14 Classic Victorian Living Room Inspirations

It was a really cool opportunity to create this collection of Victorian-themed living rooms. This is an aesthetic that I’ve really never explored or even seen outside of a museum, but it has been very interesting learning about where the Victorian aesthetic comes from and what it meant to incorporate these types of designs into your home at the time.

In order to come up with the very specific design ideas, we create most designs with the assistance of state-of-the-art AI interior design software.

The Victorian aesthetic encompasses visual themes that were highly popular during the reign of Queen Victoria from 1837-1901. We often think of differences in social class when we see extravagant Victorian rooms, which are so contrasting to the overwhelming demographic of the struggling working class during the time. 

Victorian aesthetics surround themes of luxury and bourgeoisie. These spaces are often extravagant, luxurious, highly detailed, and ornate, using neutral and metallic tones, and all of course, being created with only the best craftsmen and designers. 

This collection encompasses how the Victoria interior aesthetic still lives on today. Much of that is because of how impactful and influential Victorian literature has been, keeping the time alive through art, film, and literature. Please enjoy this collection of Victorian living room ideas. 

1. The Golden Art Living Room 

Floors & Walls: We’re starting off this collection in a very real-deal, traditional, you’ve-just-walked-into-a-museum type of room. This starts with a truly stunning circular patterned rug with tasseled edges, which guides your eye towards a completely gold facade and gorgeous crown molding throughout the walls and ceiling. 

Obviously, the most incredible part of this Victorian decor is the fact that absolutely impeccable landscape murals have been painted directly onto the walls. These period pieces depict stunning landscapes and antique portraits, which really contribute to the feeling of extravagance and opulence. 

Furniture: Part of the reason why this room isn’t completely over the top is the fact that the furniture choices are a little bit more comfortable than your standard, stiff, Victorian furniture would be. Rounded edges on the sofas feel inviting and look lovely on either side of an ovular glass table.

A more boxy sofa with patterned upholstery brings us back into the period piece aesthetic, especially next to the writing desk with vintage books and a rustic desk chair. 

Decor: While this room does feel very full when you look at simply the decoration, there isn’t all that much going on in the living space. Matching table lamps with beautifully painted porcelain sit atop every surface, while the throw pillows are a little bit more of a modern contribution.

2. The Highly Modern Victorian Living Room 

Floors & Walls: We are completely switching gears with this space. While the first room of the collection was a very authentic take on a Victorian aesthetic, this more modern living room is a take on Victorian themes while still staying in a fresh and contemporary place – a modern Victorian style.

This room starts with super lightly stained hardwood floors that are topped with a subtly textured area rug which is set below the furniture set. Crisp white walls brighten the room, while where the modern Victorian aesthetic really comes in is with the gorgeous crown molding on the ceiling.

Furniture: Though not Victorian, the furniture in this room is really something to behold. Starting with a very uniquely shaped sofa with mid-century modern style framing, a low back, and gorgeous cream upholstery, it gets really special with the jellybean-shaped sofa cushion. 

Burnt orange velour accent chairs sit across from the sofa, all surrounding a modern clear coffee table. Another Victorian aspect, though minimal, is the tiny side table with bronze framing and a glass top. 

Decor: The floor-to-ceiling curtains are a classic aspect of Victorian interiors, though, in that era, they would have been made from ornate and heavy textiles instead of simple white. Beautiful throw pillows do a great job of mirroring the art piece above the fireplace, and a potted plant breathes life into the space.

This amazing room has been designed by Chango & Co., and you can check out the rest of this room right over here. 

3. The Classic Cream Living Room

Floors & Walls: This Victorian interior design is doing a great job of using contrasting patterns and more simple features to make a beautiful room. This all starts with a modern, ornately patterned area rug with lovely blue accents, which guide us up to a wall that is half-molded wall, and half Victorian-themed wallpaper.

Furniture: This room features very classic furniture with a more upright, very light green sofa with stiff edges and a high back, but more welcoming and cushioned chairs set on the other side of the room. A big coffee table brings together this spacious area. 

This room is rather special because of the lovely shelving unit that has been built right into the wall, which also features a fireplace with a beautiful facade.

Decor: This decoration in this room does a great job of combining classic accents with a contemporary flare. This occurs with an ornate chandelier and various vases, and a collection of happy and healthy potted plants. 

