A Definitive Guide to Victorian-Style Homes (2024)

When you picture a Victorian house, you might envision a colorful dollhouse, or maybe an imposing haunted or abandoned house comes to mind (like the Creel House from Stranger Things). Both are quintessential Victorian-style homes, but Victorian architecture technically refers to the era and not a specific style. That era was, of course, the time when Queen Victoria reigned in Great Britain, from 1837 to 1901. As Grant Marani, a partner at New York’s Robert A.M. Stern Architects, explains it: “Victorian means different things to different people.” But generally, the styles that are most strongly associated with this time period “emphasize verticality, decoration, and a mix of materials and colors,” Grant says.

So what exactly falls under the Victorian category?

Many architectural styles came out of the Victorian era, but the two Grant notes to be the most famous of the Victorian period—Italianate and Queen Anne—are both technically revivals of earlier architecture styles, though both took on lives of their own and were “often exuberantly decorative without much concern for historical accuracy,” Grant says. Each has distinct characteristics (noted below), but what they have in common is an emphasis on vertical elements—homes often stood at two or three stories with tall windows and porches—and detailed ornamentation that almost bordered on over-the-top. After all, a running theme throughout the Victorian era was a prioritization of form over function. Here are the differences and some of the other most notable style variations:

  • Italianate: These homes were popularized first, beginning in the 1840s and lasting until after the Civil War, drawing inspiration from 16th-century Italian villas. The main structures were fairly simple, rectangular-shaped houses with low sloping or sometimes flat roofs that protrude quite far out from the exterior walls. The windows are tall and skinny, often rounded at the top, and there is trim, trim, and more trim. Some Italianate homes even feature a square tower or cupola that rises out of the center of the house, adding to the Tuscan villa feel.
  • Queen Anne: These homes, which were popular in the U.S. from the 1880s until around 1920, are theoretically a revival of the style du jour during the actual reign of Queen Anne (1702 to 1714), but there is very little resemblance in practice. Queen Anne homes are the quintessential Victorian home: They are asymmetrical, two or three (or more) stories tall, have steeply pitched roofs, and feature large wrap-around porches. They are often adorned with differing wall textures and ornate trim—which gives them the “gingerbread” effect commonly associated with Victorian homes—that is typically painted in a variety of accent colors. Some Queen Anne homes also have octagonal towers (topped with a round pointed roof) and ornate bay windows—in short, nothing about these homes is subtle.
  • Stick style: A precursor to Shingle style, Stick style includes steeply pitched roofs, half-timber framing, open stickwork verandas, and flat ornamentation.
  • Shingle style: With shingles covering the entire building, this style also features open porches and an irregular roofline.
  • Second Empire: Also called Napoleon III, this style features a mansard roof (with two slopes on all sides and the lower slope steeper than the upper one), dormer windows, molded cornices, and some pavilions.
  • Folk Victorian: This style is a more basic version of Victorian architecture that's symmetrical and includes ornate trim, porches with spindlework, and a gable roof.

Why did Victorian homes surge in popularity?

Queen Anne and Italianate homes surged in popularity in the United States in the mid-to late-19th century, spurred on by the 1876 Centennial International Exposition (the first official World’s Fair). The advancement of building techniques, the increased accessibility of diverse materials and ideas via new railroad systems, and more widespread house pattern books also further popularized these home styles as well.

Where can you find Victorian homes today?

Italianate homes are seen in the greatest number in the American cities that experienced exponential growth during the mid-19th century: Cincinnati, Ohio; New Orleans’ Garden District, and parts of San Francisco, and Brooklyn, New York.

Queen Anne homes, along with Italianate homes, are widely seen in San Francisco—a result of it being a “boom town” during this time period. The city’s most famous are undoubtedly the “Painted Ladies,” a block of Queen Anne-style townhouses painted three or more colors (you know them from the opening credits of Full House).

A Definitive Guide to Victorian-Style Homes (2)

They’ve had good—and bad—reputations over the years.

While the Victorian era officially ended in 1901, its accompanying architecture styles stuck around for another decade or so until the Colonial Revival movement surpassed them in popularity in the 1920s. But instead of just falling out of style, Victorian homes actually became disliked in the following decades. “There was a time when the Victorian house was considered an unwelcome presence in many neighborhoods,” Grant says. “Indeed, it became the stereotype for the ‘haunted house.’” But as Grant also notes, “Victorians' quirky charm has endeared them to new generations more recently.”

