Decorating Guides
1980s Decor Trends That Are Worth Reviving (and One That Isn’t)
Florals, pastels, geometrics and two-toned toilets — which of these past looks are you happy to see again?
Did you think that 1980s interior-decorating trends were destined to stay in the past forever? You may be surprised to see how many looks from that decade are popping up in our homes now — albeit in very different ways.
Pastels. Nothing sums up the decade’s love of pastels more than the dapper outfits adorned by the stars of Miami Vice. Who can forget the lilac and pink T-shirts that Crockett and Tubbs wore under their laid-back cotton suits? And our homes were resplendent in pastel shades too: Pale pinks, mauves, aquas, blues and yellows all vied for center stage in 1980s interiors.
We’re loving pastels again, with aqua, peach and dusty pink seeing a recent revival. The 21st-century pastels are muted and look great with soft shades of gray. (Peach also works well with copper accessories.) The key is to choose just one pastel shade and use it with neutrals, rather than going for an ’80s-style pastel extravaganza.
We’re loving pastels again, with aqua, peach and dusty pink seeing a recent revival. The 21st-century pastels are muted and look great with soft shades of gray. (Peach also works well with copper accessories.) The key is to choose just one pastel shade and use it with neutrals, rather than going for an ’80s-style pastel extravaganza.
Country kitchens (just not in orange). While 1980s florals aimed for a rustic ambiance, so too did many of the decade’s kitchens. The farmhouse kitchen was a big look. Cook spaces decked out with wall-to-wall pine cabinets may look cozy, but the orange shade of wood favored back then also could put you off your microwave dinner.
We still love our country kitchens, but the look is completely different, mainly because of the paler, more stylish oak we opt for today. We also experiment with other surfaces, mixing and matching for a more interesting look. The kitchen here has all the elements of a rustic cook space, but with a twist. Wood teams with painted surfaces, while a concrete countertop adds an industrial edge.
Check out more farmhouse kitchens on Houzz
We still love our country kitchens, but the look is completely different, mainly because of the paler, more stylish oak we opt for today. We also experiment with other surfaces, mixing and matching for a more interesting look. The kitchen here has all the elements of a rustic cook space, but with a twist. Wood teams with painted surfaces, while a concrete countertop adds an industrial edge.
Check out more farmhouse kitchens on Houzz
Glass tables. In the decade that saw yuppies bustling around looking busy with their Filofaxes, it’s no wonder that interiors often resembled conference rooms. Glass tables were a perfect addition to this slick city look, but they were ditched in favor of softer alternatives in the following decades.
They’re back though, but in a more elegant and less businesslike guise. The popularity of steel-framed doors has inspired some black-framed design elsewhere, like this gorgeous glass-topped coffee table. The look is industrial yet laid-back, and the glass adds a light, airy feel to the space.
Browse glass-and-metal coffee tables
They’re back though, but in a more elegant and less businesslike guise. The popularity of steel-framed doors has inspired some black-framed design elsewhere, like this gorgeous glass-topped coffee table. The look is industrial yet laid-back, and the glass adds a light, airy feel to the space.
Browse glass-and-metal coffee tables
Geometrics. If you wanted a cool, trendy bedroom in the 1980s, a geometric design on your duvet would do the trick. The bold creations of the Memphis design movement, with its vivid color palette and strong forms, prompted many copycat creations. Zigzags, triangles, stripes and hexagons were everywhere, and they looked fab in both bold primary colors and bright pastels.
Geometrics are cropping up all over the place right now, with accessories and textiles embracing the trend for bold shapes. But some of the most interesting ways to play with shapes at the moment are on walls and floors. Each of the hexagonal tiles on this floor has a white corner, which creates a stunning pattern.
Geometrics are cropping up all over the place right now, with accessories and textiles embracing the trend for bold shapes. But some of the most interesting ways to play with shapes at the moment are on walls and floors. Each of the hexagonal tiles on this floor has a white corner, which creates a stunning pattern.
Colorful bathroom fixtures.
Not only did ’80s homeowners have to pick the color of their bathroom walls and floors, but they also had to worry about the shade of the fixtures. Bathtubs, sinks and toilets came in a range of delightful hues, including a high-tech two-tone — yes, this really was a thing. If you had decorated in the 1970s, your avocado-green fixtures were probably still going strong in the ’80s, but most traces of green were ripped out of bathrooms in the years that followed.
