The 1950s also called the "Fifties" or the "50s," were a very colorful time because the world was still getting back on its feet after World War II. The interior and furniture styles of 1950s home decor have stood the test of time thanks to their timeless elegance. If you want to dive a little deeper, Adria Workshop has shown vintage 1950s home decor ideas and has given some 1950s home decor for sale.

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The overall look of 1950s home decor

In the early 1950s, bomb sites and slums were removed and replaced with new houses in many of Britain's greatest cities. At the same time new towns were being built, there were significant changes in interior design and home technology. Once the bright and bold colors of 1950s home decor were introduced to the world, the gloomy postwar era was a thing of the past.

Mid-century modern was popular in the 1950s. Modernists and minimalists of the 1950s flocked to the distinctive style of Scandinavian furniture. This now-classic look is as popular as ever, but it's made possible by modern techniques and materials.

The Western aesthetic was also trendy, thanks to cowboy TV stars like Gene Autry and Roy Rogers, and western films. Even back then, Western-style decorations were typically only found in children's bedrooms and the family den.

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The 1950s interior design for the living room (Source: internet)

How to decorate your home in the 1950s style? 1950s retro home decorating style elements

Colorful retro 1950s home decor ideas

Decorating with bold, contemporary hues like electric blue, orange, red, black, and white was popular in 1950s home decor. The Scandinavian design style was refined, drawing inspiration from the natural world with colors like brown, milk, gray, and green. 
 

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The 1950s home decor style usually uses bold colors such as red, black, and white. (Source: internet).

People could buy paint for the first time in almost any color they wanted in the 1950s. Never before had a color scheme of black, white, and red been so widely accepted.

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The white, black, and red color scheme was the most popular in 1950s home decor. (Source: internet)

Three core color trends— pastels, modern, and bold - became more popular in vintage 1950s home decor. Pink, turquoise, mint green, soft yellow, and blue were some of the most popular pastels.

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Pink and mint green were the most popular colors in 1950s home decor. (Source: internet)
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Turquoise was a popular color for home decor in the 1950s, which was different from the neutral style of the time. (Source: internet)

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1950s home decor fabric

Fabrics with bold patterns such as stars, stripes, checks, and polka dots were popular in the 1950s. As did atomic graphics inspired by space and science, like planets, galaxies, and the famous "Boomerang" pattern, which was used on wallpaper, tablecloths, curtains, and furniture fabrics.

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Fabrics with bold patterns such as stars, stripes, checks, and polka dots were popular in 1950s home decor. (Source: internet)

In addition, there were a lot of fabrics with fruit and pattern designs on them. Moreover, people also used a heavy, tight-woven cotton fabric called “bark cloth” for furnishings like curtains, drapery, and upholstery.

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People in the 1950s usually used floral patterns to design fabric. (Source: internet)

Decorate flooring in 1950s interior design

Before the great new linoleum flooring came out in the 1950s, hardwood floors were still a common choice for homes. Many manufacturers, like Armstrong, changed the look of linoleum flooring to make it brighter and more colorful.

The ads for these floors said that they could be used in almost every room of the house because of their bright colors and patterns. Trendy floors were black-and-white and red-and-white checkerboard patterns.

1950s home decor style
Trendy floors in the 1950s were black-and-white and red-and-white checkerboard patterns. (Source: internet)

1950s home decor for wallpapers

In the past, wallpaper was often used to decorate living spaces like living rooms, dining rooms, kitchens, and bedrooms. In the 1950s, traditional dining rooms were often pasted with damask or other formal wallpaper patterns.

Pink wallpaper was typically used in children's bedrooms for girls and blue wallpaper for boys. Thus, it makes sense that themes like trains and sports were reserved for boys' rooms, while themes like flowers and butterflies were used in girls' rooms.

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1950s bedroom decor
Using grasscloth wallpaper in common areas, such as bedrooms, and living rooms, showed wealth and refinement. (Source: internet)

The style of furniture is 1950s home decor

The popular furniture styles of 1950s home decor for sale gave people many options for decorating their homes. The classic styles were the most popular for upholstered pieces.

1. Vintage sofas, chairs, and tables

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There were many different styles of chairs and sofas with floral designs and a lot of padding. (Source: internet)

 2. Retro clock

 

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The 1950s style clock (Source: Adobe Stock)

 

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The vintage clock 1950s home decor for sale (Source: Etsy)

 

3. Vintage 1950s rug/carpet

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1950s home decor for sale: 1950s rug/ carpet (Source: Etsy)

4. Wood retro storage

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One of the signature furniture in 1950s home decor for sale: wooden storage (Source: internet)

5. Retro 1950s lighting

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The vintage 1950s floor lamp (Source: Illuminator)
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You can decorate a 1950s floor lamp in the living room (Source: internet).

6. 1950s art wall decor

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Popular 1950s wall decor picture (Source: Etsy)


 

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Decorative 1950s style item (Source: Etsy)

 

1950s art wall decor
Use artwork to decorate 1950s home walls (Source: internet)

What were the decorating styles popular in the 1950s?

