Energy Efficient Winter Decorating Victorian Style

Heating during most of the 19th century was primarily from fireplaces and stoves that used either coal or wood. The best of these were designed to allow air intake that radiated more heat into a room and to minimize smoke. Dampers regulated the escape of hot air and ornate cast iron grillwork in front of the fireplace opening (see photo on right) not only kept sparks at bay but held and radiated heat from the burning embers into the room.

Image © 2012
Restoration Fabrics & Trims LLC/Old House Interiors

Old houses were purposely designed with smaller spaces and features like pocket doors between rooms to limit the space to be heated and to retain that heat within the space. In addition to shuttered windows and draperies that could be opened to allow the warmth of sunlight to enter and closed against the cold and winds, draperies were commonly added to doorways in Victorian homes.

We have found through our own experience that just by opening and closing pocket doors and draperies we can keep our house warmer at a much lower cost than before we learned (through trial and error) how to manipulate these features to take advantage of the inherent energy saving and heat retention (and alternately, heat dispension) qualities they were designed to provide.

Portières were an important part of Victorian and even early Arts & Crafts home decor for aesthetic as well as functional energy-saving reasons. Portières were hung on brass or wooden rods set inside the door frame or on brackets attached to the frame or next to the frame on the wall.

Drapery panels were attached with rings or looped metal chains that could be slid to open and close the panels or they might be hung in a stationary fashion and opened or closed by pulling the drapery to one side and securing it with a tieback.

Portieres were made of heavy fabrics, with velvet being the most frequently used. Heavier damasks, tapestries, epingles and needlepoints were also popular.

Each side of the double sided panels would be made of a different fabric to complement the decor of the room or area the panel was facing. This way one rod could be used to hang one set of draperies that would give a different effect on each side. If a room had more than one doorway, each would be hung with a portière in different fabrics. Coordinated mixing of fabrics and patterns, not matching, was the fashion in Victorian interior decorating.

By the late 1800s, maroon with buff, crimson or olive were favored combinations for portiere panels. Deep greens (think Scarlet O'Hara's dress) and dark browns were also popular color choices. Flannel linings were sometimes added between the two faces for additional warmth. Appliques, embroidery, tassels, fringe and trims provided additional decorative interest.

Occasionally, in larger, wealthier households, more elaborate portieres, as shown in the picture on the right, would be hung on both sides of a door (usually on either side of the large sliding pocket doors between the parlour and dining rooms.)

I like to think of portières as Victorian storm doors and they are, in my experience, even more effective and far more attractive.

By closing shutters and draperies on the cold side of the house and opening them in the morning on the warm side of the house you can capture the warmth of the sun's rays and prevent radiant heat loss through the colder side. (The reverse works to keep a house cooler and comfortable in warmer weather.)

Portières were generally taken down for the warmer months or replaced with purely decorative lighter panels in silk or open work macrame with beads, but for now we are concerned only with the use of functional portieres.

Other options for functional portieres included Turkish (Oriental) carpets and reversible ingrain carpets. The advantage to these types of hangings is that they were heavy, came pretty much ready-to-hang as-is and, in the case of ingrain carpets, had two faces (or "right" sides) and did not require backing as they were double or triple layered by nature of the weaving process used to create them.

We are honored to have earned our wings in March, 2011 and hope you'll take a look at "Wing-ing it on Squidoo" to see some of the best lenses we've found in our neighborhoods and as a visitor to other areas on Squidoo.

Special thanks to Steve for the Angelic Squid Art
used in this module.

Older homes commonly had interior or exterior shutters. Due to relatively cheap heating during most of the 20th century, shutters were often removed. (Ironically, as functioning shutters were removed, purely decorative representations of shutters -- often sized improperly for the windows they flanked -- came into use.)

Recent research, however, has confirmed what previous generations knew was true. Window shutters are highly effective in reducing heat loss. Specifically, wood shutters were found to decrease heat loss from a window by 50 to 60% -- even more than double glazed replacement windows!

Image © 2012 Restoration Fabrics & Trims LLC/Old House Interiors

In addition to interior and exterior wood shutters, Victorians were fond of wooden Venetian blinds and multiple layers of window draperies. These extravagant and luxurious window treatments also went a long way toward making rooms cozy by blocking the cold air and keeping the warm air inside.

