Gothic Revival Victorian Home Decor
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Victorian Gothic Revival Home Decor
uthentic Victorian Gothic is a currently popular home decorating style that is too-often reduced to kitschy macabre themes and limited to Halloween parties. This site will show you how to achieve Victorian Gothic Revival interior decor as the elegant style it should be.Perhaps no style of Victorian Interior decorating is more romantic than Gothic Revival. Gothic revival home decor is a style that both celebrates and idealizes the Middle Ages. It embodies the romantic tales of knights and dragons, of King Arthur, Guinevere, and Lancelot, of mythical gargoyles and unicorns as well as the ecclesiastical architecture of Europe's grand cathedrals like Chartres, Notre Dame, and Westminster Abbey.
The Victorian Gothic Revival of the 19th century is a far more sumptuous style than the original Gothic period of the Middle Ages. Most homes of the Medieval era were sparsely and plainly furnished, but that did not appeal to Victorian sensibilities. Thus they drew inspiration instead from the wealthy who built and furnished ornate castles and cathedrals.
The Gothic Revival Victorian style features elaborate tracery in wood and stone, dark wood paneling, carved statuary, stained, leaded glass windows, heraldic imagery, ribbed vaulted ceilings, and pointed arches borrowed from the Middle Ages. Extraordinary tapestries and other types of needlework hung on walls and served as draperies and table coverings. Gothic Revival fabrics were rich and substantial and woven from in wool, flax, linen and other natural fibers that were made into draperies for beds, walls and windows to keep out the drafts.
Photo shows detail from a stained and leaded glass window used in a Gothic library designed by us.
© 2011 Restoration Fabrics and Trims LLC. All rights reserved.
What to Look For in Victorian Gothic Revival Home Decor
Motifs, Patterns and Shapes Featured in the Gothic Revival Style
Accent your period home decor with items featuring heraldic themes, coats of arms, gargoyles, lions, dragons and other mythical creatures, fleur de lys, trellises, stylized roses, and ecclesiastical motifs such as crosses.
Decorative items include stained glass (think European Cathedrals and early Universities), gothic style carved frames, heavy fringes, needlepoint tapestries (the famous Unicorn tapestries are frequently copied), and heavy crewels.
Pointed arches, quatrefoils (a sort of 4 leaf clover motif), tracery (an ornamental branching openwork design), ornately carved furnishings with an emphasis on the vertical lines are also hallmarks of gothic revival decor.
These motifs would have been incorporated into the overall design of a room. "Theme" decorating, such as a "gothic bedroom" full of gargoyles, may be fun but it is not representative of Victorian Gothic taste. For an authentic Gothic Revival room, avoid getting carried away with the color black and twenty-first century reproductions of so-called gothic motif items such as dragons, suits of armor, grotesque figures.
Above picture uses some of our original artwok and photos and some stock/clip art.
Created and © 2011 Restoration Fabrics & Trims LLC
Home Decorating Fabrics with Gothic Motifs
Home Decorating Accents
With Gothic Motifs and Style
FLEUR DE LIS PANEL FIREPLACE SCREEN. IRON. ON TRI-PANEL ANITQUE
Fireplace Screen Tri-Panel. Heavy stamped Fleur De more...1 point
Wilco Imports, Candle Pins, Fleur De Lis, Set of 4, 2.75-inches x 0.6-inches x 2.25-inches
Candle Pin (Fleur De Lis) 4-piece Set1 point
Sterling Home 89-2702 Wood Footed Brooch Box with Fleur de Lis Pattern, 9-1/2-Inch Long by 7-3/4-Inch Tall
Bring royal flair to your home decor with this bea more...1 point
Wilton Armetale William and Mary Pitcher
Wilton Armetale. "Holds the Cold". Cold more...1 point
Wallace Lion 18/10 45-Piece Flatware Set, Service for 8
One of Wallace's more ornate patterns is Lion. The more...1 point
Esschert Design Doormat in Antique Brown - Rectangle
Esschert Design offers a diversity of products -- more...1 point
Wilco Imports Decorative Metal Wall Clock 14.75-inch x 1.75-inch x 22.25-inch
Decorative Metal Wall Clock 14.75" x 1.75&quo more...1 point
![Tapestry Wall Hanging Godspeed [Kitchen]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/716f2N0cCjL._SL75_.gif)
Tapestry Wall Hanging Godspeed [Kitchen]
3069-WH Style: Square Satin Nickel 28" - 48&q more...1 point
Esschert Design USA WD11 Mirror Gothic, Gray Wash Finish
The elegant look of this wooden frame mirror with more...1 point
Arthur Court Fleur-De-Lis Napkin Rings, Set of 4
Perfect for entertaining, these Arthur Court Fleur more...1 point
More About Gothic Revival Style
Furniture Embellished with Carved Gohtic Motifs and Leaded Glass
Photo shows detail from Gothic library designed by us.
