Luxury typifies this period, where everything was very ornate and intensely decorated. Three part colour schemes were popular, which split the wall into floor to dado rail, dado rail to picture rail and picture rail to ceiling.

In the early Victorian era walls were usually painted in relatively light colours. The Gothic era favoured richer and darker colours in keeping with its medieval inspiration, complemented by the use of dark wooden panelling.

The latter half of the period gave way to more opulent and exotic colour schemes that reflected the influence of the Empire. Large ceiling roses and other ornate mouldings, that were painted in multi-coloured combinations or gilded, added to the overall richness of the look.
The Arts and Crafts period favoured a return to forms and colours that were inspired by nature and the natural world, such as floral motifs and foliage.

Interior styling
Victorian style was plush, luxurious and grand. Typical fabrics were rich, highly patterned velvets and damasks, or muslins and chintz for a lighter feel. Furniture was dark and polished, usually crammed with knick-knacks, ornaments and picture frames. Walls were subdivided by area and colour and hung with pictures, mirrors and wall lights. This was the era when patterned carpets came into their own - either large original Persian rugs or the newly developed Axminster and Wilton constructions. For areas of heavy traffic such as entrance halls, bold geometric patterns were created using tiles.