There’s something magical about stepping into a home that tells stories of generations past, with every creak of the floorboards, ornate woodwork, and stately facade offering a window into history. For those fortunate enough to live in a Victorian home, it’s not just about owning a piece of property—it’s about becoming a custodian of history, art, and culture. The Victorian era, named after Queen Victoria’s reign (1837-1901), gave birth to some of the most iconic architectural designs. These homes, often resplendent with intricate details and grandeur, evoke a sense of nostalgia and wonder. But beyond their aesthetic beauty, what truly makes living in a historic Victorian home a joyous experience? Let’s explore.

Timeless Beauty and Craftsmanship

Victorian homes stand out for their unmatched craftsmanship. Each home is a work of art, from the stained glass windows to the gingerbread trim, wrought-iron fences, and wrap-around porches. Modern architecture often values simplicity and efficiency, but Victorian homes celebrate complexity and artistry. You are greeted daily by intricate moldings, carved wood staircases, and high ceilings that inspire admiration for the time and effort that went into building them.
Living in a Victorian home allows you to appreciate the detail of handmade construction, which is increasingly rare in today’s fast-paced, mass-produced world. Every corner, column, and cornice has its personality, giving your home character in ways that newer homes often lack.

Stepping into a Different Era

Living in a Victorian home is like traveling back in time without leaving your doorstep. These homes are physical remnants of a bygone era, complete with the quirks and eccentricities of the 19th century. From fireplaces in nearly every room to hidden staircases and large bay windows, you can almost feel the presence of past inhabitants as you walk through the halls. It’s an experience that bridges the gap between history and the present, making your home a living museum.
Moreover, Victorian homes often inspire their owners to embrace some of the lifestyle choices of the past, from collecting period furniture and decor to adopting sustainable living practices, such as hanging clothes on a line or growing an expansive garden. It’s a way of simplifying life and appreciating the beauty in everyday moments, something that the fast pace of modern life often erodes.

The Charm of Quirky Layouts

If you’ve ever toured a Victorian home, one of the first things you’ll notice is how different the floor plans are from today’s open-concept layouts. Victorian houses were designed with specific purposes for each room—formal parlors for entertaining, libraries for reading, separate kitchens, and servant’s quarters tucked away. While this may seem odd by modern standards, it’s part of the charm. Each room feels like a world, creating a sense of coziness and intimacy.
Living in a home with a compartmentalized layout encourages you to embrace the purpose of each space. The living room becomes a dedicated space for relaxation, the dining room for family gatherings, and the porch for quiet reflection. This segmentation offers a unique way to appreciate your surroundings without the distractions of multitasking or blending activities.

A Connection to the Community

Owning a Victorian home often means becoming part of a community that values historic preservation. Many neighborhoods with these homes work diligently to maintain the integrity and beauty of the area, and local historical societies often play an active role. Residents share a pride in keeping the neighborhood’s history alive, which fosters a sense of camaraderie.
Living in a Victorian home connects you to others who appreciate the past. This often leads to close-knit communities that are invested in the care and upkeep of their historic environment. Whether through house tours, restoration projects, or neighborhood events, a unique social fabric is woven around historic homes.

Restoration as a Labor of Love

Owning a historic Victorian home has its challenges. Unlike modern homes, maintenance and restoration often require specialized knowledge and care. Original features like sash windows, ornate plasterwork, or hardwood floors may need repair, and finding suitable materials and artisans can be labor-intensive. But for those passionate about preservation, this is part of the joy. Each restoration project is a chance to breathe new life into the home while staying true to its historic roots.
Whether it’s discovering original wallpaper hidden beneath layers of paint or uncovering an antique fireplace that had been sealed off for decades, restoring a Victorian home is like solving a mystery. These homes reward patience and diligence, and the satisfaction that comes from preserving a piece of history is immeasurable.

A Personal Sanctuary with Stories

While the world outside constantly changes, your Victorian home remains a steadfast sanctuary filled with stories. There’s comfort in living among the details of the past, where you can appreciate craftsmanship, design, and history in the quiet corners of your home. Whether curling up with a book in a sunlit turret or sipping tea in a flower-filled garden, life in a Victorian home invites you to slow down, reflect, and enjoy life’s simple pleasures.
These homes encourage you to become more than just a homeowner; they invite you to be a part of something larger—a living tradition of architectural beauty, history, and community. Victorian homes remind us of the joy found in art, heritage, and the passing of time.

