Just as today, Victorian magazines kept the housewife abreast of the latest "looks" for the furnishings of the home. Unlike today, however, the Victorian reader had to possess a great deal more imagination! Today's home and garden magazines are a feast for the eyes, packed with more pictures than words. The Victorian reader had to build her own mental pictures, based on lengthy descriptions of the perfect home, but often very few images. This section brings you articles on how to create the perfect overall "look" for your home, based on the latest fashions of the day.

Bedsteads for Cottages, by Henry J. Vernon (Peterson's, 1858)

English Homes: As They Are, and May Be, in Furnishing and Decoration, by John Stewart (Art Journal, 1859)

Art Furniture and Decorations for Home Use, by Dora de Blacquière (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1876)

Modern Dwellings: Their Construction, Decoration and Furniture, by H. Hudson Holly (Harper's Monthly, 1876B)

A Design for a Fireplace, by W.R. Corson (Scribner's, 1879B)

Art-Furnishing for Modern Houses (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1880)

Art-Furnishing for Modern Houses, by Charles Dempsey (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1881)

House Furnishings (Peterson's, 1883)

How I Furnished (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1883)

How I Furnished for a Hundred Pounds (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1885)

How to Furnish Home Tastefully, by Lida and M.J. Clarkson (Ingalls' Home Magazine, 1889)

Our New House and Its Plenishings (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1888-1889)

Ottomans and Divans, by Mary Cecilia Spaulding (Ingalls' Home Magazine, 1889)

Colonel Rudderbuff's Possessions: A Paper on Furniture (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1890)

Floors and Floor Coverings, by Helen Jay (Ladies Home Journal, 1896)

Furnishing the Summer Home (Demorest, 1896)

How We Furnished Our First Home for £150, by E.H. Pitcairn (Girl's Own Paper, 1898)

Well-illustrated with many photos, and containing detailed budgets.

Ideas for Outside and Inside the Home, by Frank S. Guild (Ladies Home Journal, 1898)

A lovely photo-feature covering windows, interior cupboards, dining rooms, and wall coverings.

Pretty Yet Inexpensive Furniture (Girl's Own Paper, 1902)

• See also Hand-Made Furniture