Popular Vintage Home Decor from the Early 1960s

Welcome back to the March Virtual Book Club. Our book this month is “The Help” by Kathryn Stockett.

I’m fascinated by the 60s home decor, the fashion, and the roles of women of that era. That is my inspiration for this post.

While the book addresses complex social issues, it also sheds light on the lives of families in the south during the early 60s.

The #1 New York Times Bestseller was made into an Academy Award Winning Movie.

It’s one of my favorites.

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Home Decor in the ’50s and Early ’60s

In the aftermath of World War II, there was an economic boom. New homes were popping up everywhere. Families could afford to buy new furnishing for their home décor.

Having been born in the late 50s, I don’t remember that time but surely the remnants of it. My parent’s living room screamed mid-century modern design.

We had blonde furniture made of ash, maple, or birch. The wood on the furniture was light but the fabric was bold colors. For some reason, the table lamps on the side tables stick out in my mind. I remember them being to be too big for the room. The scale was just wrong. They were gold, orange, and white stripes.

We had a record cabinet that was very popular in the 50s and 60s. Our family also had a TV. It was a monstrously big cabinet with a small black-and-white screen.

I recall the little things like the metal magazine racks with the latest issue of Better Homes & Garden inside.

It’s a vintage style that is back and more popular than ever. Light furniture with clean lines is a throwback to mid-century modern style with a Scandinavian style twist.

It’s a sleeker look than back in the 50s and 60s. Our youngest daughter Emma has this vibe (with a little boho) in her city apartment.

Kitchens of the 50s & 60s

A modern kitchen in the 50s & 60s would have had kitchen cabinets made of wood or metal. Formica countertops were all the rage. The floors were typically linoleum.

Kitchens ran the gamut from white cabinets to natural wood, pastel colors such as soft pink to bold colors like candy apple red.

The kitchen decor consisted of the latest modern appliances. Mixmasters, percolators, and, toasters.

The Kitchens in “The Help”

In the movie “The Help” they show the maids in the Leefolt kitchen at the beginning of the movie.

Elizabeth Leefolt was hosting the bridge club in her family room that featured wood paneling.

Elizabeth’s kitchen was wood with white appliances. She had a little 1/2 circle flip-up countertop extension which was a very popular thing in mid-century modern homes.

Hilly had a very traditional home and her kitchen was turquoise. In fact, her whole home was a lot of turquoise and pink.

Sketter and Celia Rae Foote both lived in Antebellum-type homes and both of the kitchens in their homes were vintage decor from a past era. I noticed Hoosier cabinets in both.

All of the homes had floral wallpaper which was a popular choice in the 50s and 60s.

Retro Renovation

It’s becoming popular to recreate some of the looks from bygone eras. Vintage home accessories and vintage furniture are in high demand.

Kitchen manufacturers and furniture manufacturers are creating the decorative elements that people are wanting. SMEG is a great example of the retro appliances of this era.

What I’ve noticed about current interior design is that the lines of today’s retro pieces have clean designs and natural materials.

Women in the 50s and 60s

The women of that era seemed like decorative pieces to me as well. They wore a dress and pearls even when they were cleaning. Their dresses were bright colors, polka dots, and florals.

Most women in that era were groomed to grow up and get married, become housewives, and have kids.

The women of “The Help” were no different except for Sketter who went to college and was single.

Black women of that time period in the south were many times maids and household help.

Bridge Club

Bridge Club in those days are equivalent to the modern book club.

The women wore dresses as opposed to lululemon workout wear. They went to the beauty parlor to get their hair done.

I read that a proper bridge club had card tables with tablecloths on them and a napkin and ashtray at each place setting.

I had fun setting up my home to invite friends over to play cards. On Saturday you’ll see the food that I made for a ladies’ luncheon.

Peace and Love,

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Living Large is on a break. However, I want to share with you an older episode with Amy from @thevintagebreadbox on IG. She’s my go-to expert on all things vintage.