We’ve got some fantastic interior design news for you: the 1980s are making a comeback! But don’t worry, it’s just the good stuff. Consider geometric patterns, natural materials, and dramatic forms. (There are no waterbeds, ruffled bedding, rag-rolled walls, or floor-to-ceiling carpet!)
When you think of 1980s home design, you may picture walls covered with shabby chic ruffles, Laura Ashley flowers, or stacks of shabby chic ruffles. Perhaps you’re reminded of The Golden Girls and Blanche’s Miami Boho bedroom style. In the 1980s, preppy style, pastels, chintz, and geometric motifs were all the rage.
80s Design Styles and Trends
In American history, the 1980s were a fascinating period. The economy was growing, and riches and “new money” were aplenty. Technology was advancing at a rapid pace. Traditional gender norms were also being significantly challenged, with big pop culture stars experimenting with androgynous styles and more women than ever before joining the corporate industry in high-level roles.
It was an opulent decade marked by change and turmoil. And a slew of classic interior design styles emerged as a result of all of these cultural transformations. Do you want to take a trip down memory lane? Here are some of the most well-liked interior design concepts from the 1980s (and love to hate).
How To Get an 80s Interior Design Look Today
Trends come and go in cycles, and for a time now, 80s-inspired design features have been steadily making a comeback. While we’re seeing a resurgence of chintz in the Grandmillenial design trend, we’re also seeing more 80s-inspired interior design ideas emerge, such as furniture styles and materials, geometric patterns, and 80s color palettes.
Even in some 80s-inspired reinterpretations of Art Deco design components (a 100-year-old style that made a comeback in the 80s and is back in style again today).
Memphis Design
This design was created by Ettore Sottsass, in the 80s. Bright colors, strong designs, squiggly lines, and eccentric furniture and décor are likely to spring to mind when you think about 1980s design. This style has a name, which you may not be aware of: Memphis Design. The Memphis Design Group, a group of designers from Milan, Italy, established this aesthetic in the early 1980s.
They began designing bright, colorful, crazy furniture and home décor ideas in response to the basic, contemporary appearance that was prevalent in the late 1970s and early 1980s. This style features vivid geometric designs, clear parquet flooring, and Cesca chairs.
This aesthetic was established by the Memphis Design Group, but it was the application of the style in pop culture that brought it to the public’s attention. (Consider the Saved by the Bell set, the early MTV logo, and Pee Wee’s Playhouse design.)
Tropical Prints and Plants Galore
The plant craze didn’t start with millennials in the 2010s; it started far back in the 1980s (and even before). In reality, when remodeling the Greenbrier hotel after WWII, famed interior designer Dorathy Draper produced palm-print wallpaper and fabric; but, it wasn’t until the 1980s that tropical designs became a prominent fad.
However, once they did, they were visible everywhere. Isn’t this one of pop culture’s most famous examples? The Golden Girls’ Blanche Devereaux’s bedroom. And it wasn’t only wallpaper and upholstery patterns that were obsessed with flora. Houseplants, particularly artificial plants, had a significant moment in the 1980s.
The designs from the 1980s appeared fake—and accumulated a lot of dust—and were not as high-quality as today’s imitation plants. As a result, this tendency has a poor reputation today. However, the trend’s aim was to bring greenery (and possibly a little cheer) into your house.
Pastels
The best thing is that people today still make use of pastels. Androgynous looks from modsy designers in the 80s make this still perfect even today. When it comes to 1980s designs and trends, Memphis design is at one extreme of the color spectrum—full of brilliant primary hues.
In the 1980s, however, there was a fondness for pastels on the opposite end of the spectrum. In the 1980s, pastel room design was highly fashionable, with colors of soft pinks and purples, as well as seafoam green. Pastel hues were used in modest doses, and they were also used to cover an entire room from top to bottom. Pastel colors were prominent in the following two trends we’ll show you.
Shabby Chic Design
In Shabby Chic design, the floral theme was prominent. This design style, which dates back to the 1980s, was inspired by the sort of décor seen in an old English country house. Naturally, there were a lot of flowers involved. Classic design elements and rustic finishes were also used.
The end product was a sophisticated, feminine look with a few frills that was also quite comfy and welcoming. Check out an Instagram account that features this design, to get more inspired.
Glass-Block Walls
Colorful floral patterns with a 1980s take and 80s glass blocks are features of this style. It’s impossible to discuss 1980s design trends without mentioning glass-block walls. Glass-block walls were all the rage in the 1980s, sometimes used in lieu of regular windows or shower walls, and sometimes utilized on interior walls to allow in more light.
They contributed both flair and functionality to a house, with the latter being that they allow natural light in without being completely transparent, and they’re more energy-efficient than the usual window! Many people now consider glass-block walls to be a dated architectural feature, but in the late 2010s, they began to make a return in both residential and commercial establishments!
Lucite Furniture
This is a major trend in the renovation scenes. In the 1980s, there was a rebirth of interest in Art Deco style, and transparent furniture was a big part of it. Rather than the glass furniture of the 1920s, the 1980s collection was dominated by Lucite. In the 1920s and 1930s, lucite and acrylic plastic were invented, and in the 1960s and 1970s, they became popular as furniture materials.
The wall carpet on the wood paneling is featured in this style. But it wasn’t until the 1980s that transparent furniture reached its pinnacle of appeal, with Lucite as the preferred material. (Fun fact: Lucite is an acrylic plastic brand name.) So, although Lucite is acrylic, acrylic is not always Lucite.) If you have trouble making it beautiful, consider some design lessons to further freshen up the room of your choice.
Floral Bedding and Curtains
Upholstery in the 1980s was all about flowers. Floral and chintz designs might be seen on bedding, couch and chair upholstery, draperies, and accent furnishings. Laura Ashley is a home décor and apparel business that helped popularize this style, but you didn’t need to be a fan of the name brand to enjoy it. And it wasn’t simply one flower arrangement in a room.
Check out some new fashion floral looks designed by Garance Vallée. Florals were often used throughout the room, from the curtains to the carpets, as well as chintz wallpaper, lampshades, and furniture. It didn’t end there, however. Ruffles were often paired with floral designs throughout the 1980s, making this style even more outrageous.
Minimal 80s
This contemporary style combines 60s interiors with the colorful 80s wall designs. Most homes or more precisely living rooms are experiencing the major influence of this style in terms of use of shapes and clear furniture. Desirable finds here are bold shapes that make a minimalistic but still modern look. A few sculptural statement items take center stage in this minimalist take on 1980s home design.
Applied adornment or décor is less important in this design than the geometry, material, and feel of the furniture. Despite the fact that there aren’t many items in the area, the negative space allows the shapes and textures to stand out, making this look ideal for Minimalist Maximalists. (And a dramatic wall color might easily add to the drama.)
The terracotta hue of the chairs makes a statement, while the rest of the area is black and white, creating contrast. The curving, sculptural shape of the chairs, which has a velvet texture, evokes both the mod and glam aspects of 80s design. Because marble was so popular in the 1980s, the dining table, although sleek and contemporary in design, fits right in. For more 80s design inspiration, check out the link below.
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