This Was The Worst Decor Trend From The Year That You Were Born

The minimalists among us will attest that less is more. But that wasn’t the case in 1960, when clashing colors and busy prints would put even the most extreme trends of today firmly to shame. So while this retro motel room might seem like a mid-century dream to some, we’re not sure how anyone’s meant to get any shut eye with those curtains drawn.

The dark brown hue of this couch may be practical, sure, but aside from disguising dirt and grime, it’s not the most pleasant thing to look at. In the 1960s it was also common to pair dark sofas with citrus hues like bright orange or lime green. Somehow, though, it doesn’t leave much of a refreshing feel behind.

It’s fair to say that we all love that fresh-out-of-the-box furniture feeling. But coating your couch in plastic to keep it in tip-top condition isn’t the same thing. Sixties’ kids might remember that feeling of being stuck to their grandma’s covered couch, or even the sweaty legs that accompanied too long of a sit. So we’re glad this preserved look is a thing of the past.

Popcorn ceilings are a 1960s’ staple that we wish had never happened. Not only do they look outdated, but some styles were made using asbestos. This flexible fiberboard was commonly used around the home back then, but it has since been found to cause serious diseases including cancer. So before you rip out a popcorn ceiling, you should test it for the dangerous substance and have it dealt with professionally.

Linoleum was actually invented by Brit Frederick Walton back in 1860. But it wasn’t until a whole 100 years later that the linseed floor covering became big news in interiors. The 1960s were all about lino, particularly in the kitchen. And while plain styles were popular, so were loud, in-your-face designs. Something to match the dress with ma’am?

TV dinners first hit homes in the 1950s. So it seems obvious that a way to enjoy them from the comfort of your couch would soon follow. And by the 1960s TV trays were common, with families ditching their formal dining table for a more relaxed eating place in front of their favorite shows. Looks pretty soulless to us, mind you.

Paneling made from natural woods like rosewood or walnut was a big feature of the Mid-Century Modern interior design movement. As such, people went overboard with the look, often cladding whole rooms in the dark, cold material. The style was eventually considered ugly and outdated, though wood-clad walls have since shown some signs of resurgence.

The lava lamp was invented by Edward Craven-Walker in 1963, and the home accessory would go on to become a lasting icon of the decade. Its unusual style and function perfectly suited the counter-cultural and psychedelic movements of the time. But its popularity apparently came as quite the surprise to its creator. Groovy baby!

When Charlie Hall created the waterbed in 1968 he was hopeful his invention would aid a better night’s sleep. But in subsequent years they attracted somewhat of a sleazy reputation. And the health benefits of a water-filled mattress are yet to be proven. Better to stay close to shore, on solid ground, we think.

Another bed trend that rose to prominence in the 1960s was distinctly circular in shape. But while round beds managed to cling to their popularity for a couple of decades, they left lots of people confused. That’s because, as humans, we’re pretty much straight up and down, which leaves us wondering which is the best way to lay?

In the 1970s the orange and mustard color combo was everywhere. Because, generally, the decade was all about bright and bold hues, preferably paired together in a geometric pattern. The result was as eye-catching as possible and may also explain why enormous sunglasses were big at the time.

While shag rugs had a moment in the 1970s, they actually date back to Ancient Greece. That being said, the heavy pile carpets are more regularly associated with the decade that brought us bell-bottom trousers and disco, when excess was everything. But while the floor coverings might look appealing, in reality they are difficult to keep clean and maintain. Not so shag-tastic.

If you think that millennials are obsessed with avocado, you should take a look at their parents’ and grandparents’ homes in the 1970s. They used the distinctive hue (named in honor of the stone fruit) in abundance, with the brownish-green color proving a particularly popular choice in bathrooms up and down the nation.

The country hunting lodge look was big for a time in the 1970s. And a main aspect of this was oversized fireplaces made up from rustic boulders that took up a large area of any living room. But while such features may have been popular, they have since fallen out of fashion, often being seen as ugly and overbearing. Who’d have thought it...

While they’re often more associated with garden furniture, materials like rattan and wicker were brought inside the home in the 1970s, creating a boho vibe. The trend was forgotten about for a while but seems to be making a comeback thanks to the sustainable nature of the materials and their retro style.

One word – yuk! As you might have expected in the 1970s, when it came to floral prints the bigger and bolder the better. Yup, they were used to excess in lots of homes. Not only is this living room clad in a gaudy, flowery carpet, but the same pattern can also be seen on the couch. Just looking at it is enough to give us hayfever...

No couch was complete without a crocheted blanket strewn nonchalantly across the arm or hung across the back. The most popular style featured the so-called “granny” square pattern, with repeated patches of brightly colored yarns. While the throws added a homemade look to any interior, they were often scratchy to the touch, meaning they mostly went unused.

Here we have one of the most cringy decor trends of the last 50 years. Not only are fluffy toilet rugs and matching seat covers kind of tacky to look at, they’re also highly impractical. Given their proximity to the potty and the effort they take to clean, the accessories acted as a breeding ground for germs. And what about when it came to being sick? We don’t even wanna think about that!

We’re not sure about you, but this bright red kitchen doesn’t exactly give us the calming vibes when cooking up a storm. Spotted in a showroom in 1978, though, this setup was the height of style at the time. And rather than using the bold hue as an accent, the designer went all out, continuing the in-your-face color scheme into the tableware.

Macramé is a form of crafting that involves tying knots in cords to make various items. And while it might sound complicated, it was incredibly popular for a time, particularly when it came to making wall hangings and plant pot holders. Like many trends from the 1970s, the style is currently experiencing a resurgence, if you feel like getting your creative juices flowing.

