Design Tips for Creating a Victorian Kitchen

Designing a Victorian kitchen yourself is a lot harder than it sounds. There are some very specific design details and types of decorations that are appropriate for a Victorian kitchen theme. In addition, it is also important to find that balance between style and usability so that your kitchen is as livable as possible. Here are a few design tips that I have shared with others for a DIY Victorian themed kitchen. A Victorian themed kitchen should follow the style ideas that are popular in other Victorian themed rooms. This includes beautiful, rich furnishings and decorations, intricate and embellished moldings and furniture, and plush flooring and ornamentation.

Colors
For your DIY Victorian kitchen the choice of color that you decide to decorate is largely about personal taste and preference, but it is important to keep in mind the popular colors used in Victorian designs. Color schemes that work best within a themed kitchen include deep reds and burgundy, deep greens and other jewel tones, and copper or other rich earth tone. Just like designing and decorating any other room in your home, the color you decide to go with should be used enough so that it is noticeable, but should not be used on everything to overwhelm the room in color and washout any design features that would otherwise stand out.

Walls, Molding and Cornices
Design features like wallpaper, molding and cornices can add a lot of rich and exciting textures to any room. A Victorian kitchen can also benefit from these features, but they should be used in moderation so that the room is not overdone. If wallpaper is decided on, a focal wall ,or a wall that is serving as a backdrop for the rest of the kitchen, is a great choice for wallpapering. One of my favorite places to browse for Victorian inspired wallpaper is Victorian Wallpaper Ltd. (Victorianwallpaper.com), because they sell authentic Victorian restoration wallpaper designs.

Hardware
The hardware that you decide to use throughout your kitchen adds so much to the theme and feel, through just a couple small details. DIY fixes like, wall mounted kitchen faucets, embellished drawer pulls, back plates and hinges in ceramic and porcelain inspire you with an authentic Victorian theme. For a nice selection of Victorian kitchen faucets and other hardware try Bellacor (bellacor.com).

Furniture
If you are going to be decorating a furnished kitchen, the furniture you choose is also an important part of your design theme. Victorian themed furniture should be decorative and ornate, and also have a feel of the exotic about it. The best way to get an exotic feel with furniture is to look for those pieces that either have a very distinct fabric that evokes a lush landscape, or to buy furniture that is made with exotic woods that are still able to be made into prim pieces of furniture.

Décor
Décor is the fastest and easiest way to really pull a themed room together. Stencil designs, wall hangings, ornate frames and pictures are just some of the more popular Victorian house decorations that can be added to your kitchen. One of the most popular designs is the fleur de lis, which can be included in candle holders, wall mounts, and on fabric and wallpaper.