Vintage '50s Flooring Styles

Floor Coverings

Until the mid-20th Century, most houses had wooden floors throughout, but with the improvement of materials such as vinyl and synthetic carpet fibers, other types of flooring became common. Vinyl tiles or carpets were often laid over a concrete floor surface. Interior decorators and homeowners often updated wooden floors by covering them with carpet or vinyl tiles.

Color Palettes

The color palette changed throughout the 1950s. At first, gray, maroon or burgundy and green color schemes were popular for interior design and flooring. Later in the decade, people started to embrace brighter pinks with contrasting black and white. Pastel colors were popular for kitchen interiors and a kitchen with pink floor tiles and matching cabinets was very fashionable. Other popular pastel colors were yellow and aquamarine.

Whimsical Patterns

1950s homeowners would often opt for a checkerboard vinyl floor in red and white, black and white or yellow and white. Brown floors with a bright yellow block pattern were also popular. Striped candy-cane patterns were often used in kitchens. Flooring companies like Armstrong and Goodyear sold speckled floor tiles in a wide color range, including grays, browns and greens. Floor tiles were often laid in diagonal, geometrical patterns, inspired by Aztec art.

New Materials

Rolled linoleum flooring was popular in North America. Vinyl tiles were an inexpensive flooring choice and were often made from asbestos, which was considered a durable material at the time. Cork floor tiles originated in the 1950s, and Armstrong offered many cork flooring designs. Cotton rugs were often used, either for the whole floor surface or scatter rugs. The 1950s also saw the creation of an innovative design: a reversible cotton rug, tufted and looped on both sides to allow double use and longer wear.