DESIGN - Victorian Home Refurbishment Interior Design in Bristol, Bath & London
With over one third of the houses in Britain built before the First World War, and many of these being of Victorian heritage the interior design, refurbishment and extension of these beautiful homes form a large part of the work of many interior designers and architects including WOOLF Interior Design & Interior Architecture, with our studios in Bath and London. We have worked on numerous beautiful period properties and listed buildings, including Victorian and Edwardian homes, throughout the UK. One excellent example would be WOOLF’s collaboration with MWAI architecture on the elegant refurbishment and extension of a Victorian terrace family house in the Boltons Conservation Area in Chelsea London. The tailored design of this interiors project reflects the Anglo/American heritage and sophisticated style of the owners. The project in the image below is a blend of Los Angeles cool and Chelsea chic. It is both sophisticated and elegant with a subtle international twist.
The Reign of Queen Victoria
Under the reign of Queen Victoria, there was a boom in the construction of housing stock both in the UK and in the colonies. In fact, in a period of less than 75 years, over 6million Victorian houses were built in the UK alone. The era was one of industrialisation, mechanisation and engineering and as a consequence the vast majority of these solid well-built Victorian houses in great locations in cities such as London, Bristol and Bath still stand today and are often ideal for renovation projects. With the right advice and expertise from specialist interior designers and interior architects, there are so many ways which you can renovate a Victorian home to bring it up to date and suitable for modern living, from extending into the loft space, rear extensions to knocking through walls and opening up the space. Apparently, Victorian houses for sale get many more offers than modern houses, reflecting the fact that they are better located, much admired, and hold their value – all key factors for a successful and viable interior design project.
Most houses built in the Victorian era were typical city and town centre small, terraced houses that are found in the streets of the UK’s major cities including London, Bristol and Bath, with small gardens or yards. More spacious town houses and semi-detached villas with large gardens were built for the growing middle classes such as factory owners and managers, and located slightly further away from the centre.
Victorian Property Styles
The most common types of Victorian homes:
Gothic Revival
Inspired by medieval churches and castles, this style became fashionable after the design of the Houses of Parliament by Sir Charles Barry. Typically you can recognise them by steeply-pitched roofs, pointed arches and front-facing gables.
Italianate/Renaissance Revival
Inspired by Italian villas and in contrast to other Victorian styles, these houses typically have only two floors. They are characterised by low roofs and wide eaves, often with a huge front porch, Corynthian columns and arched windows.
Arts and Crafts
The Arts and Crafts movement championed by William Morris was a reaction to the rapid industrialisation of the Victorian era. It urged for a return to the craftsmanship which was threatened by the rise of mass production. The focus was on simplicity of form, the use of natural materials and patterns inspired by nature.
Queen Anne
The most common of Victorian designs. These homes feature heavy ornamentation, porches with gables, and circular towers. Large windows are also typical and will contain both functional and decorative elements.
Neoclassical
Inherited from the Regency period, the Neoclassical architectural style was inspired by the architecture of Ancient Greece and Rome.
Features of Victorian Houses
Keen to show off newfound wealth and splendid taste Victorian houses were full of intricate detailing, elegant proportions and beautiful windows. Even the most modest Victorian terrace will include at least some of the following:
· high ceilings,
· plaster coving and ornate plasterwork, ceiling roses,
· Arches, wooden dado, picture rail, architrave,
· Deep skirting boards,
· tiled porches,
· Encaustic and mosaic hall floors,
· cast iron fireplaces,
· cast iron railings and gates, sash windows.
Everyday Victorian houses also often had decorative brickwork as this era was the first time that heavy building materials such as bricks and sand could be moved from town to town easily via the railways. There was a far more extensive choice of materials than the Georgian era when more local materials were used to build homes.
