With a wall of windows to take maximum advantage of attractive gardens and vistas, this open-plan living room-dining area from the mid-50s had a casual family-friendly atmosphere.
retro inspo home
Every vertical surface in this uniquely artistic living room was painted blue – moldings, mantel, window frames, shutters and all. The horizontal surfaces were painted white – even the parquet floor.
Here’s an idea from the 1950s: To gain year-round use from a porch, or to convert an old sunporch, why not make it into a conservatory living room or family room?
Massive beams gave solidity to this contemporary living room, bringing it into line – literally and figuratively – with the fireplace wall and the generous hearth.
Looking back from five decades later, the components of this mod green & white dining room seemed almost like were from a fabulously 1970s decor starter pack.
This creative built-in wall divider screen – one that let in plenty of light, yet still clearly delineated two areas – turned a bedroom and its adjacent bathroom into a suite.
The effect of at least one solid wall was gained by installing a good-looking, functional built-in wall cabinet. As a bonus, it gave this living room a focal point.
Dark on blue striped decor teamed up with reversed tones in the wallpaper for a captivating scheme in this vintage study/guestroom from 1970.
This maximum-retro style master bedroom was a cozy and comfortable haven for reading, chatting, watching TV – or just curling up for a cat nap on the fluffy fur-covered bedspread.
The light & spacious 60s living room, although not formal, had a casual dignity about it. Its open spaciousness was enclosed by a simple structure built predominantly of wood and stone.
This 1970s conversation area – which could be part of a mod family room or contemporary living room – got the right vibe from a spirited mass of color.
What’s a conversation center? See one in a midcentury modern living room with built-in bench seating
The space dedicated to this cozy conversation center was defined by the shaggy beige rug laid on the wideboard pegged wooden floor.
In this 1970s bedroom, an abstract blue floral pattern print was lavishly used, and was the perfect foil for the Wedgewood blue carpet.
In this bright and beautiful floral bedroom from the 1970s, flowers stretched across the walls, were appliqued on the bedspread, and clustered in china pots.
Everything in this mod black & white living room from the 1970s was totally refreshing, including the antique wooden 1930s radio, looking just as it did when the sound of Guy Lombardo filled the air.
This sun-drenched retro blue & gold bedroom from 1976 featured a color scheme that matched the outdoors, setting the colors in a rich large-scale floral print.
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.
Although this red & black living room decor was from the mid-60s, the feel of the entire space really conveyed an old-world elegance.
This dining room from the early 1950s, skipped the traditional decor, and instead had low furniture that kept everyone grounded.
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.
This retro 60s country-style sitting room welcomed guests with green pastel walls and cabinetry that instantly gave the space a lively personality.
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.
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.
Throughout this high-end 1960s home, antiques and modern furniture were paired with confidence, as exemplified by this luxe vintage dining room decor.
This cool grey living room had a definite midcentury modern style, which was especially apparent in the sleek lines and minimal detail.
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
Open-beam construction of the ceiling gave extra height and a sense of spaciousness to this 1950s living room’s turquoise & orange décor.
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.
This eclectic and oh-so-hip white modern living room would have been pretty basic but for the extra colorful decorative bursts here and there.
Take a look back at this retro cute country-style dining room style that was a blend of textures, patterns, colors and time periods.
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.
Looking back at this goldenrod living room, you can see that this 1960s New York living room was filled with the feel of late summer sunshine.
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.
This cheerful bedroom decor from the 60s was warm and sunny – aglow with yellow, the go-with-anything color.
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.
This large master bedroom from the 1960s was decorated with several spirited colors, and had as its centerpiece a beautiful hot pink chaise lounge.
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.
A hot orange color was used full force in this 1960s living room, where color spotlighted the fireplace and set off the accessories above the mantel.
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.
Vintage Williamsburg Restoration furnishings were used to decorate this modern semicircular dining room in a two-story-high space.
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.
From the vermillion living room to the elegant foyer, this 1960s New York home had played-to-the-hilt, marvelously uninhibited color.
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.
In this 1970s home, a colorful peacock wallpaper pattern was the springboard for a fanciful hallway design.
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.
In this lavender bedroom, a pale purple cotton was applied to walls over cotton batting, surrounding the room in a cocoon of visual warmth.
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.
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.
This vibrantly colored dining room from the sixties was arranged into a diamond shape by an unusual screen made of linked aluminum strips.
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.’
This cozy vintage living room decor from the late 1930s/early 1940s featured the kind of clean, crisp lines popular in early modern decor.
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.
This gorgeous living room full of exotic color could have come out of a Venetian palazzo, with tall shutters, bold shades and a creative style.
Covered with painted nasturtium flowers, the style of this warm and cheerful bedroom from the 1920s was both casual and classic.
Seen here after it was remodeled in 1965, this pumpkin orange kitchen also had a vintage black and white checkerboard pattern of vinyl floor tiles.
See all the bonus storage space built into this vintage hallway design – adjacent to and underneath the home’s main staircase.
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.
This minimalist midcentury modern living room, cheerful and welcoming in character, left plenty of room for hospitality.
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.
See how little hand-painted paper was needed to endow this beautiful silver and blue vintage living room with the drama and importance of a mural.
On one side of a vintage living room from 1965 was this charming little garden view dining area. Take a look!
In this living room from the 60s, striped wallpaper and stylish home decor created an entry hall out of a plain wall area. Here’s how!
A masterly mix of patterns gave warmth and a sense of intimacy to this hug vintage Texas living room/great room.
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.
Vibrantly colored stripes, overlaid with a floral pattern, blanketed this little yellow & blue bedroom from the mid-1960s.
If you were looking for some stereotypical midcentury modern kitchen decor, this little kitchen from 1959 pretty much had it all.
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.
In the sixties, how would American interior designers express a little Asian flair? Here’s a look back at some vintage Japanese-themed kitchen decor.
A brilliant cacophony of reds was found in a neocontemporary living room/bedroom, with a shock of shiny red-lacquered walls.
Decades ago, this rounded 1950s kitchen would have certainly been unique with its floor featuring a huge mid century modern graphic element.
In this elegant 1950s dining room, a classical antique style is used throughout — with just a few touches of more typical fifties flair.
This extraordinary living room features a stunning and soaring high curved wood ceiling that looks almost like the hulls of twin ships.
Each bed in this cute and colorful retro children’s bedroom with 4 bunks had its own storage area, while still giving everyone their own space.
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.
A gorgeous layered concrete mural with artfully embedded stones made this 1950s kitchen decor truly unique. Take a look!
This delightfully eclectic country-style living room from the 1960s is packed full of treasures in an almost Victorian style.
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.
In this English-style bedroom decor from the 1920s, the elegant pale green of an old Chinese-style wallpaper was used as the foundation color.
The vintage screen made of circles could work as a DIY project – this eye-catching retro room divider was simply made with craft hoops and oak strips.
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.