During the 1980s these busy prints were embraced in all their floral excess. The look was popularized by the interior designer Mario Buatta whose love for the print earned him the nickname “the Prince of Chintz.” But the fabric soon fell out of fashion, and in the 1990s Ikea even ran a campaign urging folk to “Chuck out your Chintz.” Can’t disagree with that.

While the 1970s were all about bright, bold hues, the following decade ushered in a new pallet of more muted tones around the home. That’s right. Pastels were popular throughout the 1980s. They may have since been resigned to children’s rooms today, but back then they were used liberally across the whole home, even in the living room.

Country style made it into the city in the 1980s – with the kitchen being the prime spot for homeowners to add some rustic charm. Some of the must-haves to achieve the style included glazed tiles, brick floors and woven baskets. Woods were also used in abundance, and often paired with earthy tones to create an au-natural look.

Who can forget these? Because glass coffee and dining tables were at the height of fashion in the 1980s despite how impractical they could be. Not only were they at risk of getting smashed, but the nature of the clear material made them prone to unsightly smears and scratches. So more often than not, they took a great deal of wiping down and maintenance.

Drapes were used to dramatic effect during the 1980s, as we can see here in this still from the 1984 film Bachelor Party. The look was inspired by the interiors of the French monarchy. And the heavy curtains themselves were usually paired with ornate flairs like tiebacks and valances. Hugh Hefner over the top maybe? We think so.

Honey oak kitchen cabinets were a common sight then, but not everyone was a fan. In 2019 HGTV personality Tyler Wisler told BestLifeOnline.com, “Those orangey oak cabinets that were so overused in the 1980s. They just reek of acid-washed jeans, big perms, and Sweatin’ to the Oldies.”

Uh oh! Ghost vibe coming on here. They may have been pretty useless for privacy or blocking out light, but lace curtains were still popular in 1986. Seen here in a still from the cult movie Pretty in Pink, the window dressings were the ideal addition to any household room. But look back now, and you struggle to realize how we weren’t freaked out more come nighttime.

Tropical prints came into their own during the 1980s, as did the foliage that inspired them. Palm plants were used to inject a bit of sunshine inside, creating those vacation vibes without having to leave home. The only problem was that plastic palms were often preferred, which didn’t really have the same effect.

Another feature of teenage girls’ bedrooms in the 1980s were frills, frills and more frills. We’re talking about ruffled bedding, generous bed skirts, canopies and over-the-top drapes. But, eventually, all that material became too much, and the backlash came in the form of a more minimalist look in the following decade.

To this day, the use of glass brick interiors remains confusing. Were they a wall or a window? Or simply a design feature? Whatever their purpose, the see-through building material was used to great effect in the 1989 film Look Who’s Talking, providing a backdrop for John Travolta and Kirstie Alley.

Kitchens got another facelift as the 1990s came around, this time with interior designers favoring cabinets made from muted materials such as blonde pine. The use of paler woods took its inspiration from Scandinavian design, with the neutral hue supposedly making rooms feel larger and lighter.

In the 1990s wallpaper borders were a prominent part of interior design. More often than not, they were positioned near to the ceiling or in the middle of the room. The purpose of the contrasting strips was to break up areas of blank walls, but they’re now considered a tad old-fashioned.

This bizarre decor trend took D.I.Y. to new extremes. Adults and kids alike were encouraged to create their own textured walls simply by taking sponges and dapping paint onto a blank canvas. The idea was seemingly to make your own “unique” look, but in some cases the result just looked unfinished.

In 1993 there was a canopy bed to suit all the family, from adults to kids and everything in between. Some styles favored luxurious draping, while others featured light, white fabrics. When it came to covering your sleeping area, it seemed that anything went. But all that excess material was a pain to clean, and the awnings on top were notorious for collecting dust – not ideal for those with allergies.

Perhaps the best-known example of the flea-market-chic look that swept interiors in the mid-1990s is Monica’s eclectic apartment in Friends. The style mixed and matched vintage items to create a quirky look. But such an approach meant it was easy for rooms to look thrown together, rather than carefully curated.

As the 1990s moved on, dark stain wood began to become as popular as lighter styles. But some interior experts of today don’t look back on the look fondly. In 2019 designer Matthew Cane told the online publication Insider, “When an entire room is dark with dark wood, it’s cavernous. We’ve now taken design to a more soft, light, and neutral tonal palette throughout the room.”

Fake plants give your home a gorgeous green aesthetic without the inconvenience of having to water them, and generally keep them alive. It’s little wonder then, that they were used in abundance in the 1990s. But looking back, we can’t help feeling uneasy about all the plastic when a living thing would have had the same effect.

Not only did these glow-in-the-dark stars seem pretty cool, but they also offered the perfect middle ground to kids who’d outgrown their nightlights and were still afraid of the dark. The little plastic decorations were strewn across ceilings, usually. That way you could fall asleep while looking at your very own galaxy aglow.

Inflatable furniture was most definitely a thing. While it was considered pretty cool, some of the downsides included the beach ball smell it left in your living room, and the breathlessness you felt after blowing it up. There have been some murmurings suggesting the PVC pieces will make a comeback, but we think they’re probably best left in the past.

Laminate flooring has come a long way since its heyday in the 1990s. Back then, the affordable alternative to hardwood flooring could look pretty cheap and tacky. But shiny, slightly yellow planks have been given an update in favor of more realistic and natural-looking finishes that look great and are hard-wearing.