Our Kansas City-Area Home Remodeling Company Specializes in Historic Homes and Can Help You Through the Process
For more than 200 years, Victorian-style homes have been highly sought after, thanks to their charm and old-world style.
Originally inspired by European royalty and castles, Victorian homes were first popular during Queen Victoria’s reign, between 1837 and 1901. A style of architecture with Gothic influences, they’re known for their intricate woodwork, both inside and out.
If you love the design style of Vaile Mansion in Independence, Missouri, or Benner House in Weston, Missouri, there’s a good chance you’ll pine for a Victorian-style home of your own.
And once you get it, there’s an equally good chance that it may need some renovation by master craftsmen to bring it back to its former glory. Keep reading to learn more about what to expect from it, inside and out, and how you can go about your home remodel without sacrificing your house’s story.
The Signature Victorian Exterior Style
On the outside, Victorian architecture includes deeply pitched roofs, wraparound front porches, roof towers, and cylindrical turrets – the style harkens us back to castles!
Traditional Victorian homes are also painted in specific color schemes, either in bright “dollhouse” hues or a darker, moodier color palette. The colors depend upon the substyle of Victorian architecture and the owners’ preferences.
- Queen Anne-style Victorian homes are asymmetrical, with two or three stories, and were built between 1880 and 1910. This is the predominant style you’ll see around the Kansas CIty area and throughout the United States.
- The Italianate Victorian also features gingerbread-style trim, but they more closely resemble traditional Italian villas, with a rectangular shape, narrow windows, and columns.
- Gothic Victorian architecture was popular in the U.S. from the mid 1800s to the mid 1900s. Pointed porches, a darker color palette, and ornate woodwork denote the Gothic substyle.
- For fans of slightly less extravagance, the Folk Victorian have simpler structures, without sacrificing the detailed woodwork trim. They have more of a farmhouse feel to them than a typical Queen Anne Victorian, which was meant for upper-class city dwellers.
- The Romanesque Revival style was popularized in the U.S. in the mid 1800s. Typically built of brick or stone instead of wood frame, Romanesque Revival houses were still highly detailed, with carved stone and large arches. This style lacks ornate wood trim altogether.
Interior Features of a Victorian-Era Home
The highly ornamented design of the exterior of the Victorian is carried over to the interior, where you can expect single-purpose rooms like a library or den, plus verandas and uniquely shaped spaces, thanks to the turrets. The rooms in Victorian homes tend to have high ceilings, but the rooms are long and narrow.
In an untouched Victorian with original woodwork, you’ll see intricate moldings with unique framing, plus statement chandeliers. This design evokes a richness that the upper-middle-class and upper-class residents craved – and today, that people still appreciate for its uniqueness and thoughtful details.
Why You Should Hire a Specialized Home Renovation Company to Work on Your Victorian-Style Home
If you’ve purchased a Victorian home, you’ll want to hire a specialized home renovation company who understands the design details and construction methods of its era. And if your home has been designated as a historic structure, be aware that there are rules about what you can and cannot change, and what materials you can and cannot use.
The right home remodeling company can guide you through this process to ensure that your house’s story is still told without compromising on modern functionality.
A Smart Approach to Home Remodeling Honors Your House’s Story
If you want to preserve your historic home’s character, you’ll want to hire a home remodeling company that takes a smart approach to renovations.
Architectural Craftsmen, the Kansas City area’s premier historic home remodeling company, starts the process with a discovery visit. Our master craftsmen will tour your home, learn how you use its spaces or intend to use its spaces, and better understand the investment you want to make in it.
Then, the team documents your home as it is today and compiles a list of your must-haves, like-to-haves, and your pie-in-the-sky wishes. We then use this and your investment goals to design your historic home remodel!
In the construction phase, we keep you updated at every step, until you can move back into your Victorian-era home, revitalized and ready for modern times.
Get Started with Our Home Renovation Company
Your intricately detailed Victorian home needs a remodeling team that focuses on those details. Learn what Architectural Craftsmen can do for you and your home by giving us a call at (913) 963-2246, or by sending us a message on our website. Our team will get back to you quickly to learn more about your goals and meet your precious historic home!
