If you own a Victorian home, you may want to stick to a more traditional colour palette to suit the architecture and keep the authentic feel your property has. You may also want to update your space with a fresh colour or look. 

Choosing how to paint your room has many factors to consider, but once you find the right one, it can truly make the atmosphere of your home.

How did Victorians traditionally paint their homes?

During the Victorian era, a home would typically follow a darker colour palette. Think deep burgundy, chestnut brown, or even a forest green. 

This wasn’t just an aesthetic choice, but a practical one too. Many Victorian homes were heated with the use of coal fires, which would most likely stain a lighter coloured wall with smoke or soot.  

These days, there aren’t as many restrictions as there once were when it comes to choosing a colour scheme for your home – you can paint your walls however you want. But this can lead to being overwhelmed by so much choice when you’re decorating. 

What colour are you going to paint your home? What shades will work together? What paint will protect my walls?

When these questions arise, it can be helpful to take a look at what’s trending in the home decoration space currently to help you make those key interior design decisions.  

Here is our carefully curated list of the best paint trends of 2024, ideal for Victorian homes.

1. Colours To Consider 

For many of us, when it comes to paint, the colour comes first. You may want to open up your space with something brighter or stay faithful to your Victorian home’s traditional features with some deeper tones. It’s completely up to you. 

These are just a few of our favourite colour themes that are trending this year. 

Dulux Colour of the Year – Every year, Dulux releases its colour of the year and the pick for 2024 is Sweet Embrace. The delicate yet welcoming light pink is endorsed by Stacey Solomon and can really brighten up a space. 

Getting closer to nature – Green is definitely having a moment right now, but for a Victorian home, we recommend a more natural, dark or sage green. It’s stylish yet versatile, with a modern feel to it. Farrow & Ball’s Vert De Terre or Dulux’s Everglade Forest are both amazing options.

The new neutrals – Neutrals have been a staple of home decor for a few years now, with many celebrities favouring them. This year though, warm neutrals are coming to the forefront. Think caramel tones like Graham & Brown’s Hot Mocha and lighter earthy shades like Dunelm’s Warm Sand.

Paint the space red – Red is back, but for those who don’t love statement colours, have no fear, these contemporary shades are more accessible for neutral and lighter-toned fans. We love Paint & Paper Library’s Very Well Read for a Victorian home. 

Cool and calming blues – Valspar’s Renew Blue and Farrow & Ball’s Lulworth Blue are perfect examples of bright but subdued blues that are trendy,easy-going, and incredibly popular right now. If you were a fan of the grey takeover from a few years ago but are now looking for a more uplifting version, these blues are definitely for you. 
Lovely lavender – When it comes to keeping your space fun and fashionable, lavender is always a sophisticated selection. It’s simple but still oozes style, plus it adds brightness to a room with less natural light available. Dunelm’s Soft Heather Eggshell and MyLands’ Early Lavender are definite stand outs.

2. Playing With Texture 

If you want more than just solid colour on your walls, but the idea of a pattern seems like ‘too much’ for your home, creating a textured finish with paint can be a fabulous compromise. Light brush strokes with a limewash paint is an easy way to do this, adding dimension and a suede finish to your walls.
If you wanted to have a feature wall with a more intense texture, using a textured paint like Tunto Fine Structure can create a 3D look that would really work for a period property.

3. Breathable Paints

For many Victorian homes, older building materials will have been used in the construction process. These materials would often allow moisture to pass through and is why, since the 19th century, breathable paints have been favoured for these homes.
Breathable paints don’t hinder the movement of moisture through the structure of your home, reducing the risk of water damage. Brands like Edward Bulmer and Fenwick & Tilbrook have a range of breathable paints, many in the trending colours featured above. 

4. The Monochromatic Aesthetic 

Not just reserved for the classic black and white combination, the monochromatic look, also known as colour-drenching, is back for 2024. It may be daring to paint a whole room one colour, even the doors and trims, but the finished product is sophisticated, without being underwhelming.

If you select a colour that you truly love, you’ll be surprised at how much depth it can bring to a room. Victorian homes already have plenty of character, but opting for the monochromatic look can highlight that even further. 

5. Don’t Ignore the Ceilings

It can be easy to forget about your ceilings, they’re typically harder to paint after all. But, especially with Victorian homes where the ceilings may have more character, the ceilings can make or break a space. 

To open up the space and add a modern twist, we recommend painting your ceiling a different colour to the rest of the room. This is dramatic without being garish, plus it will create the illusion of a room looking even bigger than before.

6. Making Sustainable Choices

In recent years, there has been even more emphasis on the importance of sustainable choices and you can now do this with the paints you pick too. Eco-friendly paints may include less harmful, environmentally-friendly ingredients, come in recyclable packaging, or may even be completely vegan. 
Crown’s paints are vegan-friendly and come in recycled packaging, and COAT’s paints are sustainable plus made-to-order. There are lots of paint options out there to help do your bit.

Whatever your decorating choice, insure your Victorian home properly

When your home is painted to perfection, you’re going to want to protect it. The team at Adrian Flux have a wide range of specialist home insurance policies to give you the peace of mind you want.
Call 0800 916 1270 for a simple but effective quote or book a callback at a time that suits you.