Decor Styles of the 1960s We Miss

In the 1960s so many styles we changing. Clothing was becoming more casual, the crooners of the 1950s seemed at odds with the up and coming rock stars, and how people decorated was also changing. This was the first decade where people’s homes might look radically different depending on their design tastes. Some hold over from the previous decade mixed with visions of the space-age to create a hige range of possible styles. Here are just a few of the decor styles from the 1960s that we still miss.

Western Styles

The 1950s had been a strong decade for the wood chairs, horseshoe sand brand decor, and rag rugs that went with this fusion style. The theme was harkening back to the past with natural materials that seemed to shun new-fangled furniture made with formica, steel, and plastics. Rustic scenes printed on fabrics, dishes, or as art prints were not uncommon. In the 1960s an updated version of this decor was still going strong in many homes.

Colonial Decor

Spindle legs and plenty of wood were needed to this style. True antiques were also part of this style, such as grandfather clocks, wooden chairs and traditional curio cabinets. Wood paneling on the walls was another way to complete this decor look.

Swinging 60s Style

This modern style used clean lines, with or without patterns, to create a more modern sense of home. Curved, angled, or sectional couches with sparse details and geometric shaped pillows, à la The Dick Van Dyke Show, were very en vogue. This style allowed for a variety of colors or art styles to fit in seamlessly with this more neutral background which was a boon for department stores like Sears and JC Penney’s.

Futuristic Mod Decor

The Pastil chair made in fiberglass pictured above was designed in 1967 by Eero Aarnio. This type of furniture ushered in a new wave of modernism that was smooth, round, space-age decor that defied the realities of most home furnishings that had come before it. Today some associate this look with the 1970s, but it all got started in the 1960s.

Danish Modern

This sleek style combined the natural tones of wood with the slim modern lines of Scandinavian design. Danish Modern was popular in the 1950s, but was more accessible by the 1950s when manufactures across the globe embraced the style. Austere shapes were balanced by fun patterns and bright colors.

Rococo

This style recalled the gilt pieces of Louis XIV rococo and French Provençal style furniture, turning the homes of ordinary people into more lavish spaces. Entire sets in white with gilt scroll edges were popular for bedrooms, while a moodier version with dark colors, swag lamps, chintz fabric sofas, and ornate curtain valances was a common look for living rooms. This style only got more popular in the 1970s.

Tiki Style

The tiki bars of the era weren’t the only places one could find South Pacific-inspired decor. This style made it into many homes through basement tiki bars, but also full living rooms or bedrooms decked out in tiki god icons, palm leaf curtains, and tropical barkcloth. Even today this style is synonymous with the 1960s.