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The 1980’s House

Morturn

Morturn

Super Moderator
Staff member
I was watching something on another site the other day and it got me thinking of my first house. I bought it in 1979 and with not much money slowly furnished it over the years to come.

Looking back at some of the 1980’s styles choices I now think “did I really buy one of those and actually like it”?

Lets kick off with the bedrooms1_77c8668e-e668-4fba-b551-ab67af8da865.webpAlarm Clock.jpgBedroom Nameplate.jpgClassic wallpaper.jpgGoblinTeasmade.jpgLaura Ashley 1980's maximalist floral bedroom decor.jpgLaundry Basket v2.jpgPotpourri.webp
 
Morturn said:
I was watching something on another site the other day and it got me thinking of my first house. I bought it in 1979 and with not much money slowly furnished it over the years to come.

Looking back at some of the 1980’s styles choices I now think “did I really buy one of those and actually like it”?

Lets kick off with the bedroomsView attachment 196146View attachment 196147View attachment 196148View attachment 196149View attachment 196150View attachment 196151View attachment 196153View attachment 196152
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Been there got the T Shirt
 
I was a big fan of Laura Ashley and the home decorating book they brought out. Didn't actually buy much from Laura Ashley, but made a lot of home furnishings with similar (cheaper) material from covers and curtains to pelmets and tie-backs. It involved very busy floral patterns and lace trimmings. In the late 80s, bought M&S floral sofas. Luxurious compared to what I'd had before.

I also liked Habitat. Bought a piece of material in their sale and made a tablecloth which I still have today. (Habitat still going via Sainsbury's online ordering). They had a good range of wooden, cork and basketweave kitchen accessories, teamed well with the Laura Ashley Welsh cottage look.

And of course, there was always the Reject Shop. Bought loads of kitchen stuff from there. (The shop was above New Street Station, think it later became an Asda.) Was a cheap version of Habitat kitchenware.

And old stripped pine furniture. Got some pieces from the antique shop at St Peter's Place/Broad Street. Chest of dawers which I lined the drawers with fake Laura Ashley pattern scented liners !

Funny really, because the Laura Ashley look was harking back to victorian style, even down to potted aspidistras and lace curtains. Complete contrast to the modernist, space-age 1960s/70s style.
 
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Y
Vivienne14 said:
I was a big fan of Laura Ashley and the home decorating book they brought out. Didn't actually buy much from Laura Ashley, but made a lot of home furnishings with similar (cheaper) material from covers and curtains to pelmets and tie-backs. It involved very busy floral patterns and lace trimmings. In the late 80s, bought M&S floral sofas. Luxurious compared to what I'd had before.

I also liked Habitat. Bought a piece of material in their sale and made a tablecloth which I still have today. (Habitat still going via Sainsbury's online ordering). They had a good range of wooden, cork and basketweave kitchen accessories, teamed well with the Laura Ashley Welsh cottage look.

And of course, there was always the Reject Shop. Bought loads of kitchen stuff from there. (The shop was above New Street Station, think it later became an Asda.) Was a cheap version of Habitat kitchenware.

And old stripped pine furniture. Got some pieces from the antique shop at St Peter's Place/Broad Street. Chest of dawers which I lined the drawers with fake Laura Ashley pattern scented liners !

Funny really, because the Laura Ashley look was harking back to victorian style, even down to potted aspidistras and lace curtains. Complete contrast to the modernist, space-age 1960s/70s style.
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es, the 60’s - &0’s style was in my opinion more space aged, even the T V and film industry was big on space age science fiction stuff. Mary Quant did a lot of household design too, I certainly recall the wallpapers and curtains.
 
I think things went downhill with coloured bathroom suites. We chose light blue which at the time did not look too bad, but my pal had burgundy. Living in a hardwater area his bath quickly developed a lining of irremovable lime scale form the scum off the soap. Toa dd insult to injury there were those toilet cover and mats that made you too frighted to use the loo.

Bathroom Suite.jpgFluffy Toilet Seat Cover.jpg
 
Morturn said:
I think things went downhill with coloured bathroom suites. We chose light blue which at the time did not look too bad, but my pal had burgundy. Living in a hardwater area his bath quickly developed a lining of irremovable lime scale form the scum off the soap. Toa dd insult to injury there were those toilet cover and mats that made you too frighted to use the loo.

