1940s decor 32 pages of designs and ideas from 1944

Table of Content

• Vintage Salzbuchstabe Federwaage Schwarz
• Vintage UNION D.R.Wz. Klemmbügel Holz 40er 50er Klemmleiste für Poster Bild Postkarte
• Stunning Ceramic Cake Or Pastry Plate, Checkered, Villeroy und Boch / Dresden / Germany, Decor Schotten, 1930‘s or 40‘s
• r Vintage French Louis XVI Easy- Stühle in Blauem Damast - ein Paar
• 5x5.4 Ft 1940s Pictorial Prayer Rug aus Konya, Beschriftung als MEVLANA Rumi, Dichter. NY104
• Four 1940s bathroom designs

The catalog was directed by Hazel Dell Brown — an amazing historical figure, the longtime queen of interior design at Armstrong. Use these tips and tricks to make your cozy home feel spacious and comf. There are some surprising ways to accomplish building on to your home. We made a fantastic discovery this weekend while working on our kitchen remodel. Peeling off the crappy old vinyl and pressboard flooring under it revealed the original 1949 linoleum in amazing condition.

Like you said though, all materials were quite scarce, with paint, papering and fabric creations being pretty much all there was to deal with. Fixing up an older house was a necessity — new housing starts were pretty much banned during the war. Also, if you lived near any industrial center, there was a chronic housing shortage — so being able to turn a room or attic into an apartment was really important.

Vintage Salzbuchstabe Federwaage Schwarz

The percentage growth in college educated white collar workers was astronomical, and white collar salaries went along with it. Also, not all the women employed during the War left the work world at the end of the conflict. Many more women than were given credit for remained in the workforce to help their young husbands get through those college educations. The economy supported by working wives while their men completed college educations was substantial. Others worked to save money for larger down payments on new suburban homes, or just on larger homes than they could afford on one income.

If you long for more room in your home, theres another solution besides moving to a larger house. Turn your living room into a lovely space that’s relaxing yet functional by selecting the right lighting. You not only have to pick a color but have to choose a finish and a brand as well. Decorating a small home might seem like a bit of a challenge at first.

Vintage UNION D.R.Wz. Klemmbügel Holz 40er 50er Klemmleiste für Poster Bild Postkarte

It’s black and white marbled linoleum with a salmon-colored inset line. None of the current patterns have the same color black nor the same marbling. Actually, the black VCT tiles with white marbling come closest but still aren’t quite right and would be slightly too thick. And I can’t seem to find the right salmon color either.

I just remember how cool they look in kitchens and think it’s far easier to keep your floor clean with no sharp corners for dirt and grime to get caught up in. I’m all about making cleaning as easy as possible, LOL. I found this exact same catalog at a yard sale today for $2.00. My favs are the colonial and Pennsylvania Dutch designs. The bathroom above is my personal favorite from the catalog.

Stunning Ceramic Cake Or Pastry Plate, Checkered, Villeroy und Boch / Dresden / Germany, Decor Schotten, 1930‘s or 40‘s

We’re working on getting off all the old glue and wax right now and it’s fantastic. It’s the Armstrong Marbelle, first one on the top row in the ad, can’t read the number. So the photos here will also be a big help in coming up with the new plan.

The catalog contains several ideas specific to linoleum patterns — which were super common in 1940s decor. Hazel points out that this flooring can come to the rescue when a room’s furnishings are undistinguished. From the sounds of this catalog, folks were making do with the furniture they had and adding spiff around the edges. When I look at some 1940s interior design and decor, I see a real sweetness. We still were a nation in which the masses did not have a lot of material affluence.

r Vintage French Louis XVI Easy- Stühle in Blauem Damast - ein Paar

Rarely is linoleum found on kitchen countertops, even in the 1940s. Yet the designer noted that linoleum here would be "clatterproof, easy to clean, and resistant to stain." Even the scalloped swags near the ceiling were cut from linoleum. Public Domain Mark 1.0In this 1946 kitchen design, linoleum is the star since it is from a publication calledPortfolio of Room Interiors, produced by Armstrong World Industries Inc.

We have other work to do before we need to make a decision on the floors. Here’s to hoping more color choices come out in the mean time. Oh, just one comment regarding the Colonial Revival trend. In the small town I grew up in, population about 12000, we had two furniture stores.

5x5.4 Ft 1940s Pictorial Prayer Rug aus Konya, Beschriftung als MEVLANA Rumi, Dichter. NY104

It’s amazing how many interesting historical details you can glean from this brochure. I like the way the first photo is showing a kitchen set up to can tomatoes. We tore up the most kitchen carpeting ever in that room.

Here’s another thoughtful bathroom, packed with storage — notice how the tub is pretty much “built in” to the storage in front of it. This actually seems like a pretty darn good idea.