Over the last century, our homes have changed dramatically in both the way they look and function. From the wartime fashions of the 1940s through the groovy 60s decorating styles to new technology in a new millennium, the timeline of house design has been constantly on the move. So whether you’re a baby boomer or Generation X, let’s take a trip down memory lane. Click or scroll for more…
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
The 1940s house
With half of the 1940s taken over by the Second World War, the average house was far from affluent. ‘Make do and mend’ was the order of the day and with rationing and shortages still widespread on both sides of the pond, homes still bore the hallmarks of the previous decade’s style. As the war ended and the great rebuilding program began, the demand for housing increased rapidly and many new homes were built on the outskirts of towns, creating the modern suburbs.
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
1940s: the living room
With the war only coming to an end in 1945, home interiors in the first half of the decade were largely still stuck in the 1930s. Properties were awash with floral prints, old-fashioned homewares and traditional dark wood furnishings. In the living room, entertainment consisted of listening to the radio or record player, while a shortage of material meant old clothes and soft furnishings had to be adapted and repaired.
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
1940s: the kitchen
In the 1940s, your kitchen would probably have been small and simple in comparison to what we’re used to today. Pastel colors and two-tone cabinets were popular, as well as brighter tones like this sunny yellow. As more people started to own larger appliances like fridge-freezers, more spacious layouts were designed to accommodate them.
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
1940s: the bathroom
With a focus on cleanliness still lingering from the turn of the century, sanitaryware was typically white. Square tiles were often used to line the walls around the bath and sink, with the upper portion of the wall painted. Linoleum was the exciting new floor covering of choice in the 1940s and the classic black and white checkerboard pattern was especially popular.
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
1940s: the bedroom
In this 1940s bedroom, you’ll find more traditional dark wood furniture, from the dressing table to the bed frames. A familiar sight to anyone who grew up in this decade, busy floral-print curtains hang in the window, while pastel pinks and peaches flow from the walls to the soft furnishings. These silky eiderdowns must have seemed like the height of luxury, adding a touch of Hollywood glamor.
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
The 1950s house
In the 1950s, the economic picture was much rosier. It was a boom time for industry and consumer wealth, which spurred on great leaps in terms of design and modern tastes. House building moved away from traditional styles to more modernist designs, with clean angular lines, swaths of windows and sliding glass doors to draw the outside in. House façades from this era tended to feature very little ornamentation and outdoor space becomes more polished.
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
1950s: the living room
If you grew up in the 1950s, this is where you would have listened to music, watched TV, spent time with your family and entertained guests. Typically, the color palette of a vintage living room consisted of pastel hues, with bold shades incorporated across accessories, like the red zigzag cushion pictured here. When it came to upholstery, heavy textures in earthy browns and greens were all the rage, while busy patterns were commonplace too.
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
1950s: the kitchen
This kitchen features all the essential 1950s design elements – colorful kitchen units, chrome and vinyl chairs and Formica countertops. As in the 1940s, linoleum was a popular floor covering but manufacturers started to redesign it with bright bold patterns to make it less utilitarian.
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
1950s: the bathroom
A popular hue for vintage bathrooms, the pink suite has a love or hate place in the hearts of 1950s kids. Colored sanitaryware in pastel shades also became fashionable at this time, a trend which continued well into the 1980s. Color coordination was a must, while wipeable tiling found its way onto countertops and bathroom vanities.
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
1950s: the bedroom
More prosperous than the previous decade, there was a greater emphasis on comfort in the 1950s. Bedrooms were colorful, luxurious spaces, with bold schemes and glitzy wallpaper. Wall-to-wall carpeting also emerged as an opulent new trend around this time. More households owned TVs too, so entertainment was at the fingertips of homeowners like never before.
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
The 1960s house
If you grew up in a 1960s house, you may have lived in a stylish new-build house like this. These designs borrowed from the traditional styles of the past but came with shiny new modern additions. Cars were increasingly relied upon for day-to-day life, so this house has a built-in double garage and concrete driveway.
