It’s been over two years now since we moved into our home and started the huge renovation project that it needed to bring it back to life. We still have lots of work to do but the bulk is done. I thought I would share with you some tips that I have learnt along the way about restoring a Victorian property.
Keep the original features
One of the big draws of a Victorian property are the original features so it would be a real shame to get rid of them. Where they remain try to keep any fireplaces, coving, ceiling roses and original floors. You will probably need to polish them up or even bring in replacements if necessary but try to source spares from salvage or buy something that fits with the period. In our house we kept the ceiling roses and picture rails and had some replacement cornicing and features salvaged to finish off the look in some rooms. We found that upstairs the skirting boards had been cut away in places to put in sinks so when we removed the sinks we had to source skirting that matched the Victorian original. You can find lots of different skirting boards online and even get them made to match the original boards.
Don’t underestimate your budget
With older properties there is always the potential for things to go wrong. We found that all of our walls were crumbling underneath the wallpaper so we had to add budget for re-plastering in some rooms. There will also be old pipework and electrics which will probably need upgrading all of which are expensive.
Plan your decor
Decor is really important to finish off your restoration project. Get inspiration from blogs, Pinterest and interiors magazines and make mood boards for each room. Colour is key, to stay in keeping with victorian decor choose dark shades if your house can tolerate them. If not, choose creams or whites and add colour with accessories.
Don’t be afraid to add some modern touches
Although I’d definitely recommend keeping the victorian elements, don’t be afraid to mix some modern touches in here and there. A great mix of the two elements can look really stylish and on trend. You can always mix vintage furniture with modern textiles
Make the most of the space
Victorian houses, especially terraces are notoriously narrow but they do have good floor to ceiling height so make the most of this space with bookshelves or picture rails. If you can extend at the back into the side return of the house this will give you some extra space to create a stunning open plan kitchen diner. Make the most of large room sizes and large windows to create light airy spaces.
Do you like Victorian properties? Would you consider renovating one? We are so glad that we did, we’ve managed to make a wonderful home for our family.
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