How to Create 1950's Decor

1). Design using a simple, almost plain style. Fifties furniture was mass-produced. Fancy trim and ornamentation was out of fashion. The Scandinavian style that became so popular in the sixties took its cue from the simple, square structures of the fifties. Find pieces that are spare, not over-stuffed. "Blonde wood," a light-washed, plain ash or birch, was popular and a reaction against the reliance on dark, heavy woods, such as mahogany and cherry, of the previous decades. Unlike the "revival" styles of the thirties and forties, styles that recalled previous eras, the spartan style of the fifties, joined the mainstream of "moderne" style, a movement that emphasized planes and geometric shapes rather than detail or forms from nature.
2

Look for decorations utilizing themes of home or rural life. After the horrors of the war, graphic designs and decorations emphasized the joys of family life and the idyllic American countryside. Norman Rockwell's art hung in the best homes and towels and linens featured bright nosegays, bandy roosters and watering cans. Designs were simple (for speed of application) and generally applied by litho or screen-printing. Decals and appliques were used, too.
3

Use mid-century color trends. In the early fifties, pale pastels tended to dominate as the manufacturers used up leftover stock. By the end of the period, bright, new colors, such as pink, chartreuse and turquoise, joined red, yellow and black as the period's favorites
4

Choose period-appropriate materials. Plastics were not used for many items. The granddaddy of plastics, Bakelite, was used for telephones, pot handles and various grips and knobs. Melamine was introduced for dishes. Other than that, aluminum (that's where we get the term "tin can") was the material of choice for cannisters, storage containers, packaging and other applications. Polyethylene plastic, marketed in house parties beginning in the late forties, transformed home storage and, ultimately, food packaging by the end of the decade. Chrome, not yet boycotted, was used on furniture as well as cars to give a shiny, easy-to-maintain, modern look.
5

Keep it simple. Pots and pans were made of cast iron and aluminum. Although some kitchen pots were made of enameled metal, the non-stick coating had not been invented. Copper-bottomed frying pans were valued for their ability to spread heat evenly without the weight of cast iron. Toasters were about the only counter top appliances. Mixers were generally of the handheld variety. Those wonderful chrome blenders were considered "retro" already--and very expensive. Other than those few items, you'll look in vain for fifties equivalents of the food processor, toaster oven or microwave.
6

Decide how bold you want to go. Vinyl flooring with foot-square black and white squares, big purple polka dots and even pink poodles define the period. The word "kitsch" was invented for the bold and sometimes garish patterns and design excesses of the fifties. Decide how much of it you can live with before going hog-wild.