Victorian homes are a charming challenge

Queen Victoria reigned over England from 1837 to 1901, influencing more than just politics. Her reign also influenced literature, clothing, furniture and, yes, architecture.

Even today, more than 100 years later, you still see homes new and old that are most definitely Victorian.

The Victorian-style home began to appear in the later half of the 19th century. Contrasting with the common colonial style homes so prevalent in the United States at the time, Victorian homes were more visually diverse and ornate. This style was made possible as a result of industrialization and the railroads.

New manufacturing processes gave Americans access to mass-produced items such as windows, doors, roofing, siding and decorative detailing.

The ever-expanding railway system provided a way to distribute these materials throughout the country.

Houses began to be framed with light boards held together with wire nails, freeing builders from the box-like restrictions of heavy timber framing. This allowed the use of elaborate shapes combined with complex details to create a new architectural look.

Building on medieval prototypes, Victorians borrowed freely from earlier styles and cultures, including Greek, Gothic and Tudor, as well as French and Italian Renaissance styles.

There was little effort to be historically precise with these styles; rather, details were added with exuberance and flair to earlier forms.

Typical features of Victorian homes include strongly asymmetrical facades and steeply pitched roofs. Ornamentation was generously applied from the roof down to the porch railings.

Within the broad category of Victorian style homes, there are several subcategories, each with their own distinctive highlights.

For instance, the Second Empire style includes mansard roofs, molded cornices, and decorative brackets.

The Queen Anne style is characterized by a steeply pitched roof of irregular shape, patterned shingles, bay windows, and a full or partial front porch.

The shingle style includes wall cladding of continuous shingles, sometimes only on the second story, with extensive porches.

And the Richardsonian Romanesque style has its tell-tale towers.

Victorian interiors also borrowed from earlier styles and cultures. Cluttered, closed-off rooms were typical. Early Victorians took an artificial, upholstered, multilayered approach to interior design.

Elaborate ceiling cornices and chandeliers showed a strong French influence. Later interior styles moved to a more natural look with stained wood. Dramatic colors and flamboyant wallpapers were also common.