Victorian Kitchens
Cabinets, Design Ideas & Pictures
«« Back to Kitchen Cabinet Styles Main Gallery
- Victorian kitchens draw their designs from the ornate furniture styles named after Queen Victoria of England who reigned from 1837 to 1901. Victorian kitchen cabinets are graceful and elegant with elaborate carvings and ornamentation. Scroll down to see the full gallery.
- Historical Remodel: While today’s large, open kitchens bear little in resemblance to cooking quarters of 19th century England, one can still tap into the historic beauty and flair of a Victorian style kitchen. With proper planning and execution, you can achieve a beautiful Victorian kitchen design that is both practical and picture-perfect. Classic designs and Victorian doors make the kitchen fit for the kings and queens of your house.
- Choosing the Mood: Many Victorian homes have a formal, almost somber appearance, indicating a sense of royalty, wealth, and weight. Dark oil finishes and heavy proportions resembling Gothic and empire styles can contribute to this mood. Victorian colors are often rich earth tones like deep reds, greens, blues, purples, and browns. On the other hand, by using a brighter color palette, you can introduce a more comfortable, “English country” feel to the kitchen with less formality. The mood is entirely up to you.
- Material Selection: Victorian designs incorporate a wide variety of materials, including wood, copper, brass, stone, and stained glass. The kitchen cabinetry can be constructed of Ash wood, Butternut, Maple, painted wood, Oak, Walnut, and Rosewood. An apron sink in cast iron or soapstone is my favorite choice for a Victorian sink. Excellent countertop materials include granite, soapstone, marble, and wood. To soften the look, introduce some plush upholstery and draperies made of velvet, silk, and tapestry fabrics in keeping with the period style.
- Delightful Decorating: Victorian cabinets often feature decorative corbels supporting the upper cupboards. Occasionally you will see carved cabriole legs with ball and claw feet beneath the kitchen island to make it look more like a piece of furniture. Gentle s-curves, angles, and straight lines are set off by inlay moldings, rosettes and wood carvings of flowers, leaves, or scrolls. Glass cabinet doors, dovetailed drawers, and brass or glass knobs complete the look.
- Kitchen Design Photos: Below are some pictures featuring Victorian kitchen cabinets. If you enjoy the authentic beauty and period influence of these Victorian kitchens, you might also enjoy the historic Shaker, Craftsman and Arts and Crafts kitchen galleries as well. If you love the ornate look, be sure to check out the Luxury and Gourmet kitchens too.
Enjoy the photos!
More Kitchen Styles: Return from Victorian Kitchens to Kitchen Cabinet Styles for more kitchen design ideas and inspiration.