Note quatrefoil motif on bookcase carvings and leaded glass on door.
Wallpaper Frieze "Lion and Dove" designed by Walter Crane, the 19th century artist and social activist and printed by Bradbury & Bradbury. It was designed as a response to the Second Boer War between Great Britain and two South African republics. The lion represents the belligerent British Empire and the white dove is the symbol of peace. The banner reads "The Wilderness shall blossom as the Rose," a paraphrase of the first verse from the biblical book of Isaiah, chapter 35.
© 2011 Restoration Fabrics and Trims LLC. All rights reserved.
Common Misconceptions about Gothic Revival Decorating
he Gothic Revival style of Victorian period interior decorating should not be confused with what is known today as "Goth." Coffins, vam- pires, and skulls were not motifs found in Victorian home decor. Gothic Revival in the hands of the Victorians was not at all macabre and dark. The Medieval period it draws inspiration from saw the introduction of larger and more windows in arch- itecture and sunlight filtered through colored glass gave a soft glow to the often cavernous interiors of the high Gothic style of the Middle Ages.Chandeliers, sconces, and carved in wood or made of bronze or cast iron, often with glass panels, provided lighting. Stained and leaded glass windows were often featured in late Victorian homes and are found in Queen Anne, Stick style, Carpenter gothic, and similar styles of architecture.
Black was not the predominant color. Building materials and furnishings were in the earthtones of available materials from dark rich oak and walnut panelling and furniture to carved stone embellishments and masonry.
Photo above right shows a tapestry designed by William Morris.
The Tree of Life was a frequent Gothic Revival theme.
This tapestry is available at Allposters.com
Gothic Revival Lighting
Whether you choose a chandelier, wall sconces, or floor and table lamps, we've personally selected some of the best in new lighting to enhance the Victorian gothic revival style of home decor in any room. You can vote for your favorites by clicking on the arrows to move items up and down the list.
Murray Feiss WB1238BRB One-Light Stirling Castle Collection Wall Bracket, British Bronze with Antique Excavation Glass Shade
The Murray Feiss WB1238BRB is a 1LT Wall Sconce in more...1 point
Dale Tiffany TR101117 Boehme Torchiere Lamp, Antique Bronze/Sand and Art Glass Shade
BOHEME TORCHEIRE FLOOR LAMP WITH ITS WROUGHT IRON more...1 point
Standing Candleholder with Multi-Height Stems and Antique Rustic Finish From CBK Home
Standing Candleholder with Multi-Height Stems and more...1 point
Quoizel LP5006IB La Parra 6 Light Chandelier
This stately look is influenced by Moorish, Spanis more...0 points
Progress Lighting P4395-111 Five-Light Petite Chandelier with Antique Stone Glass and Ceramic Elements, Desert Sand
Bella Rustica 5 - Light Chandelier with Antique St more...0 points
Fangio Lighting 6087 22-3/4-Inch Resin Uplight Table Lamp, Painting Antique Copper with a Glass Shade
6087 Features: -Torchiere table lamp. -Painted ant more...0 points
World Imports Lighting 305-35 Bristol 1-Light Wall Sconce, Antique Oak
World Imports 305-35 Bristol 1 Light Wall Sconce, more...0 points
Progress Lighting P3828-75 9-Light Foyer Fixture with Antique Ice Glass, Aged Mahogany
Drayton Hall 9-Light Foyer/Urn Pendant in Aged Mah more...0 points
Photo above shows a tapestry from the Medieval Unicorn Tapestries Series.
