The design found its way into homes and was especially easy to spot in living rooms. In architecture, art deco featured synthetic and industrial elements and relied heavily on materials like stucco, concrete, and steel. With its origins in France, art deco is defined by sharp lines, bold silhouettes, extravagant ornamentation, simple shapes, and geometric patterns as well as the use of bold colors like bright and deep yellows, greens, pinks, reds, and blues that are often paired with chrome, gold, silver, or black accents. General Photographic Agency // Getty Images 1920s: Art decoĪfter the winding down of the 1918 flu pandemic and with the end of World War I in 1919, the world was ready for the glamour and glitz of the Roaring ’20s, and art deco, which was also known as Arts Décoratifs, provided that in spades.

Keep reading to learn more about some of the most popular interior design trends from the past 11 decades and the historical and cultural context that inspired them. The availability of mortgages and home-ownership credit also heavily influenced the design styles of different periods (so if you’re thinking about buying a home, get an idea of what could make sense for you with Better Mortgage's mortgage calculator). The availability of mortgages and home-ownership credit heavily influenced the design styles of different periods. The 1930s brought with them economic hardship and the precursor to a second world war, necessitating leaner times for people that translated into a more functional and practical design aesthetic in homes. The 1920s were a time of prosperity and excess, which brought a more glamorous and over-the-top interior design style. Interior design trends have been heavily influenced by current events and economic trends. Design’s influence from each time period can be seen in art, film, and architecture-and inevitably trickles down into homes and everyday lifestyle choices.ĭigital-first homeownership company Better researched notable interior design trends from every decade over the past 100 years, using information from sources such as the Museum of Modern Art, Architectural Digest, and Journal of Engineering and Architecture, as well as compiling photos and stories behind these trends to explain how American homes have transformed over the years. The availability of mortgages and home-ownership credit heavily influenced the design styles of different periods.įrom the glitz and gold hues of 1920s art deco to the pink porcelain of 1980s bathrooms, interior design has run the gamut from bold to modest and back again over the last century. Design’s influence from each time period can be seen in art, film, and architecture, and everyday lifestyle choices.

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