18 Victorian Homes We Love

The boxy silhouette, prominent eaves, and stickwork that seems to mimic a half-timber are hallmarks of the Victorian Stick style. Emerging during the transition between the Carpenter Gothic and Queen Anne styles, Victorian Stick style incorporates elements from both movements. On this house, for example, note the Queen Anne-style wraparound porch and a Gothic mansard roof. The residence was constructed in 1876 for Dr. Blair Moody, the first female physician in New Haven, which only adds importance to an already significant historic home.

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Victorians can come in any color—from bright purple and pink to bold yellow and green. Here, the homeowners chose a more subdued palette of classic blue and white to contrast with the red brick and offset the drama of the inverted butterfly roof. Square ivory columns and the slender porch banister artfully define a spacious wraparound porch primed for summertime relaxation.

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Perched on Humboldt Bay, this blushing pink Victorian has an air of romance typical of the period. The home's graceful turrets, bay windows with fanciful cornices, and intricate front porch pillars are an excellent example of the Queen Anne architectural style, while the gently sloping cupola atop the prominent turret seems to draw inspiration from the iconic onion domes of Russian architecture. Built as a wedding present for its first residents in 1889, this home has since earned a spot on the National Register of Historic Places, so it should be around to delight people for years to come.

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All four of the picturesque Queen Anne-style properties that make up this row of Victorians known as "the Four Seasons" are must-see architectural spectacles. Yet this particular four-story property sets itself apart from its neutral-colored neighbors with its winter-inspired design elements. Navy siding creates a striking background for the second-story carved snowflake centerpiece, and an interior marble staircase lends the Victorian home evergreen charm.

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Built in 1892, this meticulously maintained Seattle home epitomizes the Queen Anne architectural style that enjoyed its heyday between 1880 and 1910. An unconventional color scheme of yellow and salmon, elaborate dormers and gables, whimsical fish-scale shingles, and a turret topped with a steep cupola paint a pretty picture of life in the old Pacific Northwest.

The mellow yellow exterior of this two-story property in the Deep South lacks nothing in the way of embellishments. Lacy railings frame the facade while widow's walks and a Juliet balcony add romance. Hooded windows along the upper stories unify the distinct wings of this grand structure. 

For all its stateliness, this prim and proper Victorian has a wild side. Variegated shades of eye-popping violet and ribbons of red roof tiles make this historic home the most colorful on the block and set the color palette for the garden below.

From the asymmetrical facade to the sprawling wraparound porch, this charming bed-and-breakfast exemplifies the Queen Anne architectural style of the late 19th century. Despite its age, the property projects a fresh face with white, green, and honey-colored paint that lets the well-maintained house shine.

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The tiered, wedding-cake-like construction of this Victorian is a fine example of the Second Empire architectural movement, which stretched from 1852 to 1870. In keeping with the tastes of its time, which called for unrestrained embellishments, the property boasts a mansard roof with elaborate cresting, generous eaves supported by corbels, and tall windows with narrow louvered shutters.

Redesigned by Eberlein Design Consultants Ltd., this stately Victorian can thank its brick construction for its solid mien and refined appearance. But it's the exterior embellishments, from the intricate gable vents and gingerbread cottage trim to the carriage-house-style shingles, that bring whimsy and imagination to the substantial exterior. A wrought-iron fence surrounding the brick beauty lends an air of mystery to the property.

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There's no shame in asking for (or hiring) help. In fact, with some humdrum home maintenance tasks, doing it yourself doesn't do you any good. Read on!