If elegance is what you’re after, a Victorian-inspired interior design is perfect for you. The refined details, grand decors and the classy ambiance will make your home reminiscent of the mansions during the Victorian era.

Decorating ala-Victorian style can be affordable. Without the need to use the same expensive decorative items, you can duplicate the same look with alternatives and with the application of basic Victorian decorating techniques. One of the major points in Victorian design is the use of ornament or intricate details in the objects. Brass material is a common sight in this style, but as genuine brass can be expensive, you can opt for replicas for a lot less. Brass looks great for doors, drawers, cabinets and chests.

Dark colors are also the shade of choice for a Victorian home. The grandeur of the interiors is emphasized with the formal and sophisticated look dark and rich colors give.

Moldings and plaster decorations are also part of the aesthetic in the typical Victorian home. Instead of plaster, you could now get ornamental cornices from craft or builders’ stores for much less and then install them yourself. A little work with power tools and a small paint job should be all you’ll need to get you that very expensive-looking upper-class English look.

Most Victorian homes featured stained glass windows, particularly in the receiving areas and the drawing rooms. Instead of taking the full-price route with actual windows made of stained glass, you could opt for cheaper stained glass accents and ornaments instead. Stained glass trinkets are usually very inexpensive, especially if you frequent flea markets. Installing a lamp with a lamp shade of stained glass is another practical way of simulating the tricks of the light created by stained glass windows.

Carpet flooring is a typical sight in a Victorian home. In order to enhance the flooring, add some area rugs, especially in the rooms frequented by people, where looks count the most. Area rugs are also great as stand-alone, so even if you don’t go for wall-to-wall carpeting, floors will never look bare with area rugs to enhance the entire space.

You may or may not feel good about using dark hues for your home. There are indeed people who get easily affected by the sight of dark colors. Some feel gloomy while others feel lethargic. If you’re one of them, you can rectify this by going a bit modern and adding lighter colors to complement the dark shades. You can paint one end of the wall with the dark tone to keep up with the Victorian theme then paint the rest with a pastel shade. Or you can add decorative strokes or linings using a lighter color. Just remember, going Victorian means having to let go of the idea of a rainbow-colored house. Even if you can integrate lighter colors, don’t go overboard with too bright colors and ruin the Victorian look you’re trying to create. Even the fabrics of a Victorian home are more in the dark, deep shades so that explains the importance of the shady colors in this theme.

Just because the Victorian era was all about expensive elegance doesn’t mean that duplicating it has to be just as expensive. With a bit of creativity and a lot of shopping smarts, you could easily make your home look about as sophisticated and luxurious as any English countryside estate.