One of the most beautiful features of this classic midcentury modern home was the tall brick fireplace that sat beneath the living room’s high cathedral ceilings.
Until these apartment owners found the perfect piece of art to fill a tall wall, they installed four unframed overscaled vertical stripes that were painted in three different colors.
Pastel colors, painted, gilded and polished surfaces combined to create this graceful French-inspired dining room that had such classic style, it may be surprising to learn that it was decorated in 1970.
Hot buttered tomato juice is a surprising ‘wow.’ Butter blends the subtlety of oregano and the zip of Worcestershire with the goodness of tomato juice.
As it appeared in this 1960s show home, the elegant modern master bedroom suite had an emphasis on relaxation, purposely making space for things like quiet conversations by the fireplace.
Formerly an oversized landing passageway, this home’s hallway was converted into a bright striped sitting room, eminently usable as extra space for entertaining.
The stunning waves of cool blue decor were made with a graphic print stretch fabric that covered the walls, bed, bedside table and shutters in this oceanside home back in 1970
Green works well with many colors, but when this lettuce green wallpaper was paired with white in a trellis pattern, it seemed doubly fresh and intense.
You’ve seen brick fireplaces, tall fireplaces, freestanding fireplaces… but what about a mouth-shaped fireplace with scalloped inner edges that looked a lot like teeth?
The removal of a wall between kitchen & dining room made all the difference in this home from 1956, creating a more open plan area that was filled with reds, greys and earthy tones.
In 1975, Chrysler released the Cordoba – and sales were helped along by TV ads featuring the great Ricardo Montalban and his famous mention of the car’s soft Corinthian leather.
The unique combination of purple grape and mountain blue used in this in this midcentury modern dining room decor created an atmosphere that was gentle on the eye, but still unique enough to draw positive attention.
The demure pattern and glorious colors of a radiant floral antique stencil design decorated the floor of a pre-Revolutionary house in Williamsburg were transplanted in this New England dining room.
The Waldorf salad – named for the hotel – became known around the world. Here’s how to make it along with suggestions for lots of different variations – and learn its history!
Do you like the warmth of retro wall paneling, but find the simple wood plank lines a little less than exciting? Here’s an old-school way to use this basic material in a new way.
Brown was considered a popular midcentury modern color, so Bloomingdale’s put together this contemporary 1960s living room decor that made the most of the rich tone.
This mid century modern dinette set was from around the time when mod design became widely available with a range of colors and shapes, and was much more affordable than before.
In this calming and serene green retreat from the 60s, the furniture was traditional rather than modern — overstuffed armchairs, graceful antique tables of dark wood, a crystal chandelier.
One important ingredient for this simple retro mod living room: the high walls and ceilings were all painted white wood, giving the tall room a spacious feel.
This living room was mostly decked out in earth tones, but went beyond the usual with two cozy cubic cantilevered chairs that somehow made a seat made of squares seem comfortable.
A personal room that invited family or friends, this cozy sunroom from the 70s was a dazzle of color – but the colors never intimidated, never overpowered.
By using a colorful antique rug below a dado rail, the homeowners added so much decorative flair to this space – texture, pattern, color – and it definitely became a conversation piece.
Here’s a gorgeous home from 1959 that featured a conversation pit by a fireplace – one example of a luxurious vintage midcentury modern home admired all these decades later.
Tilted rainbow jello layers form a striped color spectrum that delights the eye as well as the palate. Prepare several fruit flavors of jello for this fun dessert!
More than just a place to sleep, this mid-century contemporary bedroom from 1967 had a wide view, thanks to a wall of glass that ran from floor to ceiling.
A lively white and poppy red print called “Provincial” diminished the bad points of an awkward space when it was converted into this fab family room back in the early 1960s.
As one retailer selling this blue tie-dyed sofa said at the time, ‘The bolts of blue lighting in this unusual and dramatic resist-dyed fabric will knock you out.’
Two vintage bamboo screens worked together to create a feature wall for this 1960s dining room – and in the process, covered up a window with no view to speak of.
In this radiant 1960s yellow dining room, the largest areas of color fell in two unexpected places to create a flood of sunshine distilled by two different versions of the color, Goldfinch and Lemon Peel.
For this kitchen from the late sixties, the typical style was replaced with fresh green and white swappable cabinet decor, inspired by Florida’s lush landscape.
This Early American-themed powder room, seen here as it was back in 1966, showed how wallpaper could be used in truly creative ways that went far beyond the usual.
The upward sweep of this ocean view living room was shaped by red laminated wood beams that curved up to disappear into the vortex of the skylighted cupola.
Love a nostalgic look? Check out this creative home decor from the 1950s! This cute and clever kids’ bedroom with corner bunk beds was a cozy space for two.
Without a doubt, the humble dump cake has one of the worst names ever, but this sweet treat has still managed to stay popular since its introduction in the mid-sixties. See step-by-step photos for an apple pie dump cake recipe here!
When choosing how to accent this small yellow, green & orange bedroom with a single bed, the designers kept it simple by using a bright color scheme, and look that had a bit of a Southwestern flavor.
This decor from the early 1970s overflowed with a bold electric blue in many different textures, materials, and surfaces, making it look more like a living room art installation than a family home.
When this restored Victorian living room was made new again in the 1950s, the owners didn’t want to superimpose contemporary design on it, instead choosing to return it to its former glory.
A room like this midcentury dining room, where you could eat in casual connection with the outdoors, underlined the biggest advantages of the relaxed suburban 1950s lifestyle.
In this clean and bright white & blue bedroom, the way the sofa beds were arranged along the walls created flexible space for guests or for entertaining.
This old-school 3-level kitchen island had a two-sided shelving unit on top of the main workspace – right in the center of activity – which increased working efficiency.
The design and decor of this airy corner of this Honolulu living room was an excellent example of how creativity can help make a small house seem larger.
Because of its dramatic expanse of glass, this 1960s living room’s tall window walls demanded a fabric showy enough to make a decorating impact, yet sturdy enough to stand the sun.
Even the simplest kind of molding can contribute a lot more to a room than you might imagine – as proven by this retro 1960s DIY living room wall decor.
Chairs lacquered in silver, floors with a shiny silver wash, and crystalline glints of glass accentuated this lively dark green dining room from the early 70s.
Even with special attention given to every element of this home, the soaring ceilings and mosaic tile floors of this 1950s living room stood out as being truly beautiful and unique.
This beautiful vintage 1930s green and white entry hall arch is reflected by a mirror, which was placed in a second archway set into the wall opposite.
The light blue color in a country-style gingham check wallpaper is adorable in this welcoming children’s playroom/nursery that was decorated in the late 60s.
This post-war modern ranch home in Los Angeles was built in 1948, and the space – including the cozy midcentury modern living room – was decorated by the editorial staff of House Beautiful magazine.
Elegant in every way, this graceful soft grey & white mid century bathroom was styled by an interior designer to appeal to the 1950s women who desired luxury.
This 1970s Beverly Hills homeowner liked to have a few friends in for tea in the curve of this elegant bay window, part of a room filled with antique treasures and classic furnishings.
Light-reflecting textures of white brick walls and terrazzo floor picked up the green tints of foliage through the window wall that dominated this airy and bright 50s living room.
A wall of books in this retro dining room library created a warm mood. But what was even more eye-catching than the books? The blue and white canopy hung over the table.