Mid-century living rooms

In the 1950s the term “living room” was expanded to include any room in which the American family visited, listened to music, watched TV or otherwise lived and played together.

The concept of a family room or den was growing in popularity then, sometimes replacing a formal living room altogether, while sometimes simply providing a place for children to play, since they usually weren’t allowed in a formal living room except on special occasions.

Initially, these multi-purpose rooms were rather modest, but by the end of the decade, they had grown in importance and in size.
There are more great living room photos to be found on the Mid-Century Home Style site, so check it out.

Text and images from midcenturyhomestyle.com

Armstrong in coral and green, 1950

Coral and gray living room, 1951

Modern bungalow, 1953

Armstrong cork floor, 1953

Stone fireplace, 1953

Sun porch, 1953

Modern Wormley, 1953

Heywood-Wakefield, 1954

Armstrong atomic, 1954

Clerestory windows, 1954

Armstrong Excelon flooring, 1957

Scandinavian, 1958

Mid-century kitchens

Kitchens changed dramatically in the years immediately following World War II. Many young couples were buying their first homes, and they wanted something new and fresh that fit their lifestyle. Kitchens, which had been small and dedicated to food preparation in the past, expanded to include a place to do laundry and a place to eat, and the open floor plan became popular.

Many kitchens in the 1950s included a table and chairs, as well as countertops with barstools, which very often eliminated the need for a formal dining room. Also, the kitchen had to expand to accommodate the larger size of modern refrigerators, as well as the dishwashers and freezers that every housewife wanted. Wall ovens that were separate from range tops became popular. Laundry was often done in the kitchen or in an attached laundry room.

Design elements like knotty pine, Formica and vinyl were used frequently. Colors were bright and creative. While the very clean lines that we now associate with mid-century modern were popular, industrial designers like Russel Wright and Charles and Ray Eames had to compete with the affection many housewives still had for the Colonial period. Early American design was still found in many 1950s kitchens.

For more wonderful photos of mid-century kitchens, visit the Mid-Century Home Style website. I only showed you a few of their great pictures in this post.

Text and images from midcenturyhomestyle.com

Early American kitchen, 1951

Brown, orange and apple green kitchen, 1953

Republic Steel kitchen, 1954

Armstrong kitchen with copper accents, 1954

Kitchen dinette, 1955

Geneva cabinets, 1955

Armstrong Corlon, 1956

Hotpoint kitchen, 1956

Youngstown, 1956

Armstrong kitchen, 1956

I'm as fascinated with the details of these photos as I am the overall kitchen designs. The rooms are filled with fantastic lighting fixtures, furniture, cookware, fruit bowls, clocks and dinnerware. So much to love!