Owning and living in a historic Victorian home is an experience like no other. It’s a lifestyle that combines appreciation for the past with the joy of craftsmanship, community, and the creation of memories in a space that has already seen so many. While modern homes offer convenience and innovation, Victorian homes offer something more profound—a connection to history and a timeless beauty that never fades.

Our home, the Barclay Mansion, is in historic Bedford, Pennsylvania, and has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1978.  In addition to being our home, the Barclay Mansion is also the site of our business, Bedford Fine Art Gallery, where we always have over 300 authentic, beautiful Victorian paintings for sale.

The Barclay Mansion was built in 1889, during the late Victorian period. Although the house is Victorian in age, it is reminiscent of the Renaissance Classical tradition with Italianate style details. The low central tower, with its curved and stilted segmented archwork above the triple and double windows, creates a distinctive front to the house. The brickwork on the central tower has pilaster-like details. The brick pilasters rise to the roof line and are topped with heavy scroll-like bracketing. This late Victorian-style bracketing is repeated in the porch roof detail and around the structure’s eaves. The house is 2 1/2 stories high and is built of brick. The home’s central core has 12 large rooms, two deep in double bays about the central hall and stairway on three floors. The rear wing has six smaller rooms on two floors, serving as servant-butler quarters, a pantry, and a kitchen. A two-bay full basement has a base course of coarse stone, topped with brick perimeter walls. The house has central support from two rows of three brick archways.

The house has a hipped roof with jerkin-head gables on the ends and a gable on the low central tower. Chimneys are incorporated into the end gables with distinctive flare and taper in brickwork detail. Two additional similarly detailed chimneys rise from the rear wing. There are nine fireplaces, eight with slate hearths, marble mantels, and trim. Crafted brass trim and metal liners to the hearths are distinctively Victorian. The large kitchen hearth was closed over with shelving for many years when the house functioned as the Bedford County Library; however, this façade has been removed to reveal the original brickwork.

The windows are double, and there are large pane lights on the front of the house; there are triple windows in the central tower. Single windows are elsewhere. The windows have large white wooden lintels, square arching over lights, and massive wooden sills beneath. The southeast end of the house has a carved wooden floral motif in the lintels. There are fluted pilasters in the double window sets. The double doors of the main entrance have no transoms, but they have large, square, frosted-etched panes at the top. The interior doors of the front of the house are of similar design. In addition, the carved wooden floral motif is found on the doors and in the trim detail. The rear wing entrance is a single door and has a three-light transom. The central hall has massive walnut stairway railings, and trim detail abounds in every room. Craftsmanship in detail and trim work is found throughout the house.

Victorian houses, with their ornate architecture and rich History, offer homeowners the unique opportunity to own a piece of the past. These beautiful homes, often adorned with intricate details, steep roofs, and large windows, can be stunning showcases of craftsmanship and History. Restoring a Victorian house, however, is not for the faint of heart. It requires careful planning, respect for the original design, and a willingness to blend the old with the new. In this article, we will explore the essential steps involved in restoring a Victorian home, what makes the effort so rewarding, and why original authentic Victorian art is the perfect complement to your restored historic Victorian house.

Understanding Victorian Architecture

Victorian architecture refers to the styles that emerged during Queen Victoria’s reign (1837–1901). The period encompasses a variety of architectural styles, including Gothic Revival, Queen Anne, and Italianate. Each of these styles is characterized by ornate decorative elements, intricate woodwork, and asymmetrical facades. Restoring a Victorian home often involves understanding which style your house belongs to and what specific features are significant to its design.

Key architectural elements of Victorian homes may include:

• Decorative Trimwork: Often called “gingerbread,” these are intricate wood carvings found on gables, porches, and eaves.
• Stained Glass Windows: Colorful, hand-crafted windows that provide character and charm.
• Bay Windows: Large, projecting windows that bring in ample light and create a sense of spaciousness.
• Tower or Turrets: Circular or angular additions that give the house a castle-like appearance.
• Mansard Roofs: Often seen in Second Empire-style Victorian homes, these roofs have two slopes and are covered in slate tiles.

Each of these features contributes to the overall grandeur of the home, and restoring them can be a major part of the project.

Planning the Restoration

Before embarking on any major restoration, it is essential to research the home’s History. This includes understanding its original floor plan, materials, and previous alterations. Many Victorian homes have undergone several changes over the years, and the goal is to restore as much of the original character as possible while accommodating modern needs.

