a newly wealthy middle class who were keen to create fashionable homes.
Mass production and distribution of goods began to occur for the first time, making it quicker and more affordable to decorate homes. Victorian architecture is characterised by well proportioned homes with high ceilings, and a generous amount of decorative detail that is still sought after today.
Prime examples of houses from this era feature ornate cornices, architraves, and ceiling roses. They may also have picture rails, high skirting boards, tiled floors, and decorative fireplaces. Textiles were opulent and richly patterned with bold deep colours. Here are two inspirational well-preserved Victorian homes that you can visit today.
Leighton House and Sambourne House
These neighbouring houses are open to the public in the leafy Holland Park area of West London. The interiors remain largely unchanged from their heyday in the late Victorian era, when they were the respective homes of Frederic Lord Leighton (1830-1896) and Edward Linley Sambourne (1844 -1910).
Leighton was a successful painter and the president of the Royal Academy of Arts, and Sambourne was the chief cartoonist of Punch magazine. They were both aesthetes who took pride in creating eclectic and beautiful homes that also served as their working spaces. They lived among the elite ‘Holland Park circle’, an informal collective of artists.
The most striking feature of Leighton House is the Arab Hall extension, which was built between 1977-81. Leighton was inspired by his frequent trips to Turkey and Egypt and Syria during this time, where he acquired a collection of decorative tiles and fabrics.
The hall features a collection of tiles from Damascus regarded as one of the most important in the UK. The hall also features decorative marble columns and a gold frieze created by some of the most prominent artists and craftsmen of the day.
Although some of the original features of the house have been lost over the years, it has undergone a major restoration programme and is now a museum space open to visitors.
Sambourne House
The interior of Sambourne House remains very well preserved. It was inspired by the Arts and Crafts movement and contains William Morris prints and wallpapers. These feature designs influenced by nature, such as flowers, birds, and trees, in muted earthy tones of red, blue, green and brown.
The house still contains many items of furniture and ornaments that were accumulated during the owner’s lifetime, and reflect their eclectic tastes. To some, the sheer amount of detail and furnishings may be overwhelming, but it’s certainly a fascinating and beautiful home to visit.
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