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
1960s: the living room
The 1960s was a time of cultural revolution and change, reflected in a vibrant new interior style. If you were around in this psychedelic decade, your home would’ve been transformed with an array of bright colors and the new obsession with shag pile carpets. Modern Danish furniture was also in vogue, which influenced the architectural shape of these sofas and chairs.
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
1960s: the kitchen
This modernist kitchen showcases two major interior trends of the 1960s – Scandinavian-inspired design and wood-paneled walls. Kitchens from this decade would have featured sleek unfussy cabinets and laminate or Formica countertops, with lots of new-fangled kitchen appliances for entertaining, such as an electric coffee maker.
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
1960s: the bathroom
Bold colors continued into the 1960s bathroom, with colored bathroom suites like this bright yellow design. Showers, as well as baths, became a more common choice for homeowners. This was also the age of fluffy bathroom rugs – usually one in front of the bath and another around the toilet. Many might remember the fluffy tissue-box cover with fondness – or a shudder – too.
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
1960s: the bedroom
This luxurious vintage bedroom shows off the more flamboyant side of the 1960s when homes were increasingly treated as status symbols. The color co-ordinated deep blue bed cover, bejeweled bench, carpet and chair create a decadent interior scheme typical of the decade. As homes expanded so too did the luxury of built-in storage. Massive bespoke closets with mirrored doors would allow the groovy homeowner to keep their growing closet in check without losing that streamlined style.
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
The 1970s house
Houses built in the 1970s tend to get a bad rep but they have a lot going for them! Big sized rooms, large windows and plenty of outdoor space made them fabulous family homes but some of the decorative touches are now considered design pariahs. Very few ceilings were spared the Artex popcorn treatment (which also sometimes contained asbestos!) and cladding was in in a big way.
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
1970s: the living room
If you are a child of the 1970s, this living room may look very familiar – wood paneling, shag pile carpets in vibrant colors and orange and brown hues were all major trends at the time. This room has a textured Artex or popcorn ceiling – ubiquitous in homes of the 1970s.
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
1970s: the kitchen
Laminated kitchen cupboards and Formica countertops were a staple of the 1970s kitchen – this bright space features a sunny color scheme of harvest gold with black accents. Plenty of storage, plus the latest appliances including the first domestic dishwashers, became the new norm in the heart of the home.
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
1970s: the bathroom
The classic avocado bathroom suite was a much-loved staple of the decade. Here it’s paired with brown and orange patterned wall tiles and terracotta hexagon floor tiles – ceramic tiling was now a common choice for bathroom flooring. For 1970s kids, a fluffy toilet lid cover may also have been a familiar, if questionable, feature in your home.
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
1970s: the bedroom
Bedspreads with geometric patterns like this one were a popular trend in the 1970s – this room even features framed matching curtains flanking the bed too. Plastic was now a regular choice for furniture production and it looks like it was used to create this curved headboard. Busy carpet, often in loud prints or check, was often used throughout the house too.
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
The 1980s house
The 1980s saw the rise of the yuppie, a term meaning ‘young urban professional’ or ‘young, upwardly-mobile professional’, so there was a boost in luxury housing and city apartments as huge developments of high-end condos sprang up in financial centers across the world. This wealth also trickled down to the growing middle classes and so the average family home grew in size and cost. This house has a double garage for the two cars homeowners would’ve proudly displayed, plus a smart manicured front lawn. Curb appeal was also taking off in a big way!
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
1980s: the living room
The 1980s saw the return of pastel colors and chintzy fabrics – this living room combines lavender, peach and teal, with the sofa featuring a common mottled print popular in the decade. Glass was a popular choice for dining and coffee tables along with gold accents, seen here across the table frames and side lamps.
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
1980s: the kitchen
Tiled countertops came back with a vengeance in the 1980s, while appliances, from fridges to washing machines and dishwashers were typically all-white. Oak cabinetry became a popular design choice – these ones have a streamlined modern look to them, befitting of a decade that saw the first personal computers. Linoleum floors, like the green patterned one here, were also still in vogue.
