This is a peek into some of the houses at the Heritage Square Museum I showed from the outside in the last post.
A cosy corner.
William Morris wallpaper, frieze and ceiling treatment; no proper Victorian house would have been complete without these imports from England.
A chandelier with colorful detail work.
This lamp might look a bit utilitarian in comparison, but it is interesting insofar as that it is a dual-power lamp – it is rigged for use with gas and electricity.
Not all of the houses have yet been finished inside. Most of the structures are still in the process of being restored. This invariably involves stripping the plaster, wallpaper and paint of decades to arrive at the original walls
and laths.
Yes, no drywall back then, just laths and plaster. Seeing this one can imagine why it takes so long until the interior of one of these house saved from the wrecking ball is restored to its former beauty.
That light fixture is gorgeous. Is that cloisssone on the center of it, the turquoise? The wallpaper, frieze, and ceiling gets rather busy, doesn’t it?
I think it is, but of course I could not get near enough to really check it out. But it would fit the times and the taste.
As to taste – have you ever been inside a Victorian house? To call the interior design “busy” would be the understatement of the year. Seen against that background this wall and ceiling treatment is absolutely accurate (even though it makes our toenails curl up today). Plus curtains and carpets and upholstery would show yet again different colors, textures and patterns. Layers upon layers upon layers of material, all to show how much you could afford.
I know. I’ve seen some examples, and, to my eye, they’re hideous. Heavy furniture, dark fabrics, patterns and patterns all jumbled together. It’s not to my taste. I like a pale colors and an uncluttered look.
Yes, for a good Victorian ‘uncluttered” would have been very high up on the list of things to avoid at any cost (pun intended).