'60s Interior Decorating

Wood

• Exposed wood features prominently in much interior decorating of the 1960s. This is especially true in living rooms, bedrooms and studies or dens. Large wooden walls or wood paneling weren't uncommon during this period. Wood accents abound as well, such as wood coffee tables or furniture with the natural wood color left intact. Large wooden pieces such as a storage cabinet or dresser might complete a room. Often these pieces were family heirlooms passed down from an older generation.

Plastic

• Just as wood could be seen as representing the traditionalism of older families during the '60s, plastic was the material of the future of interior decorating. Toward the end of the decade, more and more plastic was used in the creation of furniture. The properties of plastic allowed it to be produced in funky shapes and colors unlike anything that had been seen previously. Accent pieces such as lamps and end tables were often made of modern plastic. Curves were big, as straight lines looked too much like the rigid furniture of the past.

Patterns

• Floral patterns were extremely popular during the '60s. These patterns showed up in the furniture and on the walls, among other items, but floral decorating in a '60s style doesn't need to be about gaudy use of floral patterns everywhere. Instead, it can be about tastefully incorporating a floral design in a room while complementing the overall color and design concepts.

Color

• Interior decorating color took a huge leap forward in the '60s. Psychedelically inspired people went for the brightest colors they could find, often using them to create sharp contrast against each other in combinations that certainly wouldn't have shown up a decade before. People influenced by a more-British style opted for metallic and reflective colors and materials when decorating. In more-reserved homes, autumn colors were frequently used.