1950’s Restrained Wallpaper

Mid-century wallpapers tended to be quite restrained compared to what was to come in the following decade and for many people they bore more than a passing resemblance to pre-war designs.

However, change was in progress and this decade saw some radical designs by new and upcoming designers as they began to push the boundaries of what was considered appropriate and normal. However, much of this design was deemed too advanced to be put into production for general use and, for most households in the United Kingdom, the 1950’s walls were clad with muted and unadventurous motifs and colours.

This particular design for a bedroom is, I think, the sort of wallpaper that may well have been chosen to redecorate a room for the new decade. Teenagers had yet to be invented and bedrooms were seen solely as rooms in which to sleep rather than rooms which could double as a sitting room. One further factor that stifled modern design was a lack of new and exciting furniture. In Britain, rationing continued during the first part of the 1950s and thereafter, although rationing ceased and incomes were beginning to rise, there was a period of catching up before people were able to fully furnish their homes and enjoy the fruits of their labours. Most people would have been more concerned with the look of the downstairs rooms rather than rooms use only for sleeping.

As ever, you can also see larger versions of this and, of course, my other designs and patterns on my fabulous and ever-growing Flickr page which is here.