The Lady and the Unicorn: "The Unicorn Dips His Horn" is Available at AllPosters.com
Gothic Revival Items for Interior Decor
For Victorian, Gothic, and Steampunk Home Decorating Styles
Some Important Names to Know
In Victorian and Gothic Revival Interior Design
* Augustus Pugin (1812-1852) Considered the inventor and most influential designer of the Gothic Revival style. Pugin designed buildings, interiors, furniture, wallpaper, fabrics, and more.* William Morris (1834-1896) Although he is associated more today with the Aesthetic movement, Morris was also influenced by and influential in popularizing VIctorian Gothic Revival style and for being a forerunner of the Arts and Crafts movement.
* John Ruskin Critic and art historian who wrote influential essays including The Nature of Gothic and pieces about William Morris, Phillip Webb, and other neo-medievalists.
* Thomas Chippendale (1718-1799) was an English cabinet maker and interior designer. He presaged the Gothic Revival movement by incorporating Gothic influences like tracery and pointed arches in his furniture designs.
* Charles Eastlake (1850-1917) was an architect, writer, professor, and designer. What is known today as Eastlake Style was a popular variation of the Aesthetic Movement and incorporated many neo-Gothic tropes. Although the term "Eastlake" is often mis-applied, some authentic Eastlake designs are compatible with Gothic Revival interiors.
* John William Waterhouse (1849-1917) was renowned for his lifelike and sumptuous paintings that epitomized Victorian romanticism. Waterhouse was an English painter of historical, mythological, and literary subjects with a strong narrative.
Photo shows a fabric printed in one of Pugin's designs.
"Pugin Rose" is a handprinted dual purpose fabric
and is available at Restoration Fabrics & Trims.
The Accolade
by Edmund Blair
The Classic Romantic Gothic Revival theme of the exploits of Medieval Knights is exemplified in this scene. Dramatic and beautiful lighting as knighthood is bestowed on a worthy subject. Exquisitely detailed and and a great focal point for any room decorated in a gothic theme.
Available at Allposters.com
Add Gothic Style To Your Bed and Bath Decor
English Laundry "Ashton" Velvet 18-Inch by 18-Inch Filled Decorative Pillow
16-Inch by 16-inch English Laundry Ashton Decorati more...2 points
Bacara 20 x 84 Rich Red and Gold Curtain Panel
Baroque opulence and regal luxury merge in this co more...1 point
Regal Red Velvet and Gold 13 x 18 Bacara Pillow
Baroque opulence and regal luxury merge in this co more...1 point
Avanti Damask Fringe 4-Piece Towel Set, Mocha
Set includes 1 each of the bath, hand, wash and fi more...1 point
Regal Home Collections Concord 54-Inch by 84-Inch Chenille Damask Stripe Lined Panel, Brick
Luxurious lined damask panels with a chenille stri more...0 points
Creative Bath Contessa Shower Curtain
Evoking Old World elegance is our impressive damas more...0 points
English Laundry "Bury" Velvet 18-Inch by 18-Inch Filled Decorative Pillow
18-Inch by 18-inch English Laundry Bury Decorative more...0 points
English Laundry "Bury" Velvet 18-Inch by 18-Inch Filled Decorative Pillow
18-Inch by 18-inch English Laundry Bury Decorative more...0 points
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Do you favor Period Decorating Styles from Earlier Eras?
