Welcome to Decor Through the Decades, 1960's style. We'll be looking at the trendy styles in the world of design, and tell you what was popular during the 60s. With our 1960s interior design advice you can learn how you can recreate the look in your home.
The History of 1960s Design
The 1960s were one of the most iconic decades in Britain. America had been leading the way for the last 30 years, but the 60s saw Britain take centre stage. The youth of the 60s was full of freedom and independence that had never been seen in modern Britain. British Rock 'n' Roll was making waves worldwide, with bands like The Beetles, The Rolling Stones and The Kinks leading the British Invasion, and fashion was full of self-expression and liberation for all.
1960's Housing Style
Interior design in the 60s was fun, expressive, and excessive. Homes were designed to be very open plan. Before the war, houses would keep the lounge and dining area separate from each other. However, the '60s combined them and they become one room.
The home, in turn, became a melting pot of colours and styles. Décor influences came in many forms, but whether it was hippy florals, Indian fabrics or space-age neo, you couldn't help but rebel against the drab décor of the 50s!
1960's Flooring
The 1960s was the decade where engineered flooring really became popular. Wooden floors in the 60s were often painted over in bold colours and strong varnishes to look as contemporary as possible. Vinyl flooring and LVT was also very popular for many homeowners in the 1960s as it was and still is a low-maintenance flooring choice. Essentially, any bold, statement floor will do the trick. Whatever floor you had, it was probably covered with a big shag pile rug anyway.
1960's Pops of Colour
Colours were big, bold and a little brash - with bright yellows, dark greens, zesty oranges, and hot pinks all coming together. Contrasting tones such as black and white, pink, and orange were also very popular. The aim was to create the biggest striking effect.
1960's Patterns
Parquet and herringbone patterns were a favoured flooring design during the 1960s, creating complicated, busy patterns and geometric designs. We have a collection of funky vinyl flooring designs, including our Riven Slate and Cream Travertine effects if you do want to create a timeless 60s flooring design. The walls were covered in psychedelic patterned wallpaper and bold colours. Strong floral designs with high contrast and clashing hues were popular for designers in the 1960s.
1960's Textures and Influences
1960s furniture was truly iconic. A fascination for travel brought with it a lot of Indian and Moroccan influences - mainly in the form of fabrics. Bedrooms were suddenly adorned with drapes made from saris and Indian cotton bedspreads. Lampshades were covered in fabric for that iconic hippy style.
Plastic and metal were popular materials, along with transparent, blow-up chairs. Seats could be S-shaped, egg-shaped or anything else that looked futuristic. Keen designers would buy junk shop furniture - particularly wicker or bamboo - and paint them bright colours for a funky look. The less keen could scatter bean bags around the room, covered with either neon colours or Indian-inspired patterns, for a hippy-harem look.
Recreate a 60's Style in Your Home
Create a 60's theme throughout your home or dedicate one room to redecorating in 60s interior design. From quirky parquet vinyl flooring to our Cherry Savannah engineered wood flooring, turn back time and revamp your bedroom, kitchen or living flooring space.
Envision a 1960's style of vinyl or engineered wood flooring in your home with our Room Visualizer
Shopping List:
If you're looking to recreate the 1960s look, here's a handy shopping list to get you started with the key elements:
- A shag pile rug - nice and thick!
- An egg chair - in bright colours.
- Paint - bright oranges, purples.
- Flooring - busy bold, 3-strip boards.
- Bean bags - mismatching designs and fabrics.
- Lighting - colourful, playful lamps.
View more of our décor through the decades including the 1920's décor and 1940's décor
Check out our inspiration centre to see a collection of moodboards, before and after images and Our Floors, Your Style to see how our customers have styled our floors in their own homes.
