6 Modern Adaptations Of Victorian Living Room Ideas

by Noopur Lidbide | February 15, 2024 | 4 mins read

Victorian living style room ideas for your home

Eclectic, ornamental, moody and opulent — Victorian design influences for your living room!

Victorian interior design draws its influence from the post-Industrial Revolution era of the 1800s. Art and decor had become accessible to the common man, and it was a prosperous time for all. Influenced by the opulence associated with Queen Victoria’s rule, middle-class homes began to indulge, invest in and explore their individualistic styles. The Victorian era’s design style demanded opulence and detailing. Any minimally decorated room was considered the result of a lack of taste and individuality. An authentic Victorian living room in a present-day apartment may seem out of place but there are elements from the design style and era that you can incorporate into your home.

Check out these six Victorian living room ideas that are compatible with today’s aesthetics and won’t look out of place in your modern home.

Modern Victorian Living Room Ideas Inspired By The Classic Fireplace

Mouldings and fireplaces spell opulence and transport you straight to a time when interior design styles were elaborate. Your Victorian-inspired living room can have a stunning electric fireplace, complete with sophisticated mouldings on the walls. The decor, including lighting, paintings and flowers add to the present-day Victorian vibe.

Modern victorian living room idea with moldings and fireplaces lends a present-day Victorian vibe
Victorian-style living room with a modern twist

Victorian Living Room Colour Schemes With Dark And Moody Hues

The Victorian interior design style was heavy on dark, rich and moody colours. Finding inspiration in Gothic, Tudor and Elizabethan facets, the dark colours helped hide soot and stains from the primary use of coal to heat up homes. You can opt for a moody colour scheme and classy furniture for your Victorian living room.

Victorian living room colour schemes with dark and moody hues help hide soot and stains
A living room with Victorian-inspired dark colours
Want a living room that oozes luxury

A Victorian Living Room That’s An Extravaganza Of Decorative Details

Wish to go all-out with opulence? This Victorian living room in gold and white tones has it all — elegant furniture, intricate trims, a splash of rich gold, vintage lighting and lots of detailing. The warm tones of this living room help keep the design style posh.

Victorian living room in gold and white tones helps keep the design style posh with elegant furniture
A living room with an abundance of Victorian details

Subtle Details Make The Big Picture In This Victorian Living Room

If you are looking for a way to do the Victorian style for your living room in a minimal way, you are at the right place. The fleurs-de-lis-inspired wallpaper for the accent wall and entrance, elaborate trimmings on the ceiling and door frame, artwork on the wall, elegant lighting and decor elements on the coffee table comprise standard Victorian elements in a minimal way.

Victorian-style living room idea with fleurs-de-lis-inspired wallpaper is minimal
A modern living room that gets Victorian style right

Victorian Living Room Colour Schemes On The Neutral Side

Although the Victorian style was all about the rich, deep colours, a contemporary adaptation can be done in white. And it doesn’t have to be boring. This elegant white living room has enough detailing to make it Victorian. The moulding on the accent wall, the lighting, the lavish furniture and rich upholstery make this space quite the contemporary Victorian-style living room.

Victorian living room colour schemes on the neutral side
A modern take on the traditional Victorian living room

Charming Patterns And Prints For The Victorian Living Room

The patterned wallpaper, trimmings on the wall and ceiling, elegant furniture with elaborate detailing and vintage art and decor in this Victorian-inspired living room have our heart. The quaint appearance of this living room design has much vintage character that is fresh and modern in its execution of the Victorian style.

A Victorian living room with vintage arts and patterned wallpaper is fresh and modern
A picture-perfect Victorian-style living room

How can you give your modern home a chic Victorian update?

  • Research significant elements that make a space Victorian in its design. Pick those you want to incorporate into your home. Moody colours, mouldings, elegant wallpapers and chandeliers are some of the elements that you can implement with relative ease.
  • Invest in artwork and decor that defines your taste. Personalisation adds character to your space.
  • Furniture with intricate detailing with the woodwork can instantly add intrigue. Minimal furniture doesn’t exactly go with the Victorian aesthetic.
  • Alcove shelves are another way to get the classic aesthetic into your space. Ordinary floating shelves lack the depth (literally) and detailing of a classic Victorian bookshelf.
  • Go over to the dark side with colours. These can instantly set the tone for a vintage space in your home.
  • Invest in elegant and good lighting. Your dark Victorian living room will need proper lighting to make the space work functionally well for you.
  • Mix the Victorian elements with styles that are closer to the classic style than a completely sharp modern style. It will help the vintage elements blend better in a present-day setting.
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Noopur Lidbide is a content writer at Design Cafe Home Interiors Blog.

Noopur Lidbide

Noopur Lidbide is a freelance content writer and translator. She made the switch from finance to writing in 2017 and has since worked on diverse projects including English scripts and dialogues and subtitles for Marathi movies. An avid reader, she is passionate about storytelling too.

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