Interior design has always evolved to meet homeowners’ needs and preferences. Sometimes, those changes have been rapid, with drastic shifts each decade. This has been the case for the evolution of home interiors from 1950 to 2020, according to RentCafe.

Here are some of the interior design trends from the past to the present:



    Introducing the Family Room

    The modern living room in single-family homes has resulted from shifting preferences toward having dedicated spaces for various activities.

    In the 1950s, most homes had a central living room. However, according to Kristina Wilson, art history professor at Clark University, families wanted “an alternative gathering space.” This space, “commonly called a ‘family room’ or a ‘den’ (or even a ‘rumpus room’),” would gain popularity throughout the decade.

    earth tones
    Image Credit: Canva

    The post-World War II era brought futuristic designs that featured Scandinavian color schemes inspired by nature, particularly earth tones like brown, cream, green, and gray. Low-profile sofas with clean lines and curved furniture were especially popular.

    Scandinavian influences include simplicity, minimalism, functionality, and natural textures and tones, creating a relaxed yet modern aesthetic.

    Homeowners opted for open layouts, movable modular furniture, and a connection to nature.

    The trend of having a separate family room took off in the 1960s and ’70s as homes grew larger and more compartmentalized. Families needed a casual space to watch TV, play games, or just lounge, apart from the formal living room meant for entertaining guests. This allowed adults and children to relax and have fun without worrying about cluttering the pristine living room.


    Layout and Furnishings

    Family rooms were often built as additions or converted from spaces like garages or screened porches. This conversion allowed for creativity and flexibility in layout. Some homes situated the family room right off the kitchen for convenience. Others made it a basement space for privacy. Large sectionals, recliners, bean bag chairs, entertainment systems, and casual tables filled these multifunctional rooms.


    New Fluencies in Design

    Since the purpose of a family room differed from the living room, so too did the interior design. It was less formal, often with a subtly playful attitude in both layout and decor elements. Open shelving, mix-and-match furniture groupings, and flexibility in moving pieces around became common. More daring color palettes emerged in both paint and textiles, replacing the earth tones of previous decades. Conversation pits sunken into the floor added coziness while reinforcing the atmosphere of the home.

    Conversation pits were available in rounded, oval, rectangular, and L-shaped layouts ranging from 6–12 feet across. Their sunken areas were typically 12–18 inches below floor level. Materials included brick, tile, stone, concrete, and finished wood. Built-in bench seating lined the perimeter.


    TV’s Impact on Interior Design

    Following a trend that started in the ’50s, TVs became key elements in the den. These devices gave way to new interior design schemes. Manufacturers began making furniture pieces to fit the increasing presence of TV sets in people’s homes. Because TVs came in cabinets, furniture pieces were designed to match the television and tie a room’s look together.

    Coffee tables’ origins go way back before the ’50s, but the modern coffee table, as we know it, evolved because of the television. “Items needing to be readily at hand had to be kept on a low surface to not obstruct the view,” Francis Chantree, the RentCafe article’s writer, stated.

    Designing for Optimal Viewing

    The width of average television sets grew from around 20 inches in 1950 to 65 inches by 2020. This significant size increase was a major shift that interior design had to accommodate.

    tv living room
    Image Credit: Canva

    With the television as the focal point, furniture layouts changed to support optimal TV viewing angles without blocking sightlines. Sofas and chairs faced the television directly instead of each other. This layout influenced the shape and dimensions of seating, coffee tables, media cabinets, and display shelves.

    Interior design also had to accommodate the growing size of TV sets over the decades.

    The first consoles gave way to wall-mounted or swivel designs. Then, projection and flat-screen technologies allowed more flexibility in placement while requiring different lighting and acoustic considerations.

    Connecting Rooms

    In the 1990s, positioning the television to be viewed from both the family room and kitchen enabled an open flow and connection between spaces. Doing so helped nurture family interactions and became especially popular. The television acted as a hearth connecting the rooms, just like the fireplace had traditionally done.


    Rethinking the Dining Room

    The dining area also has seen a lot of changes over the decades. In the ’50s, homeowners still used separate areas for dining. Dark wood featured prominently in mid-century tables and chairs, as did wood molding around doors, windows, and chair rails.

    Dining rooms often used a serving hatch, through which you could pass food from the kitchen, which featured a lot of Formica and chrome. This trend later became unfashionable. Trends such as non-matching dining chairs came and went. Over the years, architecture and interior design have minimized, thus reducing or eliminating the dining room altogether.


    Creating Open Floor Plans

    By the ’60s, the seeds of the open floor plan idea started growing, with architect Frank Lloyd Wright being one of its early advocates.

    Joining walls were knocked out, and suddenly, dining sets were in living rooms. Color schemes extended throughout one large room to tie everything together, an interior design element that never went out of fashion.

    By the ’90s, living rooms in open-plan homes became larger “all-purpose” places. These all-purpose rooms were the one area in the house that could accommodate all the family’s activities, which has survived in many homes today.