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A Definitive Guide to Victorian-Style Homes (2024)

FAQs

A Definitive Guide to Victorian-Style Homes? ›

Features of a Victorian House

What were key features of a Victorian home? ›

Key Elements
  • Two to three stories. Victorian homes are usually large and imposing.
  • Wood or stone exterior. ...
  • Complicated, asymmetrical shape. ...
  • Decorative trim. ...
  • Textured wall surfaces. ...
  • Steep, multi-faceted roof or Mansard roof. ...
  • One-story porch. ...
  • Towers.

What is the typical layout in a Victorian house? ›

One of the most common Victorian layout ideas is to have the living space at the front of the house, opening up a large kitchen at the back of the house, most likely with an ample kitchen island, open-plan dining area and glazed or bi-fold doors that open out onto the garden.

How much would it cost to build a Victorian house? ›

Typically, most homeowners spend between $250,000 and $600,000. The average cost per square foot to build a Victorian-style home is $100 to $200. For homes with high levels of intricate Victorian architecture in their plans, the price can reach as high as $500 per square foot.

How to design a Victorian home? ›

Detailed and decorative exterior features include gingerbread trim, spindled railing, and bracketed posts. Curved towers and turrets. Front porches with gazebos and wide wraparound porches. Steeply pitched roofs with irregular shapes, usually featuring a dominant front-facing gable.

What are 2 significant features or ideas of the Victorian Age? ›

The Victorian Era, spanning the duration of Queen Victoria's rule from 1837 – 1901, is characterized by the expanding horizons of education and literacy, as well as by an increased desire of the people to question religion and politics.

What makes the Victorian style unique? ›

Towers, Turrets And Dormers

During this time, builders began experimenting with asymmetrical architectural designs. As a result, round or octagonal towers and turrets became prominent features of Victorian homes. Dormers with windows that extended out of the homes' sloped roofs were also popular.

What is the top floor of a Victorian house? ›

The top floor would typically house the servants quarters and the children's rooms with a nursery. The second floor would include the master bedroom and the second bathroom. On the first floor you'd find the drawing room or parlour, which acted as a receiving room for guests and visitors.

What does a Victorian bedroom look like? ›

Victorian bedrooms often had very rich, stately colors such as royal purple or deep green. Don't be afraid to play with color in your Victorian bedroom. We love the rich green walls that pair beautifully with the baroque floral pillows in this space.

What does the inside of a Victorian house look like? ›

In interior design, Victorian style is known for its opulence and eclectic mix of influences from different historical periods. Rooms are often adorned with rich fabrics, intricate patterns, and decorative elements like moldings, trims, and wallpapers.

Why did they stop making Victorian houses? ›

Yet toward the end of the 19th century, the very traits that people had coveted in their new homes–vast size and elaborate detail–engendered a powerful backlash. Even at Victorian era's peak, a vocal minority led by John Ruskin had decried its architecture as clumsy and vulgar, and this view now began to prevail.

What state has Victorian houses? ›

Old Louisville in Kentucky has the highest concentration of restored Victorian homes in the US. Originally called the Southern Extension, Old Louisville was built in the 1870s as a suburb, which was 48 city blocks long and filled with Victorian mansions.

How many rooms does a Victorian house have? ›

The houses were cheap, most had between two and four rooms – one or two rooms downstairs, and one or two rooms upstairs, but Victorian families were big with perhaps four or five children. There was no water, and no toilet. A whole street (sometimes more) would have to share a couple of toilets and a pump.

How many colors should a Victorian house have? ›

Early in the Victorian period, homes usually had a three palette color scheme, but the number of colors increased as time went on with some using four to five colors.

What did Victorians hang on their walls? ›

Starting around the 1870's, Victorians arranged wall decorations and table settings as “art units.” The dioramas, if you will, consisted of half-a-dozen framed chromos, family portraits, silhouettes, or hanging plates- arranged over a set of standing easels covered in more artwork.

Is Victorian style coming back? ›

Victorian style homes with their trademark turrets and decorative details are super charming. It's no wonder that the insides of these grand buildings are just as memorable- and that victorian home decor has been making a big comeback in the modern day.

What defines Victorian architecture? ›

Victorian-era architecture is marked by its unapologetic devotion to ornament and flourish and its ornate maximalist interior design. While there are many different styles encompassed in Victorian-era architecture, some common features that will help you spot a Victorian from the outside include: Steeply pitched roofs.

What is Victorian design style? ›

What is Victorian interior design? Victorian interior design is a style that originated in the United Kingdom during the Victorian era. Known for its abundance of pattern (in wall coverings and in textiles), ornamentation, and use of jewel tones, the interior decoration style absorbs the visitor in its rich world.

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