6 min readMore than any room in the home, bedrooms tend to be the most personal. For many of us, they’re a private retreat, a respite away from the hustle and bustle of daily life. And while that may inform how we decorated our spaces, that doesn’t make our bedrooms any more immune to trends.
Shaped by personal taste, cultural moments, popular design trends, and beloved color palettes, the American bedroom has long served as an ever-evolving expression of the times. While it’s impossible to fully recreate the look and feel of a specific decade or era, vintage snapshots allow us to revisit and appreciate the styles that once defined them. Step back in time with these images, which capture the most personal room in the home across the last seven decades.
1940–1942
The early 1940s embraced minimalism in textiles, preferring to have patterns displayed on walls rather than on furniture.
1943
In 1943, patterns became a focal point in design, with plaid and tartan being among the most popular. Home decor entered a more expressive era, with textures, patterns, and shapes becoming more varied.
1944–1945
Double bedrooms (aka rooms with two twin beds) became more popular, as did floral motifs. Frills were here to stay, adorning the curtains, vanities, and bed skirts. Even as decor became more expressive, there was still a call for cohesion.
1946
In 1946, we saw a stark contrast between the almost maximalist designs of ‘44 and a shift toward a more sleek, modern concept. Gathered bedskirts were replaced by tailored pleats, while cohesive color palettes were still encouraged.
1947–1949
In a shift back to the past, florals and frills became popular again, along with patterned wallpaper that added extra flair. The four-poster bed design also grew in popularity.
1950
The designs of the ‘50s combined sleek modernism with the personality of what we now call “vintage” style. Bedrooms often married sleek bedding designs with bold, floor-length floral curtains to add character.
1951
Sofa beds were all the rage in the early ‘50s. Here, actress Marilyn Monroe lounges on one fitted with delicate pintuck detailing.
1952–1953
The early 1950s brought textured headboards to the mainstream, as well as figural lamps, making notable strides toward more modular designs without abandoning the art of finely placed details.
1954
In the mid-50s, homeowners began to embrace monochrome palettes. Designs featured color drenches in soft hues (not yet in the era of neon), as well as the emergence of pintuck.
1955–1956
The mid ‘50s experimented with leisure in a way we never had before, combining form and functionality in new ways, such as these sofa beds.
1957–1959
The late ‘50s brought back the four-poster bed and a love for a more maximalist approach. This bedroom pulls accents from European designs into the decor, incorporating a canopy and shades of French blue.
1960
Not quite color-drenched, but well on the way. The 1960s challenged classic design ideals, incorporating bolder colors into home design.
1961–1963
European influences kept their stronghold on design trends. Pictured in RFK’s guest house above, we see the powdery French blue hue coupled with floral armchairs and gilded furniture alongside a Louis XV armoire.
1964
In the guest bedroom in Washington, D.C.’s Blair House, florals migrate from the bedspread into wall art. The four-poster bed made a return, alongside rich drapery carried throughout the bed skirt, canopy, and curtains.
1965
Lucille Ball brought back the twin-bed trend in her ‘60s New York City apartment while embracing the running themes of the decade, including maximalist drapery and bold headboards.
1966–1967
The Queen’s stateside bedroom in the White House embraced floral and jacquard fabrics and a posh pink color scheme.
1968–1969
A plush upholstered headboard and floral fabrics took center stage in this bedroom, creating an air of continuity and setting the stage for color-drenching and pattern blocking.
1970–1972
The ‘70s brought about a bold new era of color. Abandoning the monochrome wash of the ‘60s, bright color combinations like the one pictured above became more common in and outside of the bedroom.
1973–1974
As the dedication to colorful designs continued, contrasting colors became more commonly paired, as seen in this bedroom, which incorporated pops of purple to offset the yellow-washed palette.
1975
Modernism didn’t entirely disappear, even as design sought a more expressive form. This bedroom featured futuristic underlighting, leather-like textiles, and even a TV!
