Victorian Elements of Design: The Flavel House

This summer, I have been enjoying the freedom to go on some short trips without worrying about catching up on homework. (Hooray for my first completely homework-free summer!) One of my favorite things to do on a trip is to visit historic houses. On a recent trip to Astoria, Oregon, a friend and I visited the Flavel House, which is a gorgeous Victorian historic house museum. As I stepped into the opulent hall with its massive proportions and towering ceilings meant to make one feel small and insignificant, I looked around in wonder and thought how amazing it would be to live in such a beautiful place. Of course, that could never be, unless I have an unknown rich relative who lives in a mansion… but that’s unlikely.

As I mentioned in a previous post, I have been learning more about design recently. As I continued to survey my surroundings, I realized that, although I may never have a Victorian mansion of my own, there are some elements of design I could reproduce on a smaller scale to give the same feel to an ordinary house. I started taking pictures and mentally dissecting what made each space so beautiful. 

There were some things that particularly stood out to me that I thought it might be fun to share with you all just in case you, too, would like to make your home more like a beautiful and luxurious Victorian mansion!

·         Ovals: Everywhere I looked in the Flavel house, there were ovals: Oval mirrors, oval chair backs, oval picture frames, even oval floral motifs on the rugs! Particularly where furniture and frames are concerned, an oval shape is a good start when looking for that Victorian style.

·         Lovely Nooks: It seemed like every room in the Flavel house had a little nook with a small table and a couple chairs off to one side. This made the grand size of the rooms still seem inviting and cozy. In the larger rooms such as the dining room it was a small adjoining room, but in smaller rooms, the little nook was just a little table like the small lamp table pictured below but with a chair nearby.

·         Lace: It is no exaggeration to say that there was lace in every room. There were lace curtains, lace bedspreads, and nearly every piece of furniture had a lace doily on it. All of these lace luxuries can be easily found at a thrift store or made by hand, and can be an easy way of dressing up an ordinary window or piece of furniture and adding a bit of elegance to a space. 

·         Rich, dark wood: This was also an ever-present element of design in the house. From tables to chairs, bookcases to mantles, there were dark shades of wood as far as eye could see. Even the walls were clad in lovely wood panels in many of the rooms.

·         Velvet or Needlepoint: Many of the furnishings were upholstered in velvet, which adds a luxurious texture, especially when a velvet-clad sofa is draped dramatically with a silky velvet throw. But alongside this bit of luxury there were also chairs upholstered in needlepoint. I did notice that the needlepoint chairs tended to be upholstered only on the seat, and sometimes the needlepoint seat was paired with a velvet back. The needlepoint serves to ground the drama of the velvet and give more of a homey feel. 

From what I have observed, Victorian style is all about the details –the smallest detail can make a big difference in the overall look. So, even if you don’t live in a fabulous Victorian mansion built by an enterprising ship captain-turned millionaire, you can still enjoy the beauty and elegance of the Victorian style in your own home. 

Book Review- Southern Lady: Gracious Spaces

I always look forward to Tuesday afternoons. In the short two hours between teaching piano lessons and my evening activities at church, I grab a quick bite to eat, and then sit somewhere comfy with a good book. This is a habit I began when I was in the midst of the homework-every-spare-moment phase of college, but I grew to love the study time (particularly on warm days, sitting curled up in my car with the windows rolled down and a beautiful tree with sun-filled leaves to look at). 

Now that my college days are over, I have found the old routine quite relaxing, especially since I now get to study whatever I want, with no deadlines or grades to worry about! For example, right now I have been getting books from my local library about interior design, which is how I stumbled across the lovely little book Southern Lady: Gracious Spaces by Phyllis Hoffman.

 I had initially planned to scan quickly through the book, taking notes here or there as needed, but as I read the first few pages, I realized this was going to be a serious note-taking book. In fact, when I got to the back and saw all the helpful questions on the design worksheets, I decided to go online to Amazon.com and order myself a copy! (click here to find it!) 

In her opening remarks, the authoress points out that home should be a refuge where one can find rest and solitude. She encourages her readers to begin with what they love and gild the room with love, not just things. One of my favorite quotes from the book is "If you love something, wallpaper your life with it." When I read that, I was immediately caused to stop and think about the ways in which I was doing this as I have collected things for my eventual home, and it brought to mind some ideas of ways in which I could incorporate more of what I enjoy into my design schemes as I collect things now. 

Case in point: Staffordshire dogs... You know those often-creepy-but-classic china dogs that grace the fireplace mantles of so many English-style homes? Well, I think some of the homes I spent time in as a child must have had some, because I have always thought it would be nice to own some. I have always felt at home in English country-style rooms, and so with wallpapering one's life with what I love in mind, I saved a search on Staffordshire china dogs on eBay and I am currently waiting for just the right deal on just the right china dogs (of the non-creepy variety). 

 

But back to the book... 

There are many practical ideas and lots of good information for the beginner who knows nothing about organization or design, (i.e., people like me!) but the authoress does make a point to bring out the fact that beauty has a purpose in a home, and practicality and beauty need to walk hand-in-hand if a home is to be a place of refuge and rest. Let's face it, if a space is practical, but you hate everything in it, how restful can it be? 

Another topic the authoress touches on is hospitality. This is where I came across my other favorite quote from the book: "Opening our homes to others is a pleasure, and an opportunity to make another feel comforted and cared for." Seeing hospitality as a way to comfort and care for others really resonated with me. I'm a serving others sort of person... I secretly think I would have enjoyed waiting tables if teaching hadn't worked out... and to see hospitality as a way to serve down to the smallest details makes it much more of a priority to me. 

There is so much more in this book, but I want you all to have something to discover for yourselves when you read it, so I won't tell any more. :) I do heartily recommend the book as worth a read, though!