1940s decor

For example, this 1940s kitchen — with its lovely green cabinetry, bits of red scattered about the room and that fantastic linoleum floor — is just calling me to come inside and spend an afternoon baking pies. The catalog was directed by Hazel Dell Brown — an amazing historical figure, the longtime queen of interior design at Armstrong. This vintage catalog is formatted to feel like a scrap book of ideas that Hazel Dell Brown has collected over time.

Today, we hear often from readers who find remnants of vintage flooring in closets and at the bottom of cabinets.

Look at ‘most any magazine of 1940s decor aimed at the middle class, and the ladies were painting and stenciling and embroidering and slipcovering. And here’s another example of the Pennsylvania Dutch style — shown with a brick patterned linoleum floor that amplifies the warmth from the fireplace across the entire room.

The use of warm and rich colors in this space — combined with the symmetrical arrangement of furniture — make for a calm, cozy and inviting living area. The die cut rosettes and scalloped design that are inlaid into the floor are so sweet — to me, the epitome of 1940s decor.

Notice how both the flowers and the scallops are repeated throughout the room — making for a cohesive and feminine space.

This sunny bathroom has a space for everyone — gym locker style — but is made to feel like home with thoughtful decoration, cheery colors, hanging greenery around the window and personalized names to label each family member’s individual space.

A day bed — used for seating or sleeping — eating area, kitchenette, and office space as well as room for storage. This example is described as an unused attic space that was converted into a livable one room apartment — complete with bathroom and kitchen.

You hardly notice the sloped ceiling due to a masterful visual trick — using a dark and bold wallpaper to accent the straight and tall walls at the end of the room — and painting the slanted portion of the ceiling a light-reflecting cheery yellow. Keeping the color scheme simple also unifies the various functional spaces and makes the room feel larger than it is.

To see all of Hazel Dell Brown’s thoughtful decorating solutions to common problems, view the slideshow below.

Tips to view slide show: Click on first image… it will enlarge and you can also read my captions… move forward or back via arrows below the photo… you can start or stop at any image:?