1976
Floral patterns were a hallmark of this design era, inspired by the overwhelming demand for environmental causes. This bold red bedroom featured plant life in the bedding and curtains, with a potted plant tucked into the corner. They weren't called “flower children” for nothing!
1977–1978
Colorful, cohesive chaos was the norm in bedroom designs of this era, which incorporated varying patterns and textures and tied them together through shared color palettes.
1979
Color wash was out, and pattern wash was in. Trendy designs often featured a single dominant pattern that was the center focal point of the entire room. Cosmopolitan editor-in-chief Helen Gurley Brown, pictured above, lounged in a late-’70s bedroom of this exact style.
1980–1982
Jumpstarting the ‘80s, ruffles, pastels, and brass headboards became the aesthetic du jour.
1983
The show Reggie was meant to capture the realities of midlife in the (nearly) mid-’80s. While the show had a short six-episode run, its set captured the quintessential American home at the time. Here we can see the metal, sculptural headboard accented with hints of gold against a bold teal wall and magenta bedding, reflecting a shift to bolder colors in home decor and styling based on preference rather than cohesion.
1984–1985
Gloria Vanderbilt’s bedroom, pictured above, showcased the cutting-edge trends of mid-’80s decor. The four-poster bed returned, adorned with fringe instead of ruffles, and bedrooms began to transform from functional to personal spaces, as photos and books made their way from mantels to nightstands.
1986
The set of Growing Pains was one of the most popular in the late ‘80s as the show progressed through its six-season run. The typical American teen bedroom featured a desk, tiered drapes, and word art with a more neutral color palette.
1987
The Bangles staged a pillow fight in a trendy L.A. bedroom in 1987 for their single, "Walking Down Your Street.” The girl group was widely regarded as one of the most successful pop-rock bands of the decade.
1988–1989
This bedroom was pulled straight from the set of NBC’s Saturday Night Live, hosted by Kathleen Turner and Billy Joel on October 21, 1989. The set was meant to emulate that of the modern American teenager.
1990–1992
The 1990s revived a love of color, this time in the neon palette. Furniture took a futuristic form, with inflatable chairs being one of the most popular design details in every teen’s dream room.
1993–1995
In a stark contrast, the mid-’90s took on an air of minimalism. Clean, milky white color palettes reigned supreme, taking us to neutral ground. Above, actress and ‘90s It Girl Winona Ryder poses in her NYC apartment.
1997–1999
Soft pastels made a return, as did drapery, creating a dreamy, Renaissance-inspired aesthetic.
2000–2003
The 2000s brought back bold hues, but in a much more controlled manner. Color palettes were complementary and cohesive, while furniture and decor took on a theme, dabbling in surrealism.
2004–2006
In the middle of the decade, we shifted back to drawing inspiration from nature, with woven and bamboo-like design elements taking larger roles in decor schemes.
2007
Around 2007, we fully embraced monochrome, often coating entire rooms in powdery pinks, yellows, and blues. Patterns were no longer limited to walls and bedspreads; bedroom seating, headboards, and bed skirts could all be coordinated, embracing thematic rather than color-centric decor.
2008–2009
By the end of the decade, decor began to favor a clean slate. Mirrored furnishings became popular, and the cozy, plush bedroom armchair is replaced by ottomans. Bedroom lighting evolved as well, and the humble bedside lamp was accompanied by larger statement ceiling fixtures.
2010–2011
The statement wall debuted as patterns became the backdrop to our bedrooms.
2012
Forget color drenching. In 2012, decor was all about creating spaces drenched in pattern and personality, which prompted a love for the character associated with vintage-style furniture.
2013–2014
Soft contrast was a running theme through the 2010s. Muted hues on opposite sides of the color wheel often found themselves frequenting the same spaces. The subtle contrast was meant to create spaces that felt more visually interesting.
2015
2015 brought the love of floral patterns full circle with the reemergence of heavily floral-patterned drapes. Monochromatic palettes also made a return as rooms became seas of varying, but related hues.
