1940s home decor

Table of Content

• r 1950er Jahre Frau, Selektive Farbe, Rot und Gelb, Schwarz und Weiß Hintergrund, Vintage
• Eight styles of 1940s home interior design:
• There are some surprising ways to accomplish building on to your home.
• Art Déco Kaffeekanne / Seltmann Weiden / Porzellan / 30er 40er Jahre / Blumendekor / Goldrand / Vintage / Retro
• Recovering and rebuilding after World War II dramatically affected 1940s interior design and the size of 1940s homes
• Patriotic 1940s decorating style:

Many women re-purposed old clothing like never before, cutting their dresses apart to remake them into newer styles, or cutting them down to fit younger sisters and daughters. Children’s clothing was also remade from older siblings’ clothing, and Dad’s old suits were cut down to fit the older sons. The phrase “Waste Not Want Not” was joined by others, such as “Use It Up, Wear It Out, Make It Do, Or Do Without! ” And for folks who had just crawled out from under one of the most crushing economic depressions since the Civil War, it was something they were not unfamiliar with. But they were surely getting weary of having to keep on doing it!

Unfinished pine was a favored inexpensive wood often used for kitchen cabinets. These were touches that hearkened back to an earlier, more innocent age before the war. We have a lot of work to do in the kitchen before I really get to doing anything about the linoleum fixes in there. And we won’t be doing the bathroom un-updating project until after that. So I’ll pop into the flooring shop periodically to check for new colors during that time.

r 1950er Jahre Frau, Selektive Farbe, Rot und Gelb, Schwarz und Weiß Hintergrund, Vintage

Linoleumwas still widely used as a floor covering. Colors often hovered in the range of pastels. Iconographic shapes like scallops, sweeps, and curves were common.

The catalog was directed by Hazel Dell Brown — an amazing historical figure, the longtime queen of interior design at Armstrong. Use these tips and tricks to make your cozy home feel spacious and comf. There are some surprising ways to accomplish building on to your home. We made a fantastic discovery this weekend while working on our kitchen remodel. Peeling off the crappy old vinyl and pressboard flooring under it revealed the original 1949 linoleum in amazing condition.

Eight styles of 1940s home interior design:

I’m hoping when we pull up the horrid kitchen carpeting laid over another layer of pressboard in the adjoining laundry room that the old linoleum is in as good of condition. We had previously unearthed linoleum in wonderful condition in the hallway, front bedroom and bathroom. Look at all the function that is packed into this well designed and decorated space. This design — which is an extra bedroom the homeowner wanted to rent to generate extra income — made a room for rent into a one room apartment instead. A day bed — used for seating or sleeping — eating area, kitchenette, and office space as well as room for storage. With this design, Hazel teaches us that good design can add value.

Large tempered plate glass found its way into higher-end homes. Some of these curves and scallops began to straighten out. And, unfortunately, the previous owners also remodeled the bathroom and removed a privacy wall and a few other changes which means we have areas with no linoleum. I have scoured the new linoleum and none of it matches so we’re trying to figure out a way to coordinate some pieces to look like it was intentional and not a crappy repair. When they remodeled, they removed most of the original tile as well. The only bit left is the shower floor and the frame for where the shower door is installed.

There are some surprising ways to accomplish building on to your home.

Public Domain Mark 1.0The custom linoleum lets us know the bedroom belongs to none other than Tom, Dick, and Larry. At that time, it was possible to order customized linoleum flooring with special name plate inserts from the Armstrong factory. Public Domain Mark 1.0This 1940s bathroom is the epitome of modern and sophisticated. It is a Hollywood Regency, or Regency Moderne, style made on the cheap with linoleum flooring and other inexpensive materials. On the other hand, the sleek styles that would characterize the Jet Age period of the late 1950s and 1960s, while still on the horizon, would begin to occasionally show up.

The crenelated, appliqued gold pattern along the table cloth has a definite Grecian flavor. Yet the room designer calls this crenellation a "Chinese fret design." In any case, this dining room's purple-on-gold bold color schemecatches the eye and makes for lively conversation. Public Domain Mark 1.0This uniquely designed kitchen works off of an oval shape to facilitate workflow. Sink, stove, and refrigerator are all within easy reach.

1940er Jahre Vintage Teppich

This vintage catalog is formatted to feel like a scrap book of ideas that Hazel Dell Brown has collected over time. She has “hand written notes” scrawled in the margins and little sketches here and there to illustrate her ideas. What a charming format for what is basically an Armstrong linoleum sales brochure. Much of the furniture is made of furniture-grade plywood. Plywood as a design element is popular once again. In the late 1940s and into the 1950s, higher grade plywood was often used to make nightstands, beds, cabinets, and chairs.

I just remember how cool they look in kitchens and think it’s far easier to keep your floor clean with no sharp corners for dirt and grime to get caught up in. I’m all about making cleaning as easy as possible, LOL. I found this exact same catalog at a yard sale today for $2.00. My favs are the colonial and Pennsylvania Dutch designs. The bathroom above is my personal favorite from the catalog.

Art Déco Kaffeekanne / Seltmann Weiden / Porzellan / 30er 40er Jahre / Blumendekor / Goldrand / Vintage / Retro

The living room is one of the most important areas in your house for a great hosting experience. From deciding on a color palette to updating your furniture, follow these 5 steps to help you update your living room. We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article. Here are five tips for choosing lighting for your living room.

I don’t know if what I found was new or old stock. All I care is that it was the color I needed. Here, Hazel cleverly uses curtains to add a space in the master bedroom for the new baby. Once again, notice the repetition of the scalloped shapes in the valance, on the curtains and the table skirt. One of the key elements of design is repetition, and Hazel shows us how. And here’s another example of the Pennsylvania Dutch style — shown with a brick patterned linoleum floor that amplifies the warmth from the fireplace across the entire room.

Rarely is linoleum found on kitchen countertops, even in the 1940s. Yet the designer noted that linoleum here would be "clatterproof, easy to clean, and resistant to stain." Even the scalloped swags near the ceiling were cut from linoleum. Public Domain Mark 1.0In this 1946 kitchen design, linoleum is the star since it is from a publication calledPortfolio of Room Interiors, produced by Armstrong World Industries Inc.

Oh, how we wish we could get this floor — and even more so, the famous #5352 — today. Our attic bedroom, 1940 cape cod attic turned master bedroom suite. Public Domain Mark 1.0In a period when books frequently lined the walls of homes, this 1940s home has a solid wall of books along the staircase. It's a classic look with bright, bold-statement splashes of red against blue that help catch visitors' attention the very moment they enter the home. Public Domain Mark 1.0In this kitchen, linoleum is used not just for the flooring, but for the sink surround and countertops.

Four 1940s bathroom designs

BTW, the living/entry/dining areas must have always been carpeted as there is only plywood under the horrible carpet we pulled up. The click style doesn’t appeal to me, isn’t really period appropriate, and would too thick where it meets up with the linoleum. Special thanks to MBJ Collection and archive.org for making this vintage catalog available via Creative Commons license.

This last room is yet another example of remodeling a single space into a room that serves many purposes. This example is described as an unused attic space that was converted into a livable one room apartment — complete with bathroom and kitchen. Keeping the color scheme simple also unifies the various functional spaces and makes the room feel larger than it is. The catalog also shows different ways that linoleum can be used — including on kitchen counter tops. Today, we hear often from readers who find remnants of vintage flooring in closets and at the bottom of cabinets. We did not get television until 1949… before that, our idols were often very glamorous.