Home design is an ever-evolving industry. For the average person, it’s hard to tell what pieces of current, must-have décor will be regretful errors in judgement a few years from now. Many of us turn to magazines and popular stores to find new décor inspiration, and this was also the case in the late 20th century. The only problem here is that magazine editors and trend forecasts aren’t always right about the kinds of home design trends that will endure…
Take a walk back in time with us this Throwback Thursday, and find out what home décor trends made our hall of fame!
Furniture Skirts
Ah, the fabulous skirts attached to sofas from yesteryear – is there anything more 80s? Especially when you combine the frilly bottoms with floral-printed fabric, you’re left with some regrettable home décor pieces. But it wasn’t just limited to sofas and armchairs, the frill permeated its way onto lamp shades and curtains as well! We’ve all witnessed those “vintage” lamps in the attic that we hoped wouldn’t get passed down to us. The good news? A lamp shade is much easier to replace than large furniture pieces!
Wicker
You may hate it, but for some reason wicker was a fan-favorite in decades past. Mainly used for patio and outdoor furniture, white wicker chairs with colorful cushions were a staple in every household. The wicker material wasn’t just reserved for chairs, though. Matching sets were (and still are) all the rage in home furnishings, which means that wicker patio set likely came with a few matching wicker tables and baskets!
That Sofa
You know exactly the one we’re talking about – it had a floral pattern, with orange and neutral browns, and sat on a real wood frame. Why was everyone so obsessed with this pattern? You could find it in every basement and living room around the block, and for some reason there was no mass exodus until over 20 years later…
Brass Accents
What house would be complete in the 1980s and 1990s without a touch of brass? Whether it was on a curtain rod, in the bathroom, on your bed posts, or on the legs of your coffee tables, everyone dabbled with this décor trend. How could we resist the gleam it brought into our homes?
The biggest let down of this hall of fame-er? The dullness that accompanied it after a few years. Even if you were diligent about polishing it (which, let’s face it, no one really was), it always seemed lack luster compared to that first fateful day when it entered your home.
Waterbeds
Although these things were pretty awesome, it wasn’t worth the fear of your room being flooded! Sure, it was nice to have a supportive bed that drifted you off to sleep as if you were at sea, but the imminent danger eventually caught up to us. The day we finally realized that waterbeds weren’t the solution to a better nights’ sleep was the day we all won.
Flat White Paint Job
We can all picture those awful glaring-white kitchen cabinets from way back when, but in all honesty, we kind of miss the simplicity! Having a pure white kitchen isn’t ideal anymore, but white cupboards and countertops can still be used in a much more appealing manner.
Just adding some texture or patterns to your cupboards, rather than choosing a flat piece of wood, will bring dimension to the kitchen fixtures while keeping it light and bright! You can also build accents throughout the room with colorful appliances and dinnerware, wooden cutting boards, and a few house plants or herb garden.