Victorian Gothic Revival 1830-1860 The Gothic Revival interior has more charm than the sober Greek Revival, with which it competed. It is less rigid and somewhat less formal, though considerable busier and characteristically cluttered, in the manner of the prototypical Victorian home. It is also costly to execute, requiring intricate detailing and considerable handcarving. At its best, it is winning: at its worst, weighty. Interiors are high ceilinged, often ribbed, and walls are tile, or marble in deep colors and geometric designs. Windows and doors are tall and slender, with pointed arches, sometimes with stained-glass panel punctuating the mullioned panes. Curtain treatments are simple, perhaps of embroidered wool or velvet with horizontal cross-banding. Stylized patterns on wallpaper or textiles might include Gothic tracery or medieval panorama, and carpets with medieval motifs are patterned in rich colors such as crimson and blue, or muddy tones of brown and olive, perhaps accented with gilding. Accessories might include collections of armor, stag antlers, or accents of stained glass and lighting is usually oil lamps. Gothic Revival furniture is massive, often of oak, with detailing similar to that of the interior shell—tracery, rosettes, trefoils and quatrefoils, even heraldic motifs. The reprise of medieval themes includes some Elizabethan chairs, chests, and other “cottage” furniture, often with twist-turning on legs and chair backs.
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