What are your interior decorating preferences? Do you prefer Colonial, Victorian, Federal, Art Deco, Retro or another historic style of home decor from the mid-twentieth century or earlier? Or are you modern, post-modern, or avant-garde? What's your style?
Were you born too late?
Fetching blurbs now... please stand byYes. I am happier living in a home that reflects a historic decorating style.
TomMaybrier says:
Modern spaces are beautiful, but after a few years of living in Victorian houses, I'm a convert to the decadence of old.
Posted January 17, 2012
krakensquid says:
I do like the modern, kind of sterile look at times but I just love vintage accessories and design a lot more.
Posted January 17, 2012
collettehrock says:
This was a hard choice as I like so many different styles, my favourite books are home decorating ones and I think that the type of house that you have makes all the difference. This is a great lens very informative a pleasure to read
Posted November 06, 2011
Nope. When decorating my digs, I prefer looking forward, not back to the past.
JaguarJulie says:
Well, I have a fine appreciation for gothic revival and victorian and deco. At the moment, I am channeling Coastal Cottage Chic in Jacksonville, FL.
Posted January 31, 2012
TheGourmetCoffeeGuy says:
I appreciate historic decorating styles but enjoy modern surroundings too.
Posted January 25, 2012
CCGAL says:
I tend to decorate in Modern Miscellaneous and Early Decrepid, with accents of Early American Hobo. (joke) I don't actually "decorate" per se ... I live in an RV with very little room for decor, so if you have to classify what I do it's more of a mish-mosh of things I can't live without. Maybe my joke isn't such a joke after all, eh?
Posted August 17, 2011
Add a Gothic Revival Flavor to Your Dining Room Table
In addition to the flatware, pitcher, and other tableware items shown above, we've found some fabulous china, glassware, and accessories to complete the gothic look in your dining room. Unfortunately we couldn't make the photos larger here, but if you click on them another window will open and you will be amazed at the artistry and detail in these patterns.
La Rochere Fleur De Lys Décor 8.5 Ounce Footed Wine Glass Set of 6
La Rochere, located in France, is the oldest conti more...1 point
Heritage Lace Canterbury Classic 70-Inch by 108-Inch Rectangle Tablecloth, White
Canterbury Classic 70-inch by 108-inch White Recta more...1 point
DII Gold Finish Scroll Napkin Ring, Set of 6
Add the finishing touch to your table with DII's G more...1 point
Lenox Autumn Gold-Banded Fine China Sugar Bowl with Lid
A graceful addition to your Autumn collection, thi more...1 point
Spode Stafford White 5-Piece Place Setting, Service for 1
The decorative finish of the heavy 22 karat gold b more...1 point
Hampton Forge San Remo 20-Piece Flatware Set with Black Handles, Service for 4
Sophisticated San Remo from Hampton Forge gives an more...0 points
Wilton Armetale Queen Anne Small Charger
Wilton Armetale Serveware "Cooks Hot. Serves more...0 points
Garnier Thiebaut Renaissance Cotton 75-Inch by 75-Inch Tablecloth, Argent
Decorate your table in elegant sophistication and more...0 points
Pomeroy Corillian Six Votive Candle Centerpiece
Swirls of rustic metal create the base of this cen more...0 points
Biedermann & Sons 12 Glass Votive Candle Holders In Red
Red glass holder for your favorite 15 hour votive more...0 points
Mikasa French Countryside Ruby 15-Ounce Glass Goblet
The gracefully scalloped edges of the inverted-bel more...0 points
Lenox Vintage Jewel Platinum-Banded Bone China 5-Piece Place Setting, Service for 1
This heirloom-quality pattern is distinguished by more...0 points
Noritake Xavier Gold 5-Piece Place Setting
Since 1904, Noritake has been bringing beauty and more...0 points
Noritake Evening Majesty 5-Piece Place Setting
Since 1904, Noritake has been bringing beauty and more...0 points
Noritake Golden Pageantry - 5 piece place setting
Golden Pageantry is made of the finest white bone more...0 points
Royal Albert 100 Years of Royal Albert 3-Piece Set, 1980 ?Holyrood
Royal Doulton announces the international launch o more...0 points
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rayray131
Feb 12, 2012 @ 1:17 am | delete
- Really enjoyed reading this lens.