However, much like in the Georgian age, houses in a particular terrace, road, or group of roads were typically constructed by a single developer and architect and therefore tended to feature the same materials, layout, design and finishes. For a keen renovator this fact is a real asset as it makes it easy to identify the features your Victorian house may have had originally if these were ripped out when they were previously “modernised” in the 1970s and 1980s. Hopefully beautiful fireplaces, floorboards and tiles might have simply been boarded or covered over and are waiting to be unearthed and failing that with the right advice replacements can be sourced to reinstate key authentic features.
Maintaining, repairing or replacing the period features that were original to your house can be a great starting point, this doesn’t mean you need to be a slave to the era with no modern amenities but these elegant features add character and value and, if decorated sympathetically, will help the building hold its value and integrity. While reception rooms featured skirting, dado, picture rail, coving and ceiling roses, most bedrooms only feature skirting and coving, have simpler door handles and more plain windows and doors.
Layout and light
An original Victorian layout may have had a small dark kitchen at the back of the house and downstairs bathrooms, so it is often a requirement to address this by relocating the kitchen in the a large more open place in the centre of the house. Often at least one side of the house is fairly dark and gloomy and it’s important in these areas to use light coloured paints and lots of lighting.
However the good news is that most Victorian houses are not listed so there are many changes you can make without getting any formal planning permission although for anything but minor works you’ll need to get a Buildings Certificate from your council.
Victorian Interior design project by woolf: Fulham London
A Russian installation artist Client wanted to maximise the natural light and space in this stunning Victorian Fulham house with a beautiful extension. WOOLF Interior Design & Interior Architecture and Hogarth Architects collaborated on this cool contemporary residence. This family house features two stunning and luxurious bedroom suites, both have custom-designed, bespoke walk-in wardrobes, dressing rooms and large luxury ensuite bathrooms. The furniture and fittings throughout were selected for their simple and luxurious characteristics to create a calm and classic feel. In the communal scape, a large double-height high end, modern and bespoke kitchen was installed with a dramatic mezzanine study combining to achieve a modern timeless feel.
What are the benefits of renovating a Victorian house?
Victorian houses are known for their elegant architecture and ornate detailing. But these generously proportioned homes also tend to be sturdily built, with thick walls making them popular options for renovation. WOOLF love seeing Victorian homes that are brought back to life if they have been neglected for years, with the beautiful period features restored.
Where to start when renovating a Victorian house?
There are a few things to consider when renovating a Victorian house which makes having a local interior architect, such as WOOLF, helpful. Many Victorian houses are located in conservation areas which means any extension you are carrying out will require planning permission.
It might be that you are looking to modernise the inside by knocking through walls or updating the front of the Victorian house. Style wise it could be a traditional aesthetic in keeping with the Victorian home or something more contemporary. And then of course there is always the option to extend to consider.
What style of extension works well on a Victorian house? What regulations and consents should you be aware of?
WOOLF have seen some amazing contemporary extensions too on Victorian houses which contrast perfectly with the original home...extensions finished in aluminium or corten steel can make a wonderful statement. This type of extension will almost certainly require planning permission but if done sympathetically will often be supported by the Local Planning Office. The Party Wall Act applies to many renovation projects in England and Wales, particularly when they are terraced or semi detached homes. So if you are carrying out a project such as a loft conversion or extension then you will need to consider whether the Party Wall Act impacts you. If you are doing any kind of structural work then you will need to comply with building regulations, to ensure the work is safe and meets the minimum requirements.
We see many Victorian houses that already have plenty of space but the layout is often limiting perhaps with a series of smaller rooms which require more flow and light. By employing an interior architect such as WOOLF Interior Architecture & Interior Design, you can explore options to open up the space such as perhaps, knocking through the front reception room into the back and even the hallway, which will add light and also allow you to use the space better.
Victorian houses can be like treasure troves, the hallways often hide amazing original encaustic style tiles or beautiful wooden flooring. WOOLF and our expert tradesmen can explore the option to restore the flooring or in sourcing alternatives. There are amazing tiles, parquet effect flooring and oak floorboards which are so popular with Victorian houses.
