Colors Class differences were reflected in domestic taste in the early 1900s. Lower middle class families often clung to Victoriana long after the upper middle class had embraced new fashions. Changes in taste affected everything from paint color to curtain fabrics to flowers. Victorian interiors are often thought of as dark. Paradoxically, in the mid-Victorian period new chemical dyes were producing brighter colors. Yet Victorians combined them in such a way that the rooms felt rich but oppressive. Moreover, dust from the coal fires and dim gas lighting made even light colors look dark. Towards the end of the 19th century, the palette lightened considerably, particularly when white and cream became fashionable for the first time. New "enamel" paints gave fresh, light-colored finishes. And as gas heating slowly began to replace coal fires and electricity brightened rooms, lighter colors became more feasible. CLOSE WINDOW