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TheGourmetCoffeeGuy Jan 25, 2012 @ 1:03 am | delete
- Very interesting lens! Really enjoyed reading the detailed information provided. Thank you for sharing your insights.
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SquidooPower
Jan 17, 2012 @ 1:15 pm | delete
- Nicely done.
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EMangl
Nov 14, 2011 @ 11:37 am | delete
- old buildings have much more charme and also have something warm which i miss in modern buildings
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collettehrock
Nov 6, 2011 @ 12:13 am | delete
- Oh well I will say it again even though I commented above the lens is really informative, It is hard not to enjoy decorating and I love so many different styles and particularly love knowing the history
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Are You a Gothic Groupie?
Check these out:
These are some other lenses that we have come across that we think will appeal to those who like Victorian Gothic Revival decor. We have avoided linking to lenses featuring Goth/Gothic kitsch and have chosen lenses we feel are compatible with historic gothic interior design and that might be informative, inspirational or instructional to those decorating in period Gothic Revival style. You can vote for your favorites by clicking the arrows. Items can be voted up or down.
Feel free to contact us and submit other suggestions if you know of a lens that meets that criteria. Please do not submit costume, goth fashion, tattoos, modern gothic decor items, vampire movies, steampunk or similar lenses. We love all of those styles but this list is restricted to more authentically period topics and styles.
http://www.squidoo.com/the-ultimate-dark-shadows-fan-quiz
100 question point-loaded quiz about the original more...2 points
http://www.squidoo.com/gothic-calligraphy
Gothic Calligraphy & Illuminated Lettering. Le more...1 point
http://www.squidoo.com/dark-shadows-angelique-fan-quiz-video-shopping-page
Participatory lens and photos for fans of Dark Sha more...1 point
http://www.squidoo.com/the-lady-of-shalott
An interesting lens about Tennyson and the poem/Ar more...0 points
http://www.squidoo.com/Paris-Gothic-2
Wonderful lens about Notre Dame cathedral with lin more...0 points
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Links to More Decorating Sites of Interest And Resources
Whether you are restoring a historic home or furnishing your first apartment on a budget, these are some other sites and pages you might find helpful.
For Extraordinary Gothic Fabrics
Restoration Fabrics and Trims
Your on-line source more...2 points
For Decorator Accents, Antiques, Historic Wallpaper, Collectibles and Serendipitous finds
Old House Interiors
For historic homes from the 17th more...1 point
Our Ruby Plaza Shop
Restoration Fabrics, Trims and Period Decor
Historically more...1 point
Find More at Our eBay Store
Restoration Fabrics and Trims
The finest discounted more...1 point
Paint Color Cheat Sheet
Paint Color Cheat Sheet Overwhelmed by paint colors? more...1 point
For the Sweetest Dreams
Saatva Inc Organic Cotton Mattresses more...1 point
How to Find, Fix and Reupholster Antique Furniture
Click Here to Get Your Copy Now!
Plus For a Limited more...1 point
Victorian Era Lovers Top Websites
Victorian Lovers
The biggest guide of Victorian, Edwardian more...0 points
Find the Perfect Oriental Rugs
Shop exquisite oriental rugs at spectacular prices more...0 points
Decorative Ceiling Tiles
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We Recommend
Victorian Gothic House Style: An Architectural and Interior Design Source Book for Home Owners
Amazon Price: $12.55 (as of 02/23/2012)
For inspiration, historical context, practical advice, and resources, this is one of the best references available. Although it is a British book, those interested in American Gothic Revival style will find it useful but should be aware of that.
Gothic Style
Amazon Price: $18.39 (as of 02/23/2012)
