A '50s kitchen includes old-fashioned, retro appliances.
Bedroom, kitchen and living rooms can come to life with colors, furniture, accessories and fabrics inspired by the 1950s. Lacy curtains, checkerboard patterns and retro-style furniture are just a few decor accents that mimic the '50s. You can create a subtle or dramatic look, depending on the room and specific mid-century theme you're going for.
Kitchens
The 1950s brought about many new styles in the family kitchen. Some kitchens mimicked the soda-shop diner look with black-and-white checkerboard tiles, restaurant-style curtains and other diner decor accents. A square diner-style table-and-chair set, along with old-fashioned bar stools with red cushions placed along the border of a long counter add to the diner look. Additional features can go on the table, such as white-and-red checkerboard tablecloth and old-fashioned condiment holders. This type of kitchen may also include retro appliances and antiques, such as a '50s cookie jar shaped like an ice-cream sundae.
You can also design a more basic '50s kitchen that features a few kitchen antiques such as an ice-cream machine or old soda-pop maker. The appliances make nice decorations, even if they aren't functional. You can also showcase old-fashioned Coca-Cola bottles on top of the cabinets, Coca-Cola wall logos, framed pictures, neon signs and jukeboxes, if your budget allows.
Hollywood
A movie-star bedroom features stars from the '50s such as Elizabeth Taylor, Marilyn Monroe or Grace Kelly. Antiques such as '50s vases, filled with real or silk red and white roses, can have a romantic effect on the room. Elizabeth Taylor was known for her white diamonds, so including fake diamonds in the decor can create the right ambiance. You can place flower-filled vases on the dresser and nightstand and surround each one with faux white diamonds and other gemstones.
A '50s Hollywood bedroom can include framed photos of one or more '50s stars and other pieces of memorabilia displayed on shelves and throughout the room. These stars enjoyed luxury, so items that have glamorous appeal fit well. Some extravagant items include Victorian-style lamps or animal fur rugs. A Western-style '50s room can showcase pictures of Western stars such as John Wayne and Clark Gable. Old-fashioned belt buckles, saddles, boots and general Western antiques also fit well in a cowboy-themed room.
Cartoons
A 1950s cartoon-themed room can work well in an office or a child's bedroom. Some popular characters from the '50s include Mickey Mouse, classic Winnie the Pooh, Batman, Popeye, Daffy Duck and Tom and Jerry. You can feature one main cartoon character in the room or focus on combining a variety of different cartoons into one theme. Fun decor pieces for the room include Mickey Mouse wall clocks, framed cartoon drawings, cartoon-style beanbag chairs, figurines, toys and antiques from the '50s.
Classic Cars
Fifties classic car themes can work in just about any room of the house, even the kitchen. Miniature '50s car models on shelves and paintings or pictures of cars from this era can create this look. You can focus on decorating with one main classic car of the '50s or feature a wide variety of cars from the entire decade, depending on your preferences. Other antiques such as hubcaps, wheels and rugs shaped like cars or wheels add to the theme. You may be able to work Hollywood into the theme by showcasing pictures of '50s actors next to classic cars.
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