    Knocking down walls created a greater sense of connection between family members and flexibility in how rooms were used. Spaces became multifunctional instead of dedicated to a single activity like dining.

    With open plans, formality and separation gave way to informality and togetherness. Less distinction existed between the rooms, creating a communal flow. Casual furnishings like slipcovered chairs and farmhouse tables replaced stuffy traditional pieces.

    The dining room chair itself transformed, becoming more streamlined and often armless to visually lighten the space. Banquettes and bar-height seating provided cozy alternatives to traditional chairs.

    Removing walls opened sightlines and enabled natural light to reach more spaces. This natural light was especially significant in creating sunlit, cheerful dining nooks in kitchens and next to living areas.

    Floor-to-ceiling windows and sets of French doors leading outside became popular architectural elements to usher in sunlight. Lighter color schemes took advantage of all that natural light.

    While open floor plans blended rooms physically, they also enabled the blending of furniture styles. Mixing modern, traditional, rustic, industrial, and other aesthetics created eclectic, personalized spaces rather than cookie-cutter rooms dictated by a single style.


    Preserving Architectural Character

    In older homes, removing walls required care to maintain architectural details like moldings. Highlighting these features and vintage touches paired with contemporary furnishings created a bridge from past to present. This process alleviated potential disconnects between historic architectural elements and modern furniture. Its character was preserved rather than covered up or removed.

    Accommodating Sideboards

    By popularizing open plans, sideboards regained visibility. With nowhere to hide, sideboards became decorative focal points for storing dishes or displaying collectibles instead of purely utilitarian storage. Different styles, from vintage to sleek mid-century to modern designs, offered flexibility in how sideboards visually shape spaces.

    Check out the infographic below for an overview of evolving interior design.


    So, Is Interior Design Continuing to Evolve?

    Interior design has drastically evolved over the past seven decades. This evolution reflects how homes have changed to accommodate families’ needs and preferences.

    While many of today’s most popular interior design elements have roots in mid-century style, innovations continue. Sustainability, technology integration, maximizing small spaces, and versatility for remote work are currently inspiring trends.

    Interior design will continue evolving as lifestyles, demographics, and technologies advance. No matter the decade, effective design always stems from understanding human behavior and optimizing homes to support occupants’ lifestyles and well-being.


    FAQs About Interior Design Trends

    What are some of today's most popular interior design trends?

    Some of today’s trends include:

    • Sustainable materials
    • Seamless technology integration
    • Multifunctional, flexible furnishings
    • Blurring spaces with large windows
    • Double-height ceilings
    • Natural materials
    • Antique accents mixed with contemporary pieces

    For more ideas, check out our guide on top interior design trends.


    How fast do interior design trends change?

    While some classic elements like neutral color schemes stay relatively constant, many trends come and go quite quickly. Bold patterns, finishes, and novelty decor tend to accelerate rapidly, sometimes lasting only a year or two. More subtle trends like open layouts and casual furnishings have longer staying power. Overall, interior design evolves continuously due to materials, lifestyles, and demographic changes.


    How can I keep my home decor timeless?

    Focus more on flexibility and quality than trendiness. Choose comfortable, durable furniture in versatile colors and materials. You can add character through architectural details, plants, meaningful accessories, and artwork. Arrange furnishings to optimize functionality for how you use each space. Simple, affordable updates like throw pillows and lampshades make incorporating current colors and patterns easy over time.


    What are some inexpensive ways to update my home's design?

    You can update your home on a budget by adding a fresh coat of interior paint in a modern hue. Even simple changes like switching out lampshade styles and lightbulbs for new fixtures can make a big impact. You could also recover existing furniture, add decorative touches like throw blankets, accent pillows, and plants or rearrange furniture layouts with a new flow. Incorporating multifunctional furniture like ottomans and nesting tables adds functionality and style to your space.


    How often should you update your home decor?

    It depends on your style. Frequent updates every year or two keep your home looking current. A slower cycle of occasional updates, like every five to ten years, prevents waste and cost while maintaining a reasonably modern scheme over time. Ultimately, your home should suit your needs and personality rather than conforming to arbitrary timelines.



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    Mitchell Layton

    Mitchell Layton is a former professional mover who currently lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Mitchell spent years packing and moving for REAL Rock N Roll Movers, a commercial and residential moving company based in Los Angeles that’s primarily staffed with up-and-coming musicians. That gave him plenty of experience navigating box trucks up and down the winding streets of LA. In addition to moving hundreds of happy customers into new homes and apartments all across Southern California, Mitchell has also performed corporate moves on company lots for Nickelodeon, Warner Bros, Universal Studios, Paramount, and more. After pouring blood, sweat, and tears into his profession, Mitchell has all the helpful tips you need for your next move.

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    Casey Daniel

    Casey Daniel is a writer and editor with a passion for empowering readers to improve their homes and their lives. She has written and reviewed content across multiple topics, including home improvement, lawn and garden care, sustainability, and health and wellness. When she’s not reviewing articles, Casey is usually playing board games, repainting her bathroom, or quilting.

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