American Decoration in the Middle of the 20th Century

Home decorating has come a long way over the decades. Certain elements that began as 【小题1】for survival—like fireplaces—have transformed into decorative elements in the modern age. Some styles are still massively popular, inspiring copycat furniture that sells for thousands. Other 【小题2】are ignored or even ridiculed.

No one knows what home decoration of the future will look like. But if we look back through history, we can guess which design elements will come back—and which will disappear forever.

The Great Depression affected every aspect of American life—including decoration.   People were just trying to 【小题3】during the 1930s, which didn’t leave a lot of room for non-essentials. But that doesn’t mean everyone gave up on making their homes look beautiful. A 【小题4】living room would have a few throw rugs in interesting patterns, too. There was no one type of furniture that 【小题5】the 1930s—curved and straight line furniture still 【小题6】as the Art Deco style from the previous era was still popular. Plastic chairs and wingback chairs all had a place in the 1930s home. People were also likely to use what they had and not care so much about matching a certain taste.

It’s impossible to describe the 1940s without mentioning World War II. During the first half of the decade, home design took a backseat to 【小题7】the war effort. The second half was much different. Returning soldiers had something new to look forward to: new kitchens with 【小题8】such as refrigerators, freezers, and dishwashers. Traditional wood furniture in dark or blonde tones graced every room of the home.

Post-war America was a lot happier and shinier than recent decades. With a prospering middle class and a healthy economy, people had more time and money to devote to new pursuits—like decorating their houses.

The unfussy furniture made popular by Charles Eames started to 【小题9】the American household. Everything was simple and uncomplicated. Wall to wall carpeting became the most desirable type of flooring, especially in unique colours.

The 60s brought about many changes to American culture and home design was no exception. People wanted to show off their unique sense of style more than ever before. Homes weren’t just seen as a 【小题10】of how successful you were—they were also a chance to let your personality shine through home decoration.

Poetry probably had its origins in traditional folk music tens of thousands of years ago. In that 【小题1】, there were no TVs or films, and writing had not been invented, so people would sit around the fire at night and sing songs to entertain themselves. These songs reflected themes from the people’s daily lives, such as hunting animals or 【小题2】 crops. Since nothing was written down, over the years different 【小题3】 of these songs developed, and each area would have its own 【小题4】 rhythm. In addition to this, people would 【小题5】 stories of past heroes. As these stories were often quite long, they often had 【小题6】 and rhythm to help people remember them more easily. While in the beginning such songs and stories had a very simple 【小题7】, over time they became more complicated and more polished. These were no longer the works of 【小题8】 sitting around a fire, but works of true poets who cared about their art and who sometimes made a living from it.

One hundred years ago, exploring the Antarctic was a dangerous business. Because of the 【小题1】 weather and very little knowledge of how to survive in the Antarctic, the chances of success were quite slim and many explorers died. The people who signed up for such voyages were paid low 【小题2】and had to tolerate poor working conditions and rough seas, along with the cold and 【小题3】weather. They also had to have a strong 【小题4】to finish what they had started no matter how hard it was, great personal discipline, and a firm 【小题5】 to the other members of the team. Yet, many【小题6】 still applied to join such explorations. Some might have wanted to become famous. Others were looking for rewards. However, the 【小题7】 for many was to experience a great adventure.