View attachment 196165View attachment 196166
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1980 we had a GREY bathroom suite, not official but referred to as Battle Ship Grey. Moved house 2000 to a pink bathroom, this was replaced with a walk in shower with a slate grey shower tray so perhaps we liked the grey bathroom more than I normally admit. Around 2000 went to Currys to buy a TV, we wanted Black, this was not available it was silver or nothing, salesman said he had no demand for Black, how did he know if none were available. Notice what colour TV's now available!
 
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Vivienne14 said:
I was a big fan of Laura Ashley and the home decorating book they brought out. Didn't actually buy much from Laura Ashley, but made a lot of home furnishings with similar (cheaper) material from covers and curtains to pelmets and tie-backs. It involved very busy floral patterns and lace trimmings. In the late 80s, bought M&S floral sofas. Luxurious compared to what I'd had before.

I also liked Habitat. Bought a piece of material in their sale and made a tablecloth which I still have today. (Habitat still going via Sainsbury's online ordering). They had a good range of wooden, cork and basketweave kitchen accessories, teamed well with the Laura Ashley Welsh cottage look.

And of course, there was always the Reject Shop. Bought loads of kitchen stuff from there. (The shop was above New Street Station, think it later became an Asda.) Was a cheap version of Habitat kitchenware.

And old stripped pine furniture. Got some pieces from the antique shop at St Peter's Place/Broad Street. Chest of dawers which I lined the drawers with fake Laura Ashley pattern scented liners !

Funny really, because the Laura Ashley look was harking back to victorian style, even down to potted aspidistras and lace curtains. Complete contrast to the modernist, space-age 1960s/70s style.
Click to expand...
Laura Ashley was certainly a trend setter in her time, her designs certainly spawned a miriad of clever “knock offs”!
 
Morturn said:
I think things went downhill with coloured bathroom suites. We chose light blue which at the time did not look too bad, but my pal had burgundy. Living in a hardwater area his bath quickly developed a lining of irremovable lime scale form the scum off the soap. Toa dd insult to injury there were those toilet cover and mats that made you too frighted to use the loo.

View attachment 196165View attachment 196166
Click to expand...
The loo lid would never stay up on it's own. Having to hold it up by one hand when using the toilet. :joy:
 
How about the stuff we had in livingrooms:

5200.webp

The Spider Plant

A Shire Horse And Brewers Drey.jpg

A few people kept these on the TV set

artex_ceiling.jpg

Artex and Wood chip

Woodchip-Wallpaper.jpg

Carrage Clock.jpgCassette Library Album.jpgChina Orniments.webpLiving room funiture.webpOnix Ashtray.jpgPlaster-wall-uplight-contemporary-design-zero-glare.jpgregent_lfe_bronze_1.jpgRoyal Wedding.webp

Lot of people had this print as well as the one with the crying boy.

Sad Girl With Her Collie Dog print.webpTravel Clock.webpVINTAGE VHS VIDEO CASSETTE Library Storage Case.webp
 

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We have painted wood chip paper in our lobby. And in the hall. :D. Not 1980s, we put it there.

No Artex anywhere though. (Thank goodness, it is very difficult to remove).

We have a Charles and Diana mug somewhere. I think the images were done by someone who had never seen either of them. Horrible.

I don't think I would get away with standing a speaker on what looks like bricks, and on carpet.

Andrew.
 
Brummie a long time ago said:
We have painted wood chip paper in our lobby. And in the hall. :D. Not 1980s, we put it there.

No Artex anywhere though. (Thank goodness, it is very difficult to remove).

We have a Charles and Diana mug somewhere. I think the images were done by someone who had never seen either of them. Horrible.

I don't think I would get away with standing a speaker on what looks like bricks, and on carpet.

Andrew.
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We didn’t have Airtex, we had sand paint, great for hiding cracks and blend. Impossible to remove. We had a home, circa 1976 that we bought from interior decorators: smoked glass 15” mirrors on entire wall (glued on the I had to remove) and gold embossed foil wall paper on the ceilings and wall, also removed!
 
Don't knock spider plants, I've still got some. The original died years ago but only after having a thousand small plantlets potted up. Their multitudinous descendants are all across the neighbourhood!

"Sad Girl with Collie" print - my Nan had one of those on her wall right up to her death. My dad was surprised no charity shop wanted it!
 
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