Many people would argue that the 1960s was the best era in history, as it brought about many new things and changed the norm in various markets and industries, like music, toys, and other forms of entertainment. In the world of home décor, the 60s also brought new items and pieces that elevated the look of houses around the world. Here is a list of home décor staples of the 60s.
Eames Lounge Chair
The Eames Lounge Chair is a model of lounge chair that was manufactured by Herman Miller, an American furniture company, and introduced in 1956. This lounge chair was designed by Charles and Ray Eames, a married couple who worked together as industrial designers. The bottom and the back of the Eames Lounge Chair are made of molded plywood, while the seat and the backrest are made of leather.
It was the first lounge chair that the Eames couple designed for the high-end market, and the original look of the chair features light brown molded plywood and black leather. The Eames Lounge Chair also came with a matching ottoman, a piece of furniture that often serves as a footrest for the person sitting on the lounge chair.
Mushroom Lamp
The mushroom lamp is just one of the few types of lamps that were used in many houses during the 1960s, and the reason why it is popular is because of its shape and durability. Unlike other lampshades in the 60s that have domes made of paper or cloth, the dome of the mushroom lamp is made from metal, which made the lamp very durable.
However, because the metal used for the lamp is opaque, it doesn’t spread light as effectively as paper or cloth lampshades, although it is still enough to illuminate the top of a desk or table where the lamp is placed. While the mushroom lamps of the 1960s are primarily made of metal, there are mushroom lamps today that are made from plastic to make them more affordable but still fairly durable. If you are planning on buying a mushroom lamp or other 60s-style items as a gift for a friend or family member, you can take a look at our Nostalgic 60s Gift Ideas to know which ones to buy.
Panton Chair
The Panton Chair is an S-shaped plastic chair that was designed by Verner Panton, a Danish furniture and interior designer, and introduced in 1967. Before Panton created the Panton Chair, there was already an idea for a molded plastic chair that was expressed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, a German architect and designer. However, it was Panton who was able to turn his idea into reality with the help of Vitra, a Swiss-family-owned furniture company that was willing to manufacture the Panton Chair. As of 2023, Vitra still manufactures and sells the Panton Chair.
Mid-Century Sofa
One of the most popular living room home décor pieces in the 60s was the mid-century sofa, which belonged to the design movement called “mid-century modern” or MCM that occurred from 1945 to 1969. The mid-century sofa features small feet at the bottom, while the cushion at the bottom of the seat extends up to the armrests, thus forming a uniform look or design. The mid-century sofa came in different colors, but the mustard yellow sofas were more popular than the other color choices.
Boucle Throw Pillows
Boucle throw pillows are add-ons that people like to place on the seats of their midcentury sofas. These boucle throw pillows feature the “boucle” material, which is produced by looping two strands of yarn together. Because of how uneven the looping process is, the boucle material has a rough texture compared to regular yarn. Boucle throw pillows add texture to the overall look of the midcentury sofa, although their roughness made them not as comfortable as throw pillows that have softer and smoother covers.
Geometric Throw Pillows
Shapes and patterns were fairly popular in the 60s, so geometric pillows are often thrown in with boucle pillows to complete the look of sofas and chairs in living rooms. Geometric throw pillows have geometric patterns in them like squares and triangles, and these shapes usually have different colors. Yellow was one of the most common colors found in 60s geometric throw pillows, but for extra flair, there are other colors paired with yellow like gray, green, white, and black.
Shag Rug
Shag rugs were also found in many living rooms in the 60s, and they typically go well with boucle throw pillows and mid-century sofas. True to its name, the shag rug is “shaggy” and hairy, and these qualities allow the rug to add extra texture to the area where the sofa and throw pillows are. The material used in these rugs is called “shag,” which is a heavy and long textile that is piled (has a raised surface that is made from loops of yarn).
Much like sofas and throw pillows, shag rugs are usually yellow in color in the 60s, although some people would buy avocado green shag rugs if they already have yellow sofas. Although shag rugs aren’t as popular as they were in the 60s, there are still some people that prefer to use these rugs as decoration for their living rooms. For more information on 60s-style home décor that you can still buy today, head over to our Nostalgic 60s Home Décor Ideas.
So, those are the staples of home décor during the 1960s. If you want your housemates, loved ones, or guests to feel like they traveled back in the 60s after going inside your home, then you should definitely try decorating the living rooms and other areas of the house with 60s-style décor.