If you lived through the 1980s, there’s a good chance you have strong opinions on the quirky home decor trends of the time period.
Defined by maximalism, vibrant colors and quirky patterns, 1980s interior design was truly singular. A lot of the over-the-top home trends of the ’80s were left squarely in that decade, but there are a few that are becoming trendy again today—though in more muted variations, for the most part.
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To walk down ’80s memory lane, Parade spoke with two interior designers: Shelly Yoder, Project Designer at California-based remodeling firm Next Stage Design; and Julia Ginzburg, Owner and Creative Director of Philadelphia-based design firm JG Interior Design.
Below, Yoder and Ginzburg share 10 home decorating trends from the 1980s, along with their thoughts on whether we should leave them in the past or learn how to style them today. Keep reading for their insights!
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’80s Home Decor Was All About Maximalism and Intensity
“The biggest thing about ‘80s decor was the ‘more is more’ mentality,” says Yoder. She notes that after the boon of midcentury modern interior design, which tapered off in the 1970s, the people of the 1980s “turned it around completely and leaned heavily into an abundance of high contrast colors and patterns.”
“They would often pair colors that are considered to be an intense combination, such as mauve, hunter green, teal and peach all together on wallpaper or in furniture,” explains Yoder. “Besides the colors, the pattern combinations and geometry also came back in lots of different ways such as in wallpaper, tiles and upholstery. The overall result was maximalism, but without the structured thoughtfulness we see these days. It seemed to be more about filling the space with all the colors, patterns and textures than about curation. A beautiful, chaotic mix with character.”
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“’80s design was called postmodernism,” adds Ginzburg. Postmodern interior design was defined by funky shapes, whimsical furniture and lively colors and patterns, according to home furnishings manufacturer Robern.
“When I think of ’80s, the first image that comes to my mind is the décor from The Golden Girls,” she adds.
These 10 Decorating Trends Were in Almost Every Home in the 1980s
Which of these 1980s home decor trends do you remember?
1. Geometric furniture
Bravo / Getty Images
In the 1980s, furniture designers often incorporated geometric shapes into furnishings, ranging from high-back curvy chairs to round sofa chairs, says Ginzburg.
How to style this ’80s trend today
Ginzburg has noticed people embracing curvy geometric furniture into homes as of late, but a bit differently than in the ’80s.
“Shapes, including curves, are back!” the designer adds. “But now, with clean lines, airy flow and sophisticated, sculptured and ergonomic forms.”
2. Brass fixtures and hardware
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According to Yoder, in the 1980s, polished brass fixtures and hardware “were literally everywhere.” This includes faucets, cabinet pulls, light fixtures, towel bars and more.
“It was the finish most people gravitated towards for nearly a decade,” she says.
How to style this ’80s trend today
“High-polished brass is considered dated today, but the unlacquered or brushed version has made a genuine comeback,” says Yoder. “I am starting to see these pop up more and more. When implementing this nowadays, the sheen level is where you can make it modern.”
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3. Mauve and dusty rose bathrooms
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In the 1980s, bathrooms decorated with mauve and dusty rose palettes were “hard to escape,” per Yoder.
“Almost everyone knows of at least one house that someone bought with still a dusty rose bathroom in it that was in need of a redesign,” she says. “This was often also paired with grey and teal tones, making it extra colorful.”
How to style this ’80s trend today
“These days, the full-on dusty rose bathrooms are hard to pull off,” says Yoder. “But dusty rose and mauve as a color used on its own actually works well in contemporary designs. It’s the all-over monochromatic bathrooms that are left behind in the ’80s.”
4. Rainbow colors
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The kaleidoscope of colors used in many 1980s homes “might make your head spin,” says Ginzburg. “Bright, contrasted colors reflected moods. Area rugs, wall-to-wall carpets, bathroom tiles and fixtures—everything was color.”
How to style this ’80s trend today
Nowadays, Ginzburg says, more and more designers realize the importance of the colors you choose when decorating a home.
“Colors are used to reflect the owner’s taste with warm tones and neutrals to promote calm, and one (or two) sophisticated, thoughtful accent color that stands out,” she says.
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5. Geometric-patterned upholstery
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In the 1980s, “all kinds of furniture and spaces were covered in large-scale geometric patterns in high-contrast colors,” says Yoder.
How to style this ’80s trend today
“Geometric style has definitely made a comeback, but in a dialed back way,” Yoder explains. “You now often find a neutral room with a fun colored geometric tile or patterned pillows as a detail, instead of going all-in on the pattern. If you were to make your entire room geometric now, it’d very quickly look retro.”
6. Funky-patterned wallpaper
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“Patterned wallpaper was used in living and dining rooms, and even in the kitchens,” says Ginzburg. “Each bedroom had its own themed border accent wallpaper, matched to wall color, flower heart-shaped patterns for master bedroom, animal prints for kids’ bedrooms.”
How to style this ’80s trend today
Ginzburg doesn’t think the whimsical wallpaper trend has made a full comeback yet.
“We are yet to see if it truly comes back. Not yet at this point,” she says. “I would welcome some neutral colored, clean patterned wallpaper in dining room. Certainly, not in the kitchen.”
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7. Wallpaper borders
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“Another one that you’d see everywhere, but that does not work well anymore these days, is the strip of decorative wallpaper that would run along the top of the wall, just below the ceiling,” says Yoder. “This was almost universal in bedrooms and kitchens in the ’80s.”
How to style this ’80s trend today
According to Ginzburg, this trend is best left in the past.
“This is not something you see anymore today,” Ginzburg says of wallpaper borders. “These days people tend to stick to painted walls or full-wall wallpaper.”
8. Sunken living rooms
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“One thing we used to see a lot, but don’t anymore, is sunken living rooms,” says Yoder.
“The amazing (often carpeted) conversation pit that is just a few steps down from the main floor level is something we saw a lot.”
How to style this ’80s trend today
Yoder says the sunken living room trend is best “left behind in the ’80s.”
“As much as this is a cozy feature to have, it doesn’t work well for accessibility, reselling and it also makes furniture configurations very difficult,” she explains. “It is not something we see people actually building into their living room anymore.”
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9. Wooden panels
Juan Maria Coy Vergara / Getty Images
Ini the ’80s, “dark or light wood panels were used instead of painted drywalls, ceiling and niches,” explains Ginzburg. This is a true mark of the 1980s—in fact, the walls of my childhood home’s third floor were entirely covered in wood panels and niches.
How to style this ’80s trend today
Ginzburg says she hopes “that dark wooden wall panels do not return,” adding that she was “so happy to get rid of them in [the] family room a couple of years ago.”
10. Decorative pillows for days
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In the 1980s, it was common to see throw pillows in “overwhelming quantities, in all rooms, on all beds, on each chair,” according to Ginzburg. The biggest offender? Leopard printed decorative pillows.
How to style this ’80s trend today
According to Ginzburg, decorative pillows “are certainly used now”—just not to the degree they were in the ’80s. She says that the best way to decorate with throw pillows is to keep your collection “limited, thoughtful and accents [that] match to the overall color scheme.”
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Sources:
Shelly Yoder, Project Designer at Next Stage Design Julia Ginzburg, Owner and Creative Director of JG Interior Design Postmodern Interior Design: Your Comprehensive Guide. Robern.Hence then, the article about if you grew up in the 80s these 10 home decor trends will take you right back and designers say some are making a comeback was published today ( ) and is available on Parade ( Saudi Arabia ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
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