The retro home decor style

Curved or sharp-edged 1950s home decor is often associated with retro design and is usually made of bright colors or metals like chrome. Retro also has much to do with colors like "avocado green" and "psychedelic colors." Cherry red, orange, and mustard yellow are trendy now. The style also emphasizes the need for a lot of pattern and texture, pointing to the use of vibrant wallpaper and shaggy rugs.

Mid-century home decor style

The term "mid-century modern" (or "MCM" for short) refers to an American design movement that started around 1945 and lasted until 1969. Mid-century modern design isn't afraid to be out of date. It uses bright accent colors to show that it was made before the modernist canon.

10 vintage 1950s home decor ideas

1. Decorate 1950s wall decor

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Decorate a 1950s-style clock in the living room (Source: internet)

2. Decorate your 1950s living room with vintage carpet

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In the 1950s, people usually use retro carpets (Source: internet). 

3. Adding 1950s accessories to your bathroom

In the 1950s, the bathroom was often a pastel-and-pops-of-color view. Soft pink and baby blue were the most popular colors for bathroom tiles. In addition, you can add many accessories, like seashells, flowers, and butterfly bathroom wallpaper, to complete your 1950s bathroom style. You can add this nostalgic look to your bathroom with white pedestal sinks, bathmats, shower curtains, towels, accessories, and wall art.

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The bathroom's white walls and linoleum floors are commonly seen in 1950s home decor (Source: Internet)

4. Taking advantage of 1950s dominant color schemes

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1950s interior design with bold color (Source: internet)

 

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There are a lot of different styles and materials here, from traditional upholstered pieces to futuristic organic shapes (Source: Internet)

5. 1950s home decor for kitchen appliance colors

In the past, kitchen wallpaper had designs like fruit and vegetable prints or gingham patterns meant to remind people of food. The kitchen fixtures, utensils, cabinets, eco-friendly furniture, and flooring were painted in soft pastel tones. The black-and-white checkerboard floor design was standard in restaurants and cafes, so it wasn't surprising to see it in homes, too.

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The kitchen 50s home decor ideas (Source: internet)
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Bold designs such as stars, stripes, checks, and polka dots came into vogue (Source: Internet)

6. Considering alternative color palettes

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Cherry red isn't the only bright hue of 1950s home decor (Source: Internet)

Cherry red isn't the only bright color that's becoming more popular with people who want to use more extreme contrast in their interior design. Colors like electric blue, citrus green, and the ever-popular checkerboard pattern of the 1920s and 1930s were among these.

7. Adopting various hues of home cooking equipment

Many people in the 1950s thought an adequately styled kitchen needed pastel-colored appliances. Like those found on the appliance's handles, Chrome accents and smooth curves are a big part of their attractiveness.

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The 1950s interior design in kitchen (Source: internet)

8. Using a retro-futuristic color scheme for the kitchen

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Chrome appliances and retro-styled dishes will do the job (Source: Internet)

You can add a little bit of that 60s home decor flair to your modern kitchen to adopt the style of 1950s home decor. A kitchen set in chrome and your preferred retro hue will do the trick here. Soft curves and pastel color palettes characterize 1950s appliance reproductions updated with current conveniences.

What is the difference between vintage 1950s home decor and 1970s home decor styles?

The vintage 1950s fashion era existed between World War II and the postwar period. Many contemporary furniture designers find inspiration in period pieces from that time. The effects of World War II, like a lack of furniture, significantly affected how people decorated their homes in the 1950s.

The 1950s home decor style is well-known for its minimalist beauty and practicality. This era changed toward more vibrant, bright, and colorful furnishings and interiors. Furniture was typically upholstered in dark fabrics like sand, forest, and tan.

1950s interior design
The living room's 1950s interior design (Source: internet)

In the 1970s home decor style, retro furniture had bright colors, floral patterns, round fonts, and thick lines. It showed flat, simple shapes arranged in repeating patterns. It was typically used as a wall covering or as a painting background.

The brutalist movement gained momentum in 1970s home decor. Some things that set this style apart are the use of reinforced concrete, steel, and glass and the fact that the outside has no decorations. 
 

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The 1970s home decor style (Source: internet)

Adopting various hues of home cooking equipment

Many people in the 1950s thought an adequately styled kitchen needed pastel-colored appliances. Like those found on the appliance's handles, Chrome accents and smooth curves are a big part of their attractiveness.

Conclusion

To sum up, other 1950s home decor design trends that fell out of favor are returning. The interior and furniture styles of the time were avant-garde, but 1950s home decor has withstood the test of time due to its timeless elegance. The following are some major points from this article:

The 1950s style is reflected not just in color but also in interior design, fabric, and flooring. The overall appearance is reminiscent of 1950s house decor.

While other styles resemble 1950s design, retro and mid-century modern appear to be much more prevalent in today's globe.

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