We’re not suggesting a revival of the all-over avocado bathroom (yet), but there has been a leaning toward green wash spaces lately. The shade usually appears on tiles and wall paint, but this beautiful bathroom shows how a lick of avocado on the underside of a period-style bathtub and sink can look simply delicious.
Not only did ’80s homeowners have to pick the color of their bathroom walls and floors, but they also had to worry about the shade of the fixtures. Bathtubs, sinks and toilets came in a range of delightful hues, including a high-tech two-tone — yes, this really was a thing. If you had decorated in the 1970s, your avocado-green fixtures were probably still going strong in the ’80s, but most traces of green were ripped out of bathrooms in the years that followed.
We’re not suggesting a revival of the all-over avocado bathroom (yet), but there has been a leaning toward green wash spaces lately. The shade usually appears on tiles and wall paint, but this beautiful bathroom shows how a lick of avocado on the underside of a period-style bathtub and sink can look simply delicious.
Cork. This tactile material made it big in 1970s interiors and continued its glory days right into the ’80s. Cork covered kitchen floors and walls, and turned children’s bedroom walls into vast bulletin boards for homework and Duran Duran posters.
The versatile material has made a welcome comeback and is being used for all sorts of interior surfaces, including tabletops and furniture. The cork flooring in this kitchen is a great choice since it’s soft underfoot, great for insulation and easy to maintain.
The versatile material has made a welcome comeback and is being used for all sorts of interior surfaces, including tabletops and furniture. The cork flooring in this kitchen is a great choice since it’s soft underfoot, great for insulation and easy to maintain.
Houseplants. In an era where more was more, houseplants were a great way to add that extra touch. Greenery was everywhere in the 1980s, popping up in bathrooms, jazzing up living room windowsills and bringing the outdoors into glass conservatories.
Houseplants are breathing fresh air into our homes once again, which can only be good news. They not only warm up the space, but they also make the air healthier too — a win-win.
Read more about decorating with houseplants
Houseplants are breathing fresh air into our homes once again, which can only be good news. They not only warm up the space, but they also make the air healthier too — a win-win.
Read more about decorating with houseplants
Wall borders. A 1980s wall was never really complete without a wallpaper border. Wallcoverings came with a matching frieze, so it was easy to add a complementary edging to your design. Things have changed, and now walls are more likely to fade into the edge, with some designers even choosing the same shade for ceilings, walls and cabinetry to merge everything together.
Frames for the wall aren’t lost completely, however, as designers are getting creative with baseboards. Paint them in a contrasting color to the walls, or even choose one of the new patterned boards on the market, to give your room a sharp, defined border.
Frames for the wall aren’t lost completely, however, as designers are getting creative with baseboards. Paint them in a contrasting color to the walls, or even choose one of the new patterned boards on the market, to give your room a sharp, defined border.
Leave it in the ’80s: bathroom carpets. Take a look at this beautiful wash space. Would you put a carpet on that floor? In the ’80s, people did that — and maybe put a fluffy mat around the toilet as well.
With the vast array of floor surfaces available now, there’s no need to put fabric underfoot in your bathroom. The rustic look on the floor of this room comes from wood-effect tiles, which give the same warm look as wood but are much more resistant to water.
Tell us: Which of these 1980s looks are you happy to revive? Do you remember other decor trends of the decade? Let us know in the Comments.
More
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With the vast array of floor surfaces available now, there’s no need to put fabric underfoot in your bathroom. The rustic look on the floor of this room comes from wood-effect tiles, which give the same warm look as wood but are much more resistant to water.
Tell us: Which of these 1980s looks are you happy to revive? Do you remember other decor trends of the decade? Let us know in the Comments.
More
5 Decor Trends to Try — and 5 to Rethink
Decorating 101: How to Start a Decorating Project
But florals are back, and this time the look is more sophisticated. Take this gorgeous sleep space, for example. The pattern is used sparingly on the headboard and the pillow, and complements the plain surfaces elsewhere. The effect is pared back, elegant and a far cry from the Little House on the Prairie look of the ’80s.