Welcome to The Victorian Emporium advice
General Advice on Victorian living
Welcome to the General Advice area of The Victorian Emporium. Here you can view and read all of our advice articles on their various subjects.
Hall runner carpets
Hall runner carpets are commonly required because a period house has a long corridor or hallway, and the addition of a hall runner carpet makes the floor warmer on the feet than plain floorboards or tiles. It also makes the hall appear more homely and saves…
Hall runner carpets
Hall runner carpets are commonly required because a period house has a long corridor or hallway, and the addition of a hall runner carpet makes the floor warmer on the feet than plain floorboards or tiles. It also makes the hall appear more homely and saves wear and tear on your floor tiles or boards.
Heavy curtain fabric for winter weight curtains
There are many heavy curtain fabrics available to purchase – these tend to be more expensive than standard weight fabrics and with a high wool content, but should be seen as an investment as good quality curtains should last many years if not decades.
Heavy curtain fabric for winter weight curtains
In the days of modern centrally heated and double glazed homes, fabric deemed suitable for use as curtains has become thinner and thinner as it does not have the same demands put on it in past centuries, where after windows and doors, curtains were the major source of protection from cold draughts. However the majority of period properties still have issues with draughts and frighteningly high heating bills for many reasons. The most…
The Heritage Skills HUB - serious about traditional building skills
Traditional building skills and materials no longer form part of mainstream construction teaching. Learning has focussed on new products, materials and techniques that have been developed since the Great Wars, and slowly but surely the old ways are being forgotten.
The Heritage Skills HUB - serious about traditional building skills
The Heritage Skills HUB has been promoting traditional building skills since 2009, and despite the publication of national reports in 2005, 2008 & 2013, little real improvement has been seen in the general knowledge about the construction of old buildings and how best to take care of them. Why? The answer is simple. Traditional building skills and materials no longer form part of mainstream construction teaching. Learning has focussed…
Victorian age captured in Victorian hotels
Britain’s own historic buildings were in the front line for these romantic, revivalist architects and you can find many of them across the UK today serving as historic hotels.
The Spirit of the Victorian Age is Captured in Victorian Hotels
The great Victorian economist and moral philosopher, Walter Bagehot is often credited with saying “The greatest pleasure in life is doing what other people say you cannot do”; in a sense, this simple quote embodies the Victorian era and the Victorian propensity of building magnificent houses and Victorian hotels. It was the era of Pax Brittanica; a period of economic and social growth unparalleled in history; a time of colonial expansion…
The restoration of a Victorian living room
Here is a story of a miserable Victorian living room invigorated through traditional décor and restoration of period features. A customer of ours, Mrs E Page, Linslade Beds tells the story of her restored Victorian dining room.
The Story of a Victorian Living Room given a new lease of life
A delightful Victorian Living Room is worth the endeavour. A great dining room may not only encourage you to eat more slowly as you enjoy your surroundings and aid digestion, but it can also be said that a refined environment could make your food taste better. Any improvements will, of course, add value to your house and in true Victorian fashion, impress your guests.
What’s the future of Victorian Schools?
At a Major Development Planning Committee meeting, councillors voted in favour of the demolition of Marlborough Primary School and associated planning applications for the site by John Lewis.
What’s the future of Victorian Schools?
A current case (November 2013) has highlighted the issues facing us with regard to preserving beautiful buildings for future generations. A Victorian school in prosperous South Kensington has been earmarked for demolition because John Lewis wish to develop the site. They will be relocating the school to a temporary building close by for 4 years while a permanent school along with commercial office buildings, private apartments, town…
Period Living in St. Pancras Chambers
A unique apartment, with its spectacular views, so stunningly presented that it is now available to hire for drinks receptions, private dining, small musical events and art exhibitions.
Period Living in St. Pancras Chambers with 21st century warmth
What an ideal location for period living, especially if you are a rail enthusiast with a fascination for some of the Victorian era’s more quirky architecture! St Pancras Chambers is one of London’s latest apartment conversions. Originally part of St. Pancras Railway Station and the adjoining Midland Grand Hotel (now the magnificent five-star Renaissance Hotel), St. Pancras Chambers is a complex of 67 individually designed apartments…
The benefits of secondary glazing in your period property
Single glazed windows are a major factor in energy loss as glass is a poor insulator and also because windows can be ill fitting and draughty. It's one of the things that owners of period houses complain about incessantly - see our article here about customer…
The benefits of secondary glazing in your period property
A large proportion of buildings undergoing refurbishment were built to meet different needs and standards to those demanded today. In particular the windows are often found to be thermally inefficient and draughty with poor acoustics and minimal security. Where constraints from planning guidelines, lease conditions or budgets prevent the windows from being replaced, Secondary Glazing provides an attractive and practical solution in these…
Stay in an amazing Victorian era renovation from the Landmark Trust
Our properties are restored using age-old techniques, modern building methods and meticulous interior design, sticking as closely as possible to the original vision when recreating their interiors and exteriors. The property feels like a journey back into…
Stay in an amazing Victorian era renovation from the Landmark Trust
As a charity, we at the Landmark Trust have an aim to rescue historic buildings and carefully and sensitively restore them to become extraordinary places for self-catering holidays. Once restored, their income pays for their upkeep, securing their future, whilst also funding the restorations of further properties. Today we look after nearly 200 buildings in Britain and several in Italy and France including many dating from the Victorian era.
Top Tips for replacing the windows in your period property
The dilemma for the period property owner therefore is no longer whether to fit double glazing, but how to do so sympathetically. The answer could lie in the greater availability of slimline double glazing units.
Top Tips for replacing the windows in your period property
For those who have invested in a period property, what to do about replacing single glazing has long been a dilemma. When the original windows have reached the end of their useful life, should you replace your windows on a like-for-like basis in order to preserve the charm and character of your home, or should you make energy efficiency your priority and install double glazing? Building Regulations have controlled glazing standards in…