Decorating ideas that only worked in the ’90s

Posted on Monday, July 16th, 2018

It is understandable to think that the 1990s are making something of a comeback. After all, we have recently seen high-profile films about Lego and Power Rangers hit cinemas, while it was not long ago that a Clinton nearly made it to the White House again. Still, some ’90s staples should be left there…

For example, our homes were not always optimal in style back then. Below are some especially good reasons to tread carefully if you are thinking of decorating like it is 1999.

Orange-coloured pine

In homes, wood has an appealingly timeless look to it – and, though you can now select from many different types of wood for your own abode, pine was especially popular during the ’90s.

In many ways, pine furniture pieces have aged well; these days, they can almost look akin to expensive antiques. However, one pine finish prevalent in the decade left kitchens with a peculiarly orange-coloured hue; Ideal Home has posted a photo illustrating this point.

Beige and white tones

Tastes could often seem rather bombastic during the ’80s, and this certainly extended to interiors. Many people might have deemed it a somewhat relief, then, when the following decade heralded more minimalist-looking interiors bringing with them such unassuming tones as beige and white.

Well, we say “unassuming”; these tones might paradoxically have actually drawn attention, if of the relatively despairing kind, due to their sheer drabness noted by Complex.

Stencilling

There is nothing wrong with getting a bit creative in the home and producing some interior patterns that look as though they could only have been made by your hand. However, you might want to veer away from stencilling unless you are confident in your ability to do it to aesthetically pleasing effect.

When stencilling, you have a broad array of patterns from which to choose. However, many unsightly designs popped up in the ’90s, leaving many residential walls looking rather amateur.

Corner baths

As the term “corner baths” might make sufficiently evident, each corner bath was shaped in a way allowing it to be easily slipped into a corner of the bathroom.

You might even still like the look; however, one rather slapdash-seeming feature of most ’90s corner baths was the water jet function which, when switched on, made the tub like a half-hearted Jacuzzi. These days, a better option might be keeping your bathtub and Jacuzzi separate.

Floral patterns

A classic example of how, yes, you can have too much of a good thing. Perhaps in reaction to the stripped-down approach in the early ’90s, the later part of the decade saw an explosion in floral designs, which covered sofas, wallpaper and curtains in a manner that was hardly subtle.

It was almost as though everyone had employed the Batman villain Poison Ivy as their interior designer. While such patterns are now – ahem – blooming back into fashion, use them cautiously.