17 Victorian Houses with the Decorative Details That Define the Era (2024)

17 Popular Exterior House Styles (and How to Spot Them)

Origins of Victorian Houses

Popular across the United States in the mid- to late 19th century, quintessential Victorian houses are a revival of earlier architectural styles. These homes originally drew inspiration from centuries of Italian and British architecture, but the Victorian style soon evolved into its own signature aesthetic. Most Victorian-style houses you see today feature steeply pitched roofs, two to three stories, and elaborate decorative elements.

Victorian House Details

Although Victorian houses come in various styles, most are defined by elaborate ornamental details. Italianate Victorian houses like this brick home were modeled after Italian Renaissance villas. This style is typically limited to two stories and a boxier shape but often features the decorative brackets, lace-like detailing, and intricate trimwork of other Victorian styles.

Victorian House Porches

Some large Victorian homes feature outdoor living spaces extending from the main level to the upper level. Dual porches stacked on top of each other are not uncommon. This Victorian house accentuates its features with a colorful exterior paint combination and curved woodwork of all shapes and sizes.

Narrow Victorian Homes

Many Victorian homes were built in cities during times of explosive population growth. That often meant small lot sizes, so homeowners looked up instead of out to gain square footage. A common setup for Victorian homes is the main level being halfway below ground with at least two more levels stacked on top. In some cases, homes were only a room or two wide.

Victorian-Style Windows

The asymmetrical facades of many Victorian houses feature a variety of window types. Common styles include bay, stained glass, and leaded glass. Many windows have additional features inside the house, such as ornate trim or built-in window benches.

Victorian Wraparound Porches

Extending living space outside isn't a 21st-century idea. Victorian houses had practical exterior "rooms," often in the form of wraparound porches. These features offer a chance to extend decorative details from the rest of the facade. This Victorian-style house carries intricate railings and columns onto the porch.

Victorian-Style Turrets and Towers

Many Victorian houses were built on a grand scale, with sweeping interior spaces that translated into special exterior features. Turrets and towers, for example, add an asymmetrical flourish to the curbside view. Often, these spaces were used as parlors, studies, or bedrooms, and some were extended up multiple floors. Crow's nests and diminutive balconies are other classic features of ornate Victorian-style houses.

Second Empire Victorian Homes

Mansard roofs originated in France more than 400 years ago and became especially popular during the Second Empire. More geometric than many of the very whimsical Victorian houses, Second Empire-influenced Victorian homes tend toward flat roofs, a boxier shape, and simplified details. A four-sided mansard roof punctuated by dormer windows is a signature of the style. Tall, narrow windows and elaborate trim are classic Second Empire features.

Victorian House Design

Victorian homes are often notable for complex paintwork as well as stickwork. These intricate collections of vertical, horizontal, and diagonal wood elements create complex patterns that offer one-of-a-kind facades on many Victorian homes. Vibrant siding and trim colors, such as blue, green, pink, and yellow, make these historic houses stand out even more.

Victorian-Style Decorative Elements

Standout decorative extras are hallmarks of Victorian houses. Standard ornamental features include turned columns, intricate gables and gable posts, scrollwork, porch railings and spindles, brackets, ornate molding, and gingerbread trim. One interesting fact: Although many pieces look hand-carved, they were often mass-produced, as were many of the era's home fabrications.

Victorian Style Mix-and-Match

Victorian is a term that covers lots of different styles, and it's not uncommon to see bits and pieces of many styles all in one house. Types of Victorian houses include Queen Anne, Gothic Revival, Greek Revival, Second Empire, and Italianate. Combining elements from each of these styles, as demonstrated by this large red-and-white Victorian, creates a truly unique home.

Victorian House Paint Colors

A distinguishing characteristic of many Victorian-style homes is their interesting color combinations. Typically, Victorian house paint colors rely on no fewer than three shades of paint. Some Victorian color schemes resemble an amalgam of cotton candy colors, while others are more muted but no less distinctive.

Asymmetrical Victorian House Design

Unlike other styles, including foursquare and neoclassic, Victorian houses are often disproportionate. Their unique design often includes an entry that's not centered and two halves that don't match. That asymmetry enables designers to create varied rooflines for even more visual interest.

Victorian-Style Farmhouse

Victorian elements can also add interest to other house styles. Many builders and designers have blended the simpler elements of farmhouse-inspired spaces with a touch of Victorian style. These homes typically include fewer decorative details, such as simplified spindles on a wraparound porch, as well as the asymmetry apparent in more elaborate homes.

Queen Anne Victorian

A byproduct of the Machine Age, Queen Anne Victorian houses stood out for their impressive collection of extravagant details. Those often included steeply pitched and varying rooflines, gables and dormers, decorative porch columns, spindles, towers, and dentil molding. The highly elaborate designs typically showcase a variety of exterior colors and materials.

Grand Victorian-Style Entryways

Turrets were sometimes used as more than interior spaces. Some Victorian homes also used these design elements to carve out unique entryways. Here, a circular space creates a small seating area and a charming roofline to delineate the front door.

Gothic Revival Victorian Design

Stone was often used on Victorian exterior facades, an indicator of Gothic Revival influences originating from European cathedrals. This type of home often had wooden trimwork with plain carvings and scrolls. This house also includes an expansive front entry, a pointed porch roofline, decorative columns, and an asymmetrical footprint.