Victorian-era bedrooms featured ornate furniture.
In Victorian homes, especially those of the upper classes, the rooms were opulent, featuring heavy, intricately carved furniture, luxurious floors, walls and window treatments as well as collections displayed on every surface. Victorian bedrooms mirrored the excess of the rest of the home, employing lavish textiles, well appointed furnishings and plush floor coverings under foot.
Floors
Floors in a were wood that was stained a dark color before being varnished to protect the finish. The floors were covered with lush oriental area rugs, many featuring floral patterns in rich jewel tones of red, purple and gold or more pastel shades of pink, green and blue.
Furniture
A Victorian bedroom was furnished with a suite of matching furniture consisting of a bed, dressing table, armoire, side tables and washstand in the Renaissance style, intricately carved and constructed of woods like walnut, rosewood and cherry. The beds often had canopies mirroring the color and pattern of the wall covering, and the tables featured marble tops. The room was likely outfitted with a fainting couch and arm chairs or rocking chairs upholstered in velvet or brocade and generously stuffed to simulate the feeling of being seated on a throne, evoking the overwrought tone of Victorian style.
Walls
While the public rooms in a Victorian home were papered in bold floral and flocked patterns in rich jewel tones, the bedrooms were often toned down with paper in lighter, cheerier patterns. Wallpaper featuring chintz striped patterns were common.
Windows
Window dressings in a Victorian bedroom took their cue from the color and pattern of the wallpaper. Victorian bedroom windows were dressed in layers. For privacy and to dim the room, roller shades were often installed closest to the glass. Layered over the shades were lace curtains. Covering the lace curtains were opulent draperies made from luxurious materials like brocade, damask, silk and velvet. These lined draperies were designed to be tied back with ornate ropes featuring tassels. The draperies were hung on decorative wooden or wrought iron rods and suspended under a cornice or valance designed to hide the fixtures found at the top of the window frame.
Bedding
Sheets and pillowcases sewn from cotton or silk were often trimmed with lace. Blankets made of cotton, linen or wool provided warmth. Bedspreads mirrored the pattern found in draperies, and wall coverings and were often highlighted with gold ropes and tassels. Piles of throw pillows crafted from materials like brocade, silk and satin and embellished with lace, tassels and intricate needlepoint scenes were tossed at the head of the Victorian bed.
Accessories
Paintings, photographs and mirrors framed in ornate, intricately-carved frames embellished with gold leaf graced Victorian era bedroom walls. A dressing table's marble top featured a lace or crocheted scarf. Combs, brushes, hand mirrors, and other personal grooming items had ivory, tortoise shell or silver handles and came in matching sets. Table lamps had shades of silk festooned with beads and tassels. Some shades were stained glass. Collections of all sorts were displayed on every surface.
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