4. The Evening Cocktail Living Room 

Floors & Walls: Yet another room that is using Victorian design with contemporary execution. This starts with a black tiled floor topped with a tan area rug, which then guides us towards plain cream-colored walls that guide us towards a beautifully crown molded ceiling with an ornately patterned border. 

Furniture: The furniture is really what marries the old with the new in this room. A sofa that looks like melting butter with rounded arms provides a contemporary warmth, while an accent chair with gorgeous crafted framing and patterned upholstery brings us back to the period.

Another aspect that feels antique is the quaint little drink cart with crystal glasses and the half-circle side table for writing letters or whatever people with no electricity used to do.

Decor: We get some more Victorian interior design with the floor-to-ceiling curtains made from heavy and beautifully patterned textiles, which coincidentally is also used for some of the throw pillows. 

5. The Marriage of New & Old Living Room 

Floors & Walls: This room is a great example of something that feels timelessly stylish, incorporating themes from so many different interior design aesthetics. Starting with truly masterful herringbone hardwood floors, the room gets even more impressive with the super ornate designs found all throughout the walls, fireplace facade, and ceiling.

Furniture: While the foundation of the Victorian living room ideas is far more antique in design, the furniture brings us into the present day with a very low set and a wide white leather sofa with a matching lounge chair. We also have adorable nesting coffee tables with glass tops – which is more midcentury modern – and a very uniquely shaped accent table which is avant-garde.

Decor: Because the foundation of the room is so ornate and lovely, the room really doesn’t need that much in way of decoration. We catch Victorian looks with the crystal chandelier and very drapey curtains, but move back into the modern with bright throw pillows and interesting sculptures.

6. The Stunning Sitting Room

Floors & Walls: Shining white floors with ornate walls compliment a crown molding ceiling and a beautiful fireplace.

Furniture: Comfortable ivory patterned sofas and comfortable armchairs are the furniture pieces in this room. 

Decor: Matches and hutches filled with lovely pieces of dishes decorate the room, but so do the floor walls and furniture.

7. The Iridescent Sitting Room 

Floors & Walls: This is the type of room that would be used in a movie set or seen in a museum. Personally, if I ever walked into this living room, I wouldn’t even dare sitting on this furniture. I’d feel like a bull in a china shop covered in motor oil!

This opulent room starts with truly remarkable stone flooring, which guides us towards walls that are fully pieces of art with cream-colored paint and rose gold trim. Another impressive feature is the fact that the ceiling is also made from shining stone.

Furniture: Gorgeous rose gold furniture is used in this room. Incredible ornate framing has been painted metallic rose gold, while the pieces themselves are upholstered with iridescent rose gold upholstery and pearly back pillows. 

Decor: The entire room itself is fully decorative. I don’t know if I’ve ever laid my eyes on a room that’s more highly detailed and ornate.

Type of Living Rooms: Family Rooms | Formal Living Rooms | Great Rooms | Libraries | Sunrooms | Bars | Man Caves | Game Rooms | Home Theaters

Related: All Victorian-Style Homes | Victorian Style Foyer Ideas | Victorian Kitchen Ideas | Victorian Dining Room Ideas | Victorian Primary Bedroom Ideas | Victorian Primary Bathroom Ideas

8. The Comfortable Victorian Lounge

Floors & Walls: We’re moving back into the more livable rooms with this space. Warmly stained hardwood floors act as the foundation, while we get a Victorian look for the walls with vertically striping wallpaper. The opposite room uses iridescent and ornately patterned wallpaper, though contrasting, looks very lovely with the stripes.

Furniture: While one of the sofas in the room is more for lounging in a light gray, I personally adore this velvet sofa in a warm olive color. The strangely low back of the sofa makes me think one should only have their portrait painted on the Titanic, while the framing is quite impressive.

Decor: This space is simply decorated with a fresh vase of pink flowers (just a lovely and welcome contrast) and throw pillows that mirror the pattern found in the striped wallpaper. We move back into the Victorian style with numerous crystal chandeliers.

9. The Grand Sitting Room 

Floors & Walls: This is truly a grand room. They don’t really design rooms like this anymore that feature multiple sitting areas in one huge space, but it does remind you of the grand halls that you see in period pieces. 

Furniture: This room is just a giant mishmash of various pieces of Victorian-inspired furniture, from highback armchairs with ornate upholstery and gorgeously crafted framing with metallic paint to low set and robust coffee tables made from only the best mahogany, as well as side tables with fancy handles and curved legs.

