Help to end the beige – Decoration of dollhouses with intense colors

The first part of the title was the slogan of a paint manufacturer’s ad in the 1970s, promoting a new line of vibrant colors. “You don’t have to settle for ‘pale paints’ anymore,” was the punchline.

I got to thinking about that ad while flipping through a stack of old Better Homes & Gardens at a garage sale. Which led to the question why so many miniaturists are a bit color shy, almost as fearful as some of my interior design clients. Which led to the thought of Victorian dollhouses. How about that for a stream of consciousness?

The Victorians were certainly not afraid of color. The CCC rule – compatible color combinations – was rarely observed. Do the following Internet image search: “Victorian Painted Ladies San Francisco.” Prepare to be amazed at the wacky color combinations that emerge.

Or take a cue from the residents of Atlanta in the 1870s. The Civil War left the city in ashes. Those who could afford to rebuild their spectacular early Victorian homes did so with the flourish of a defeated people refusing to be conquered. If you visit Atlanta, take a history tour to see some well-maintained masterpieces.

The Queen Anne style of Victorian homes became popular in the 1880s, which coincided with the development of synthetic pigments. Vivid blues, greens, purples and yellows were now possible. Multi-colored schemes accentuated corbels and columns, or fish-scale tiles under eaves. Ornate friezes painted in light and dark colors stood out in stark contrast to backgrounds of darker tones.

Technology created other new materials and production methods, and the cost of ornamental elements was reduced. Architects and builders generously applied decoration to houses, creating styles that no one had seen before, combining features from different eras with their own embellishments.

Are you already excited about a Victorian dollhouse being your next project? If so, you first have to decide: Which Victorian style?

The era lasted from roughly 1840 to 1900, and historians more or less agree that the following individual styles evolved:

Italian

British Arts and Crafts Movement

gothic revival

Italian

Jacobean

neoclassicism

gothic revival

painted ladies

queen anne

Popular-Victorian

renaissance revival

Romanesque Revival (Richardsonian)

Second Empire (Mansard Style)

Octagon style

eastlake stick

industrial architecture

Research these styles and pick one that speaks to you. Don’t forget the interiors. The owners of a twenty-room mansion could enjoy twenty different styles. Or mix and match within the same room. To quote Cole Porter, “Anything goes!”

You now have an overall color decision: do you want your project to look as bright and new as the day the painters packed up and left? Or you want to put a little “age” on the dollhouse, giving it the look of faded gentility. Both are genuine; it is a personal choice.

So have no fear! If your next project is Victorian, it can be as subdued (but not as beige, please). or as lavash with the color you want. Some may question his taste, but no one can accuse him of being historically inaccurate.

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