How Brooklynites of the Past Decorated Their Houses

"Whether part of the original design or a later remodeling to keep up with the current tastes, period details can still be found in many a house in the borough, from modest wood frames to ornate manses. Brownstoner has delved into the history of all manner of period details and decoration over the years and we've rounded up stories that can give old-house occupants and the architecturally curious information about everything from fretwork to sleeping porches."

"In the latter part of the 19th century, when ladies and gentlemen of the upper classes visited friends and social acquaintances, they might be introduced to a special parlor room or corner of a room that was resplendent with a multitude of throw pillows, overlapping carpets, lanterns, and other furniture and accoutrements from the then exotic-seeming lands of the Near East."

Brooklyn homes retain period architectural details from modest wood frames to ornate manses, reflecting styles added at original construction or through later remodels to match changing tastes. Many houses include features such as fretwork, sleeping porches, butler’s pantry areas, and specialized parlor corners with exotic furnishings. Upper-class Victorian interiors sometimes incorporated Turkish rooms filled with pillows, carpets, lanterns and Near Eastern accoutrements, a precursor to modern bohemian styling. The Industrial Revolution and a growing middle class increased demand for decorated interiors, and guidance exists for maintaining and restoring these historic elements.

Read at Brownstoner