Decor: This room is extravagantly decorated with enormous area rugs, throw pillows with tassels, candle-style chandeliers on the ceiling and mounted on the walls, beautiful curtains set around all of the huge surrounding windows, and various vases of fresh flowers.

10. The Victorian Country Getaway Living Room 

Floors & Walls: This is a fresh take on the Victorian living room as it kind of feels like it’s combining the aesthetic of a country getaway home. The living room ideas begin with standard wood floors that are protected by a big gray, textured area rug, which leads us to cream-colored walls with rounded archways, exposed wood beams in the ceiling, wooden window framing, and a rather impressive stone facade for the fireplace. 

Furniture: We have a huge set of furniture in this wonderful room, featuring matching armchairs with rounded legs and beautiful framing, a sofa with studded edges in a beautiful blue pastel shade, side tables with rounded legs, and ottomans with ornate upholstery.

Decor: This room is marvelously decorated with a potted orchid, matching table lamps, a candle chandelier, patterned throw pillows, and of course, some floor-to-ceiling curtains with a beautiful pattern. 

11. The After-Hours Victorian Room 

Floors & Walls: This is a rather gorgeous room, which I think I love because of the use of color in the space. The Victorian living room ideas start with shining wood floors and faded green walls with golden trim. The ceiling is itself a work of art with crown molding that has been painted gold as well.

Furniture: This room brings us into the Victorian era with highly luxurious silk sofas in one of the most stunning shades of blue that I’ve ever seen. A glass coffee table with Roman-inspired pillars used for the framing centers the room, while additional little tables and accent chairs are scattered around the perimeter. 

Decor: Again, we have another example of a room with foundation and furniture that is so artful that it really doesn’t need to be decorated. Not one, but three crystal chandeliers start us off; a grand piano in the corner of the room brings entertainment to the room, while a huge group of throw pillows make the sofas feel extra inviting.

This extravagant room was photographed by Verona Prive Maison.

12. The Somewhat Shabby-Chic Victorian Living Room 

Floors & Walls: I really like that this room is marrying the old with the new in a very cohesive way. The floor is adorned with a deep red Persian rug, while the walls are painted a subtle tone of blue which guides us towards some crisp white crown molding. A beautiful stone facade surrounds the fireplace.

Furniture: A beautifully light-toned Chesterman sofa starts us off while corresponding velour armchairs are set on the other side. Darker-toned, multilevel coffee tables act as a great way to hold the room together, while the sneaky little sofa in the corner of the room is one of the more Victorian aspects of the whole space.

Decor: The decoration in this room is more on the modern side, with a bright purple table lamp, a chandelier, a vase of decorative branches, and framed pieces of art on the walls.

McGrath II photographed this lovely room.

13. The Gentleman’s Lounge

Floors & Walls: This is an exquisitely crafted room, which only seems fit for the scary group of husbands from Stepford Wives. It all starts with a beautifully patterned hardwood floor, which guides us into beautifully crafted hardwood walls, which only becomes more impressive once you notice the unique ceiling feature of patterned crown molding in an arch.

Furniture: A lovely piece of furniture set centers the room with a dimple sofa with rounded arms and matching lounge chairs, but my personal favorite piece is the super cushioned ottoman in a lovely cream color. What borders the room is a gorgeous hutch with incredibly ornate detailing.

Decor: This extravagant room is decorated with beautiful taupe drapes that crescendo from the ceiling right to the beautiful floors,  and a series of table lamps set all throughout the room. And look at the view out of those windows! 

This impressive room was photographed by Loughnanes Joinery.

14. The Ornate Living Room 

Floors & Walls: Yet another incredible room that is set in a cityscape. I just imagine this being a brownstone in New York that baffles you if you ever get a chance to walk inside. The floor features an impressively sized and impressively gorgeous area rug, which guides us towards remarkable craftsmanship found on the fireplace, French doors, bay windows, and ceiling.

Furniture: We’ve got a lovely variety of furniture pieces in this room, starting with a highly modern sofa made from a gorgeous shade of leather with super low back cushions. A low-set coffee table with a glass top goes wonderfully with a contemporary black swivel chair and a unique metal accent chair. Not to mention that gorgeous hardwood hutch.

Decor: This space features beautiful decorations scattered throughout and made from different mediums. From sculptures and ceramics to framed prints and paintings, vases of flowers both fresh and dried, and of course, Victorian as ever, an extravagant crystal chandelier to center the entire space.

JP Warren Interiors photographed this room.