The popularity of Victorian style properties are undergoing a revival, and plantation shutters for Essex and Hertfordshire period homes are a great investment to make, as they make the most of natural light and create privacy. Among the attractions in choosing Victorian style homes are the period features, such as cast iron or tiled fireplaces, oak floorboards and spacious rooms with high ceilings.
While some properties can be bought with the original features still intact, this is not the case with all properties; needs and fashions change with time, and, thanks to the advent of central heating, fireplaces were often ripped out or boarded over in the 1950s and 60s. However, owners of older style properties have been restoring period homes to their former glory with amazing results. Here, we shall take a look at some top tips for decorating a Victorian style property, including the installation of plantation shutters for Essex and Hertfordshire homes.
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Victorian Properties – Your Style Guide
Period Living Room – Victorian properties are blessed with generously proportioned living rooms featuring bay windows, so with plantation shutters it is easy to make the most of natural light. If your Essex or Hertfordshire property faces a main road, you can use cafe style plantation shutters in conjunction with curtains or blinds: so you can leave the top part of the window uncovered during the day, and shut the blinds or curtains at night to keep out prying eyes. Bay windows can be turned into a focal point in the living room by fitting a window seat with storage under.
Lighting is an important part of interior design, and in addition to the light from outdoors, you can achieve a wonderful ambience with artificial lighting. Consider a show stopping ceiling light, such as an attractive Victorian chandelier, and layer your lighting with picture lights, side lamps and floor lamps. This means you can change the lighting to create just the right atmosphere an instant.
Another attractive feature of a Victorian living room is the fireplace; and if you don’t already have one in this room, you can source a reclaimed one to suit your home. Cosy armchairs, a beautiful antique rug, and even a writing desk, will complete the look of this space to dramatic effect. Or, if a modern interior is more your style, you can combine the traditional features of your property with comfy sofas, colourful oversized art work, sculptures and contemporary soft furnishings.
Victorian Dining Room – An upmarket Victorian dining room was sometimes wooden panelled, with an oil painting or an ornate gilt framed mirror hung above the fireplace. A stunning chandelier would hang above a polished rectangular solid wood table, and this would be very much the focal point of the room; it would be luxuriously dressed with the finest glassware, silverware and porcelain.
Again, it is important to make the most of natural light in this space, and although solid wood shutters are a great choice for this room, bespoke plantation shutters create an elegant but contemporary twist on a period property.
Older Style Bathroom – If you want to turn a Victorian bathroom into a haven of tranquillity, consider a cast iron claw foot bath in the centre of the room, and a wooden chair to hang your clothes on.
A dressing table with an antique chamber pot is an attractive addition to a Victorian bathroom – you can even use it as an alternative place to store your make-up and face creams! For further storage ideas, antique wooden chests are a great place to keep your clean towels, as they’ll always be within easy reach.
As Victorian bathrooms often have large sash windows, tier on tier shutters allow you to open the window while still letting the natural light through, or if you live out in the countryside and are not overlooked, cafe style plantation shutters are another option for your Essex or Hertfordshire home.
The Victorian Bedroom – When you think of a Victorian bedroom, the chances are lace bed throws, pillowcases, and cast iron or canopy beds will spring to mind. Large mirrors above the dressing table creates a pretty feature and is practical too, as you will always have somewhere to sit for personal grooming.
Stripped wooden floorboards can be made cosy and warm in winter with the addition of a period rug, which will also add colour to this space. Again, wooden shutters are a great choice for large windows, as they fit with any décor and will make your bedroom appear light and airy.
Plantation Shutters Hertfordshire – click here to find out more about our beautiful range of solid wood shutters for your UK home or business.
