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| Ideas
for Decorating a Victorian Bedroom |
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For many a Victorian style bedroom has an antique
but typically feminine feel to. The Victorian era started in
the 1830’s and was around until 1900 (when Queen Victoria died)
and there are many variations to be had relating to the style
of a Victorian bedroom but hopefully the points provided below
will help you when decorating a Victorian bedroom for yourself.
1 Chinoiserie wall stencil / Chinoiserie Wallpaper
Hand-painting, the Chinese traditional workmanship was used
commonly in the process of furniture, adornments, and accessories
such as Lacquer ware, Chinese calligraphy and porcelain more
than 3000 years ago... in the late 17th Century, the same painting
skills started being used to create these creative wallpapers
made in panels about four feet square and were shipped in this
form to Europe. |
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It is a beautiful series of hand-painted wallpaper
designs based on classical Chinese themes and be recognized
as the highest form of wallpaper art. It dates from c.1800 and
was intended to form a panoramic view of an Oriental garden.
The garden is planted with flowering trees and shrubs in vases,
and the viewer looks out over an alabaster balustrade. When
an upholsterer like Thomas Chippendale was employed to redecorate
a room, he expected the owner to supply the Chinese paper himself.
The style of painting done today is in the same
historical style that wallpaper scenes created a mural effect
that would cover the walls of an entire room without repeating
the design, The motifs were of three types: life and occupations,
birds and flowers, or figures and trees. Depictions of all the
elements were realistic: botanists copied some designs for their
own illustrations, some of designs are extended from famous
historic calligraphies and paintings such as .Today these designs
are appropriate for most Dining Rooms, Bed Rooms, Living Rooms
and Entryways of today's interiors. The same painting skills
used by Chinese artists thousands of years ago are still used
to create these lovely wallpapers. The talented Chinese artists
hand paint each wallpaper panel with exquisite detail and elegance
to create murals of timeless beauty
Paper Content
The traditional style of painting for this collection is done
on 100% silk, and then paperbacked with rice paper for strength
and durability, which has been specifically made for this type
of hand painting. Another ground used for our "European", or
"Watercolor" version of these scenes, which are painted in watercolor
in a block print effect, are painted onto 100% cotton fabric,
also paperbacked for durability. This type of paperbacking of
silk and cotton has been proven to be long lasting and not subject
to deterioration. Paintings done during the Dang and Song Dynasty
(around 1200 BC), using this paper ground technique are still
as beautiful and vibrant as when they were originally painted.
| Chinese Bird Wallpaper Room at Castle Culcreuch |
2. Dressing the Bed
A Victorian bed should be showy wooden affair or made from either
cast-iron, brass or a combination of both these metals. You
may be able to get a skilled carpenter to produce or adapt a
full bed to queen size or merging twin beds together to produce
a king size. But if you really do not have the money to spend
on such a luxury there are many modern reproduction beds available
at a fraction of the cost.
The bed should be elaborately dressed with canopies and drapes,
lots of pillows, flounces, ribbons and other trims. If you can
search out your local fabric store and see if they have period
type quilts etc., available.
3. Tables
It is important that you include either a marble topped table
or cabinet in your room design as well as a wicker, bamboo or
faux bamboo table, round or skirted table as a nightstand. Why
not visit your local junk or antique shop to see what turned
and carved wooden tables they may have for inclusion in your
design from that era.
4. Lighting
It is vital that you get the lighting right in decorating a
Victorian bedroom and this should include the classic ginger-jar
style, or those that are made from porcelain, crystal or brass.
You may even decide to use candlestick holders which have been
transformed to be used as a light. Under each lamp you should
place a crocheted doily for obtaining the authentic period look.
5. Dressers & Chest of Drawers
These should be typically made from dark stained oak, mahogany
or walnut and be embellished with carvings, pediments and have
either ornate brass or carved wooden drawer pulls. You may be
lucky to find ones that also have a candle stand, tilting mirror
and marble top to them.
6. Flooring
To provide that authentic Victorian look to your bedroom use
Oriental area rugs or straw type mats. You may if you wish us
hooked or machine loomed rugs that have a floral or a swirly
abstract pattern on them.
7. Accessories
Such accessories you should include in your room are period
pictures (include subjects such as botanicals, children, maidens
(young women) and animals in these pictures). Also include an
elaborate golden or stained wood framed mirror in to your design.
If you can also place fresh flowers in period style vases in
the room and visit your local junk or antique shop to find some
Victorian style collectibles for inclusion in your design such
as china dishes and figurines.
8. Windows
These should be dressed with full curtains or drapes which have
ruffles, valances, braid, lace, bows and tassels on them (but
you don’t need to have every just one or two will suffice).
The materials your should be using to dress your windows should
be velvet, brocade, delicate florals and then layered with lace
sheers.
So decorating a Victorian bedroom can be quite easy all you
need to do is just carry out a little research and hopefully
you will be able to design and decorate the bedroom of your
dreams. |
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