By manipulating the layers and opening and closing them according to the location of the sun and direction of the wind, you can increase (or decrease) the temperature of your home's interior. Combined with the effective use of double hung windows and transoms (See Optimizing Energy Efficiency in Victorian Houses) this is a practical, natural way to increase the comfort level and decrease the energy used in your home.

Just drawing the curtains at night can save an additional 15% of heat loss through windows. Add a single layer of drawn draperies over closed shutters and you've got up to a 75% reduction in heat loss!

Photo (right) is a public domain picture of a three section sliding wood blind from 1888 that was meant to be attached to the inside of the window frame. This model looks a lot like shutters. Note that the blind is hung over a shade as well, providing additional insulation.

The Victorians also used "Draft Excluders" to improve the energy efficiency of double hung windows. They would make these out of remnants (often left over from portieres or drapery panels) sewn into a sausage shape and stuffed with sawdust, beans or gravel. These were placed across the bottom ledge of windows and, in the case of double hung windows, also across the middle where the top and bottom sections met. If a doorway lacked a portiere a draft excluder would be used to block any draft seeping under a closed door.

During the late 1800s, Draft Excluders were usually made from heavy maroon red fabric. Today, we know these as Draft Stoppers or Draft Dodgers and they come in a wide variety of styles, shapes, and designs. Prices vary widely but they are very easy to make on your own if you want to give it a try.

                  
Hampton
Direct
Cat Draft
Stopper

                

Thermwell DS2 3-Feet Draft Stop Cloth Seal, Beige

                                

            
Cuddly Creature Draft Dodger, Gem Horse, 33-Inch Long

Another way to create a feeling of warmth to your home is to create more intimate lighting. Do not underestimate the warmth that can be created by the golden glow of light from a fireplace, candles, oil lamps and even using reproductions of antique (pre-1920) lightbulbs will add a warm ambience and a cozy feeling to your home.

Many of us don't realize that not all areas had access
to piped gas in the Victorian era and candlelight was
used for most activities in the majority of households
throughout the period. Although the actual heat
generated may not raise a room's temperature as
measured by a thermometer, it does raise our
perception of heat. That is, we actually feel warmer
in the presence of certain types of lighting.

Glo Brite L302BL
Sailor Moon
Glass
Oil Lamp, Blue

Glo Brite L399GN Diamond Lite Glass Oil Lamp, Green

Glo Brite L395CL Princess
Clear Glass
Oil Lamp

Glo Brite L201 Galaxy Clear Glass Kerosene/Oil Lamp

Glo Brite L392APK
Lite Hearted
Glass Oil Lamp, Pink

Wood floors are gorgeous and intricately inlaid wood floors are a particularly prized feature in some Victorian period homes. However, they are not very helpful when you want to keep warm in the winter time. Victorians realized this and they layered area rugs on their floors in the colder months. Area rugs helped keep rooms (and toes) warm and created a warmer looking space, which psychologists and other scientists have now proven can actually make us feel as if the temperature is 5 to 10 degrees warmer than it actually is!

The warmth and comfort provided by soft durable area rugs can be a considerable addition to your overall comfort level and the energy efficiency of your home.

For the summer months or in warmer climates, the wool rugs would be cleaned and stored away and the floors would be either left bare or covered with lightweight rugs woven of natural plant materials.

Stay warm and save energy without electric heaters and blankets by taking a few cues from our 19th century predecessors. Stoneware pottery foot warmers or hot water bottles (carefully) filled with boiling hot water from a kettle on the stove were used for warmth indoors as well as for sleigh rides in the snow. Take a hot water bottle to bed and create a thermal envelope that will keep you comfy until morning. When you awaken, you can use the now tepid water in the bottle to water plants.

Copper or brass bed warmers filled with hot coals from the fireplace and run between bedsheets will also create a toasty warm cocoon to retreat to at bedtime. It won't take the place of a partner to snuggle up with, but it will make it cozy for one and possibly even cozier for two."

Image © 2012 Restoration Fabrics & Trims LLC/Old House Interiors

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