My Parents Were Awesome …But Their Decor Was Not

By now many of you might have heard of the recent website flavor of the month, My Parents Were Awesome, a reader submitted collection of photos of our parents before you came along and ruined their awesomeness (we jest). Amongst the mesmerizing collection of vintage era fashions and hairstyles are a few recognizable or notable decor notes that caught our eyes that we've collected above…

Most common trend noted amongst the collection of photos at My Parents Were Awesome from a decor perspective: wood panel walls. There are a few multicolored upholstered sofas and dust collecting curtains that remind us of our own childhood suburban living room, while some great wallpapers from the late 60's and early 70's are visible in the background that may take you back to your own teen or childhood years.

But mostly it's everyday people in recognizable middle class homes (except for the occasional avant garde soul), which admittedly makes My Parents Were Awesome not so much of a source of decor inspiration, but a reminder that home is where the heart…and orange upholstered couch…is.

For a more stylish Apartment Therapy version of My Parents Were Awesome, check out Apartment Therapy New York's Aaron's My Childhood Home: Growing Up Around Great Design House Call or LA's own Abby's Mom's Home.

Comments (17)

I wish I could relate. I grew up in a rambling Victorian house with candy-hued vintage and modern furniture and folk art on the walls. Everything else was found curbside. Interesting and fairly stylish by traditional standards, I still craved a "normal" house when I was a kid and was always embarrassed to invite kids over after school because our house was so quirky.

Love the site- pity I can't find a photo of my mum when she was younger and at one of the concerts she attended- she used to rock out to Black Sabbath...

I actually like the decor (and the dog) in the 5th photo. But the dude in the 4th photo is scary!

I suppose forty years from now someone will be chuckling/cringing over photos of OUR homes...

@ehy2K: I would have loved your childhood home!

things have to be considered in context. these homes are not bad for their time periods. that last home looks quite nice. and the first one looks like a very hot "how deep is your love" pad.

if it was the style of the times, it has to be judged successful on that scale.

Let's see... my childhood home (mid-70s vintage) had orange carpeting and wood panelling in the living room, brown-and-yellow checkered linoleum in the kitchen, with matching wallpaper!!, green carpeting in my bedroom, brown tufted carpeting in my brother's room... Oh and let's not forget the brazen-orange couch with brown and yellow lozenges (remember, on an orange carpet) and brown-and-yellow checkered La-Z-Boy in the living room.

And macramé décor accents! Must not forget the macramé!

@ Fraise--we had orange, too! Oh, late 70s..... Orange and gold floral tapestry--but they were on these cool woven framed sofas I actually like what they had then better than what they have now. Their living room makes me wish they wouldn't tell people that I'm a professional designer.

I adore the second and fifth photo.... and my parents and grandparents are still awesome...

I had to double check to make sure that photo number 5 was not my childhood living room. I think our folks must have shopped in the same place, because we had *everything* in that photo in our house (except for the sheer curtains and dog). I wonder if it was a set? I'm talking the magazine stand, everything!

What am I missing about Pic#2?

Looks like late 1950's-Early 1960's Hollywood Regency fabulousness to me...
...everything that folks like about "Mad Men" is in this photo, in original Black and White.

The second picture looks like a Wallpaper Magazine, present time editorial spread.

@ehy2k....I would've loved your childhood home. Great site...a lot of fun!

I'm with Mirandabee on this one: in 40 years (or likely only 10) OUR places will look not just as funny, but even funnier, even more out of date. (Of course, not MINE! - just jokin').

To point: my parents bought new furniture from Hermann Miller in the early 50's, mixing it with beautiful inherited pieces. It was hot. Then in the 70's and 80's it was NOT AT ALL HOT. Now it is RED-HOT. As in, eat your heart out, and it is NOT for sale on ebay. They still love it, and the prices surely worked out cheaper than re-doing, even at Ikea every 5 years.

I have one of those macrame hanging tables, but I've never used it. It was a gift to my mother and she had it tucked away for years and never used it either. I kind of like it, but I don't know what to do with it.

My parents bought the house I grew up in in 1973. It had brown shag carpeting, a fuzzy orange sectional, yellow tapestry drapes, a linoleum kitchen floor with pine cabinets, a pink bathroom, a blue bathroom, and a tacky tiki jacuzzi setup in the backyard. Except for my room, which had hardwood floors (because of my allergies), white paint, & antique wood furniture to warm it up. Thank god for those allergies!

We had the same drapes as shown in the pic with the mom dressed in hot pink. I don't even know what they were made of...something scratchy.