I would love to paper my home with repro Victorian wallpapers, too...oh, if only they weren't so expensive!

I have an 1857 home and have amassed a decent amount of books about Victorian homes and decoration in an effort to learn more about the house and its history. If you're looking for ideas and want to be historically accurate, here's a couple books for you that have really helped me out a lot.

The very best book I've come across so far is called "Victorian Interior Decoration", which I have linked below. It's especially helpful for learning about Victorian color schemes and literally every other interior decoration detail. It's great because it's broken up into three sections (early, mid and late Victorian) so all bases are covered. Most other books I've found tend to focus mainly on late Victorian homes, namely Queen Annes.

Another really interesting book that might be of help to you is "The Victorian House" by Judith Flanders. It's good, entertaining reading and also has some great info about colors, as well as many color plates. Good luck!

Here is a link that might be useful: Victorian Interior Decoration book

Not getting the visual effects here, but the colors you mention that are permanent parts of the spaces are in the earthy range.

I'd be looking for something in a muted copper, or soft terra cotta for the walls. I love the terra cotta myself, and it can look like a warm deep reddish ember in lamp light. It definitely goes with the mustard and the greens. It will also look very good with the dark floors and woodwork.

Depending on the amount of natural light coming into your rooms, you can bring the greens in with real plants in ornamental pots on stands or on rolling bases making it easier to follow the light. Victorians did love their house plants, large and small. Then on the walls some pressed ferns framed in a cream background, with a narrow black or wood toned gallery frame can be a subject matter they would choose yet fit nicely in modern times.

Rust and terra cotta are my favorite colors myself. :) Maybe I'll do a darker shade in one room and a lighter shade in the other room, and maybe accent with a shade of the fireplace color from the other room...(maybe...too adventurous!). Both rooms face southwest, the music room also faces southeast. Both get lots of light...

Thanks !

I think I have "The Victorian House" but all our books are in a big pile right now. I get really frustrated looking in those books because they are too full of other people's stuff...I don't know what is my problem. :)

Kate

Even if you use a different brand, I recommend getting a Farrow and Ball color card. They only have 140 colors, and they are nearly all "vetted" to work in older buildings, although you would still need to figure out which ones are appropriate to the victorian era. I didn't worry much about that, just chose what I liked. I have their "Mouse's back" (yes, that's the name of the color) in my living room and it looks great against the old woodwork and trim (stained, not painted).

If you like the terracottas check out Ellen Kennon's light terracotta. That's a great, timeless color that to me, is impossible to date; I think it could fit a house from almost any era.

Here is a link that might be useful: A good look at some Farrow and Ball colors

Terra Cotta, since you like that color, should look wonderful in rooms with gold and green fireplace tiles - and its so Victorian. If you choose to paint in differing shades, just check both of your choices against the tile in both rooms - sounds really lovely, especially if you really have Chestnut trim.

I had a late Victorian home once very much like you describe. We also decided to do the paint thing and I was very satisfied with the result. Think of it this way when you make that decision..........

Paint over plaster is not a permanent change. Using paint or a non-traditional paint for a Victorian era home will not impact anything down the road. It can easily be repainted, it can be papered. This should free you to use whatever you find pleasing. After all, you will be living in it. This is coming from the old house purist, too. I am old enough to have lived in homes in my childhood painted around the turn of the century to the 30s. I find that effect charming now, but I remember how dark it struck me when I was a child. Dark and heavy. Paint is cheap and paint is easy.....(signs I have renovated too many old homes, lol)

hello, I too am struggling with a similar problem - and also have been attracted to rusts / terra cotta - wondering if y'all might cite some specific color names & brands to look at. When you say "terra cotta" what specifically do you have in mind.

It's very overwhelming at the paint store - literally HUNDREDS of colors in the orangey-red-brown range. Would be good to have something specific to start with.

What's with that link in the post above - spam? I doubt if anyone wants to paint their interior walls with liquid rubber!

The homes in our area that are from the end of the Victorian age are usually done in dark green, gold, rose, deep red and maybe some dark blue. Eastern Washington didn't see any big money until the late 1800's. Many have early Craftsman elements, too, with a return of the dark timbers and earth tones.

If you like earth tones, what about dark green in the library? It's a beautiful color with most woodwork (think english pub green) and would look nice with the tiles around the fireplace. The music room would be beautiful in gold/mustard, very much like the tiles around the library fireplace.

In both rooms, neutral or tan/brown furnishings (maybe some leather in the library) would look great. Do you have much furniture in the music room? Something soft (like a velvet type fabric) for a comfy side chair would look beautiful in the rust/terra cotta, or maybe use the color on pillows for accents?

What color is your dining room/other rooms on the first floor? Would the terra cotta/rust tone work in your dining room? Warm orange tones are always nice in a dining room and stimulate appetite/conversation. Some green and gold accents would really tie the spaces together.

The entry way might be a nice place to try a little wallpaper, or maybe some stenciling. Perhaps you could find something in a natural motif that would tie in the golds, rust and dark green.

It sounds like a great project and a lot of fun. Remember, paint is one of the easiest things to change if you don't like it...but I would still try some test areas and see what it looks like under different lighting/times of day, before I painted the whole room :)