Dennis Leupold | Design: Better Homes & Gardens
11.08.2023 - 21:43 / bhg.com / Maggie Gillette
ANNIE SCHLECHTER
Centuries after they were originally introduced, the iconic homes of the Victorian era remain relevant in the interior design world. Their intricate details and craftsmanship, rarely found in contemporary buildings, make the style incredibly recognizable—even to novice design lovers.
Though distinctive, part of the reason the style still holds so much appeal is there are so many ways it can be interpreted and applied. The look pairs equally well with a delicate, feminine aesthetic as it does with a dark, gothic vibe. In fact, the whole modern Victorian look is built on the dichotomy of opposites—predominantly the mix of old and new, which allows for both the beauty of heritage style and the modern luxuries you know and love today.
However iconic, the design can feel on the dated side—but there are ways you can modernize it without losing any charm. If you're looking to infuse the modern Victorian aesthetic into your home, whether by adding a few subtle touches or going all out, here’s what you need to know.
It seems like every time Victorian architecture is highlighted in pop culture—from fashion to home—a near-universal love for the style is rekindled. From the pretty Painted Ladies of San Francisco to the elegant home of American Girl Doll Samantha Pakington—which inspired a newfound passion for ornate architecture—this trend is perennially popular.
Taking its name from Queen Victoria of England, the Victorian architectural period spans from the late 1830s to about 1910. Since the period spans such a long interval, it's not surprising that several subcategories fall under the Victorian umbrella—Gothic Revival, Greek Revival, and Queen Anne are just a few.
Each style has its own hallmarks, but the varied
Dennis Leupold | Design: Better Homes & Gardens
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There can’t be a more iconic symbol of Halloween than a witch riding a broomstick. In olden times it wouldn’t have been a problem to wander out into the woodland and cut a stout pole and then find sticks to make the sweeping end, and then you’d have yourself a fine broom, or besom. I suspect most of them were used for more mundane purposes – they are jolly useful things to have to hand.
Header image: Chimpanzee Ham with Trainers. Image credit: NASA
Header image: Blue Origin
The role downunder played in helping track the Apollo 8 mission to the Moon.
Just over a year ago, when we were celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first Moon landing, I talked about the lack of diversity in space and mentioned Mary Jackson. In 2016, the movie Hidden Figures shared the stories of Mary Jackson and two other Black female mathematicians – Katherine Johnson and, Dorothy Vaughan. They worked at NASA when a ‘computer’ still meant a person carrying out mathematical calculations. The film is based on a book by Margot Lee Shetterly, which I am reading at the moment. The book offers a more detailed and accurate account of the prejudice these women (and others) had to overcome.
Header image: A SpaceX Dragon capsule, NASA Johnson/Flickr, CC BY-NC
Header image courtesy of Eat Just
Header image: Annika Geijer-Simpson, Author provided
Header image: Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti aboard the International Space Station. NASA
…a team of researchers led by Dr Mike Dixon, director of the Controlled Environment Systems Research Facility (CESRF) at the University of Guelph, sent several thousand barley seeds to the International Space Station (ISS).