The Victorian era is known for its elaborate design.
Victorian bathrooms are known for being decorated in the elaborate style of furniture from the period of Queen Victoria, 1837 to 1901. The furnishings can be the more-affordable modern reproductions or the often pricey antiques, and they include everything from claw-foot bathtubs, pedestal sinks and carved toilets, to lighting, accessories and carpets. They create an ambience of indulgence, "splendor" and "romance," states a design expert on the allbathroomdesigns website, with an abundance or a minimum of vintage visual elements.
Victorian Bathtubs
The best known Victorian bathtub is the claw-foot or footed tub, which stands on four short legs and is often found with a rounded hip--an arching edge at the tub's top. Also popular in the Victorian era were pedestal tubs: bathtubs set on platforms, usually shorter than the tub, often carved or molded in layers.
Victorian Sinks
A Victorian look in sinks.
Popular Victorian sinks are those set on pedestals, a long centered upright support, or on elegant legs. Cabriolet legs--legs curved with ornamental feet--were favored. The faucets and handles were ornate, usually made of brass or nickel plated. Also popular in the Victorian era were vanities--sinks built into a wooden cabinet, often in carved walnut or mahogany. Sinks can be oval, circular or serpentine; frequently, an elaborate mirror hung on the wall above them.
Victorian Toilets
The ornateness of Victorian toilets.
"Embossed ornamental toilet bowls" defined "Victorian ornamentation in the bathroom," writes Vintage Plumbing on its website. The most stunning of these toilets had bowls elaborately embossed, a sculpted base and a curving tank. The tanks were often high with pull chains--the chain that pulled the toilet flush--and decorative handles.
Victorian Lighting
Victorian lighting
Vintage lighting has great charm, from wall sconces and ceiling lights to the brass hardware. The globes are frequently etched with floral designs and often tinted. The chandeliers--in the appropriate scale for the size of the bathroom--are often elaborate. There was light as well from the (ideally) stained-glass windows. The Victorians first used gas fixtures and later converted them to electrical ones.
Victorian Accessories
Victorian-styled hardware
Vintage accessories add to the Victorian look: ornate, brass sink and bathtub hardware; enamel-centered, hot-cold handles; mirrors and pictures "framed in gilt or pewter," writes the allbathroomdesigns website. Also adding to the look are collectibles, clothes racks for hanging towels, and nickel-plated or brassware for items like toilet-paper holders, towel bars and cup holders.
Other Elements
A Victorian mirror
There are still other elements to consider when designing a Victorian bathroom. Things like carpets (scattered Orientals work well), porcelain-tiled floors, period wallpaper. Remember to "think creatively," the allbathroomdesigns website advises. Put period artwork on walls. Give new vintage life to old window frames. Inset an old door with mirrors or stained glass. And for the right vintage look, choose a cast-iron radiator.
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