The Victorian Design Book: A Complete Guide to Victorian House Trim

Lisa A. Dickson is a freelance writer living in Guelph, Ontario.

The Victorian Design Book joins a growing number of reprints of turn-of-the-century builders’ catalogues now available. It comprises the 1897 Illustrated Official Moulding Book and the 1904 edition of the Universal Design Book, both of which are typical of what was available to architects and builders of the day in Canada and the United States. Here is gathered everything needed to enhance the basic house design and turn it into the height of Victorian style and taste. Page after page depicts items in wood ranging from doors, windows, and exterior trim to staircases, parquet floors, and alcove grills. There are also many pages on different types of glazing, including a bonus colour section showing many designs for transoms and other decorative window treatment.

The practical benefits of such a nostalgic glimpse at the past lie in the detailed illustrations. Many Victorian era houses have by now lost their elaborate details through decay, modernization, or vandalism, and without books like this the restorer is unable to recreate the missing parts. The Victorian Design Book allows architects and renovators to select authentic architectural details of the period and restore houses to a high degree of accuracy. Many an old house buff will turn to this book with grateful thanks to the publisher for again making its contents widely available.