In 1974, Ron Nathan Interiors opened its doors for business. In the four decades since, Ron and our team are proud of mastering cutting edge design and then bringing that design to life for our customers. Given that, we thought we’d celebrate this, our 43rd year in interior design trends, with a brief look back at the some trends of the past and a vision of the future.
Decades of Interior Design Trends
1970s
Design often follows the trends of the larger culture. For instance, periods of prosperity lead to more lavish decor, while leaner financial times often catalyze leaner design. In the 1970s, the United States was in a cultural upheaval. On the one hand, there was the rise of middle class suburbia, and on the other, there was the Haight-Ashbury hippie counterculture. And interior design trends reflected this dichotomy. There was the more conservative style of suburbia browns and neutrals (think the Brady Bunch home), but just as often, decor was an explosion of bold color and groovy prints. The result: living rooms with a velvet couch with paisley pillows or maybe a vinyl beanbag chair. Avocado green was a color of the moment. Shag carpeting was king, and the bachelor pad was only finished after the delivery of a brand new water bed.
1980s
1980s design was about drama. Art wasn’t just hung on the walls: decoration itself was the art. The love interest in Wall Street was Daryl Hannah, an interior designer. And–wow–her character’s work is still jaw-dropping. In homes and on the silver screen, we saw dark wood furniture, with accents in gold. For those favoring a less opulent look, there was a post-modern take on pop culture, characterized by geometric shapes, neon colors and minimalism. A Roy Lichtenstein on the wall added some chic and kitsch. If all that was too arty, uniform looks were also popular: In a bedroom, you might see curtains, bed linens, wall and floor coverings all using the same pattern. And that matching approach was used, whether it was a single matte color or a Laura Ashley floral design.
In our next post, we’ll explore more modern eras of interior design. We hope you’ve found this walk down memory lane enjoyable, and we’d love to discuss your next big improvement project. Please contact our team today to set up an appointment.
Share This Post