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
1980s: the bathroom
Cutting edge bathroom design finally turned away from garish color towards the end of the 1980s. Clean lines and more neutral shades were being reintroduced, meaning white tiles and beige suites were once again in fashion. Luxury bathrooms to indulge in at the end of a hard working day became the norm, so sunken tubs, power showers, marble and spa-style spaces became the biggest emerging trend.
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
1980s: the bedroom
While there was a toning down of vibrant color, it didn’t go away completely in the 1980s. Pastels abound in this bedroom, which is decked out in a palette of baby blue and peach. Just look at that dust ruffle around the bed! The same zigzag print reappears on the cushions and the oversized fabric headboard. Also a big hit in the 80s, two pine bedside tables complete the retro scheme.
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
The 1990s house
As in the previous two decades, new houses in the 1990s were often a mixture of traditional and modern, perhaps to fit in with the existing houses around it. Tech really started to take off and our homes were full of home entertainment systems, satellite and cable TV and game consoles. It was also the era of home makeovers: TV shows inspired us on to tackle bigger renovation projects than ever to add value to our homes during this property boom period.
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
1990s: the living room
Living rooms in the 1990s showed off their impressive array of home entertainment devices in specially built shelving units, including big TVs, CD players and large stereo systems. Pictured here in an old catalogue cover, IKEA’s iconic KLIPPAN sofa was introduced in the 90s and the style is still a staple in many homes to this day. Bright primary colors also made a comeback in this decade.
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
1990s: the kitchen
As with today, there are as many styles of kitchens as there are people who use them and the focus on individual style saw the 1990s kitchen decorated in themes as varied as old English farmhouse to minimal concrete spaces with hidden appliances. As a rule, wood became paler than in the 1980s; pine and dark wood went out and pale ash and budget-friendly MDF was in. Lighting became smaller and streamlined with spotlights and probably the most used color was still the ubiquitous magnolia.
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
1990s: the bathroom
Moving on from the pastel tones of the previous decade, the 1990s signified the rise of beige, even in bathrooms. This space offsets beige tiles against, you guessed it, beige walls. Corner baths were another must-have home feature – for the ultimate in luxury, you might even have splashed out on water jets too.
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
1990s: the bedroom
You don’t get much more 1990s than this! From the canopy bed to the beaded curtain and inflatable armchair, bedrooms were awash with bold design choices. A simple coat of paint was never enough for a 1990s scheme – check out the floral border and gold stenciled wall art!
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
The 2000s house
As the millennium dawned and influences became global thanks to the rise of the internet, new styles were afoot in the average house. It was the era that climate change and our carbon footprint went from being political to social concerns, and eco house design reflected that with sustainable building methods and a focus on renewable energy. The financial crash of 2008 also put a sudden halt to the property development boom and saw a return to people buying houses as homes rather than investments.
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
2000s: the living room
In the 2000s, beige, the neutral of choice that’s been replaced by light gray in recent years, showed no signs of budging. This living room has a beige carpet and sofas, and warm beige walls with chunky wooden furnishings. The open-plan layout is still sought after, and the sofa faces a fireplace rather than a huge TV.
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
2000s: the kitchen
A classic kitchen style from the 2000s, white cabinets team with black shiny countertops and stainless steel appliances in this traditional scheme. Pendant lights above islands, usually in triplicate, became increasingly popular and are still a common design trend today. By now, the rise of the laminate wood floor was well underway, featured here in warm variated tones.
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
2000s: the bathroom
When it comes to bathrooms, Tuscan-inspired décor was all the rage in this decade, with limestone tiles, ornate lighting and brown and bronze accessories. Tiled dado rails were a popular pick too, combined with a tiled frieze to add to the Italian villa effect.
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
2000s: the bedroom
Moving on from the ‘themes’ that were so popular in the 1990s, bedrooms still continued to be where we were at our most adventurous when it came to decorating. The rise of nautical and coastal-inspired rooms saw us adding whitewashed tongue-and-groove cladding back on to our walls, but with more refinement than in previous decades. Feature walls were also popular, with statement wallpapers often put behind the bed. The rise of upcycling also saw more homemade items reappearing. We can’t wait to see what’s next!
