History of Victorian Furniture
England experienced an awe-inspiring evolution of
Victorian Furniture furnishing style changes between 1840 and 1900. England was stepping into the Industrial Revolution that was to forever change the world. The innovation of machinery revolutionised the production of furniture including tables, chairs, divans, settees and other furnishings, thus anything Queen Victoria could commission for her residences was also within reach of middle class Englanders. Mass production offered an irresistible plus - now, the middle class could figuratively strive to match royals in social standing and spending, so they took point of the technology and stuffed their homes with heavy, grand furniture.
Identifying Victorian Furniture
What you want to be looking for is thick, dark coloured woods with decorated carvings, high-tone gloss, richly carved silhouettes and as many flourishes and ornaments as a piece of furniture will allow. Custodians love to use the word "imposing" when describing Victorian-style furniture because the absolute size and weight of pieces were formidable, designed to give the visual aspect of being owned by the rich. Rosewood and Mahogany were favourite because of the rich colours, intensified by layering high-gloss coatings over stained wood were highly sought after. Comfort was also an important consideration for customers who wanted their homes to be gracious reflections of their financial health, so velvet cushions and brocade sofa fabric were often unified with velvet drapes for peak effect.
Over 100 Years later...
Victorian furniture is not something many people sell now, unless you go to specialist retailers, which can be found using your favourite Search engine, and often you are not paying for the product, but for the history and ancient charm and you will be paying vast sums of money. Often people want the classical look, but don’t want to pay upwards of £300 for a single chair (even if it does date back to 1890!). Here at Right Price we have the
Blenheim Range that tick all the Classical Victorian boxes and don’t cost a small fortune – The only downside is that isn’t over a hundred years old! Another classic timeless range is our
Marseille Range which offers all the class and quality of the Victorian era at a fraction of the cost and as always with Right Price Furniture – quality and delivery are free!