Article by Vittoria Rivera
When people hear the words 'Victorian style interior design' they think of 18th century castles and big extravagant rooms. However, to create this style of interior design you don't need to live in a million dollar mansion or castle. And if you already live in a Victorian era house then it would be a waste to not take advantage of the structure and create an interior that sends you back in time.
To create a Victorian style interior you need to keep one thing in mind - attention to detail. Every little piece in the room should be exquisite. The whole idea is to create a warm, cozy and lavish place. This generally involves the use of a lot of fabric, furniture, photos and accessories.
One important accessory that does not get enough attention from interior designers is an oil lamp with a state of the art antique oil lamp shade.A small decoration piece such an antique shade can take you far while creating the perfect Victorian look which requires the lighting to be decorative, beautiful and lavish. A simple light bulb can hardly do the trick. Most of the antique shades available today were made during the Victorian era and incorporate every characteristic that a Victorian style lighting fixture should have.
You can choose among a number of different types of oil lamps and shades. If you have a study table or a large dining table in your room then go for an antique student shade. If you want a wall mounted lamp then opt for a wall scone lamp shade.
Whatever you do, don't use a modern electric lamp as it will spoil the look of your room. The light emitted by an oil lamp cannot be compared to the light of a normal light bulb. With ultra-pure lamp oils available today you don't have to worry about soot or smoke that was produced by oil lamps in earlier times. In fact you can go one step further and create a better ambience by using scented lamp oils.
One major drawback of antique shades is that they are limited in supply and can be very expensive. But there is a silver lining, these shades are a great way to invest your money and their value will only increase with time. Hence, think of it as an investment rather than an expense. When you get bored of your old shade put it on the market and then purchase a new one with the money that you made. Come to think of it, antique oil lamp shades are better than modern shades because they can be easily resold.