A restoration plan should include:

• Historical Research: Check local archives, historical societies, and libraries for records about the original construction and any previous renovations.
• Budgeting: Restoration can be costly. A thorough budget should include not only the cost of materials and labor but also unexpected repairs (e.g., dealing with lead paint, asbestos, or structural issues).
• Hiring Specialists: Restoration projects often require specialized skills, from plaster repair to wood restoration and stained glass restoration. Finding artisans experienced in working with historical homes is key to a successful project.
• Permits and Regulations: Victorian homes often fall under historic preservation laws, meaning certain guidelines must be followed to maintain the house’s historic status. Local historical commissions may need to approve your plans, especially if they involve exterior changes.  For example, we had to go through the Historical Architectural Review Board and Bedford Borough Council to get approval for the color “white” paint we used for the exterior since our home is in the Historic District of Bedford.

Restoring the Exterior

The exterior of a Victorian home is often its most defining feature. Restoring it can involve repairing or replacing wood siding, repainting, and fixing architectural details like moldings and cornices. One of the most important aspects of exterior restoration is the paint job. Many Victorian houses originally featured bold, multi-color schemes to highlight their intricate architectural details.

• Choosing the Right Colors: The original colors of the house can often be determined by scraping away layers of paint. Many paint companies offer “historic” color palettes specifically designed to match the vibrant schemes used during the Victorian era. Popular shades include dark greens, burgundy, mustard yellow, and creams.
• Repairing Woodwork: The decorative trim and siding are often made of wood, which can deteriorate over time. Replacing damaged sections with historically accurate materials and designs is essential to maintaining the integrity of the house.
• Windows and Doors: Restoring original wood-framed windows is preferable to replacing them with modern ones. If the windows must be replaced, reproduction windows that match the historical designs will be available.

Interior Restoration

Inside a Victorian home, you’ll find features like high ceilings, elaborate moldings, and antique fixtures that can often be preserved or restored. However, Victorian homes may require updates to electrical systems, plumbing, and insulation, which should be done with care to avoid damaging the original structure.

• Plaster and Molding: Plaster walls were common in Victorian homes, and preserving or repairing the original plaster was often a priority. Restoring moldings and ceiling medallions adds to the historical authenticity of the house.
• Fireplaces and Mantels: Many Victorian homes have multiple fireplaces, often with ornate mantels. Restoring these fireplaces to working condition, or at least maintaining their appearance, adds warmth and character to the home.
• Flooring: Original hardwood floors are a highly prized feature of Victorian homes. Restoring them may involve refinishing the wood or replacing sections with period-appropriate materials.
• Lighting: Victorian homes were often designed for gas lamps, so modernizing the lighting system while preserving the aesthetic of the fixtures can be a delicate balance. Reproduction light fixtures that mimic the look of gas lamps but use electricity are available.

Blending Old with New

While historical accuracy is important in Victorian restoration, so is livability. Modern conveniences such as heating, air conditioning, and kitchen appliances are essential for most homeowners. The challenge is incorporating these modern amenities in a way that doesn’t detract from the period charm.

• Kitchens and Bathrooms: These rooms will likely need the most updating to suit modern needs. However, there are many ways to maintain the Victorian feel in these spaces. For instance, clawfoot tubs, vintage-style fixtures, and period-appropriate tile work can keep a Victorian aesthetic while offering modern functionality.
• Technology Integration: Installing modern electrical systems, smart home features, or energy-efficient upgrades like insulation and windows can be done discreetly without compromising the historical integrity of the home.

Preserving History for the Future

Restoring a Victorian house is more than just a renovation project—it’s a labor of love that preserves History for future generations. By maintaining the architectural integrity and character of these homes, homeowners contribute to the preservation of historical neighborhoods and architectural heritage. It’s an investment in both beauty and History, bringing the craftsmanship of the past back to life.

While restoring a Victorian home can be challenging, the rewards are immense. The satisfaction of living in a meticulously restored piece of History, combined with the opportunity to showcase unique architecture and design, makes Victorian house restoration a truly fulfilling endeavor.

Authentic Original Victorian Art for your restored Victorian home

After your labor of love restoring your Victorian house to its full glory, doesn’t it make sense to decorate it with original authentic Victorian paintings?  Visit our website:

  www.bedfordfineartgallery.com 

to fall in love with beautiful, original, authentic Victorian art that will please now and for many years to come.