1980s design trends people either love or hate

How many of these 80s home trends can you remember?

If you were born before the 1980s, then chances are you will look back at this bold era through neon-tinted glasses. The unmistakable 80s aesthetic was big, bright and brash – qualities that were reflected in the decade's distinctive home décor too.

From chintzy florals to sleek Miami Vice-style living rooms, take a stroll down memory lane and check out these sentimental 80s home trends that Gen X will remember fondly... 

Wicker and rattan furniture

First popular during the early decades of the 20th century, wicker furniture made a big comeback in the 1980s. While rattan is the palm plant used for making baskets and furniture, wicker refers to the method of weaving it. They were a nice, natural antidote to some of the decade's slicker trends.

The craze even made its way into footwear, with wicker weave shoes popular with both men and women.

Dried flowers

In a similar vein, dried flowers and foliage became popular and could be found everywhere from a neat wreath on the front door to large bunches dangling from the kitchen ceiling.

While they looked and smelled lovely, they were a nightmare to keep dust and cobweb-free.

Chalky pastel patterns

The only viable alternative to chintz, faded pastel patterns like this one adorned everything from soft furnishings to shell suit jackets.

These gentle, muted tones acted as a soothing counterbalance to the aggressive neon colours and sharp 80s deco prints that were so popular outside the home.

Wood-clad walls

Pine tongue and groove panelling were on walls everywhere during the 80s, paying homage to a Mid-South cabin trend that exploded in the US during that decade.

The natural tones created a warm, rustic vibe, perfect for a family meal around this breakfast bar – another 80s staple.

Movie memorabilia

The 1980s was a golden age of cinema with some of the best films of all time shaping pop culture for decades to come. From Steven Spielberg's E.T. to the Star Wars films of George Lucas and John Hughes' iconic 'Brat Pack' series The Breakfast Club and Pretty in Pink, teenagers in the 1980s were spoiled for choice on what to rent out from the video store.

It was also the decade where franchise toys really took off, and you can bet a Millennium Falcon model and a Gremlin doll would have been on every kid's wishlist! At the very least you'd have a poster from your favourite flick on your bedroom wall like this one from the classic film Back to the Future, in a time-capsule house we spotted on Airbnb.

Flatpack kitchens

Flatpack furniture is said to have been invented back in 1956, when an IKEA employee took the legs off a table so it could fit into a car. From there, it rocketed in popularity. By the 1980s, homeowners could simply stroll into a showroom, pick the kitchen of their dreams and drive off with it the very same day – instead of waiting weeks or months for a carpenter to build it from scratch.

This red and white colour combination was another 80s classic – we bet that rings some bells!

Mirrored wardrobes

Mirrors were a hallmark of the 80s and the bigger the better. Ceilings, walls, cabinets – there wasn't a surface left out to maximise the sense of space in the era's busy schemes.

Remember the floor-to-ceiling mirrored wardrobes with sliding panels? They were super beneficial as they created the illusion of a brighter, larger room while offering plenty of storage space too. Perhaps it's time for them to make a comeback...

Glass block walls

Glass blocks were so chic! Think back to glamorous 1980s TV shows like Miami Vice and Dallas, which had room sets filled with them. The decorative building material had form and function.

Glass block walls were used as permeable room dividers that allowed in plenty of natural light – they were particularly popular in bathrooms.

Romantic bathrooms

While avocado green bathroom suites were big in the 1970s, pale pink and peach were the colours du jour in the 80s.

No longer purely utilitarian, bathrooms became soft, feminine spaces, featuring shaped sanitary wear, such as shell-shaped basins, floral wallpaper and corner baths – but more on those later.

Co-ordinating chintz

Frilly sofas, swag-draped curtains, oversized bedspreads – we just couldn't get enough of that shabby chic floral vibe back in the 1980s.

Homeowners of that decade embraced co-ordinating prints across their upholstery and soft furnishings, often in busy patterns and loud floral motifs.

Hi-tech gadgets

The 80s was a boom time for technology in the home. Our houses were filled with big boxy record players, cassette players, VHS recorders and – if you were really lucky – a Commodore 64 computer.

Thank goodness we had all that matching wood furniture to house all our new gadgets!

Gas fires

Ask any 80s kids what they remember most about their homes when they were young and we bet the humble gas fire gets a mention.

It seems evenings spent in front of these electronic-ignition gas fires, with their iconic glowing grid bars, are what warms our nostalgic hearts the most.

Metal furniture

Chrome was the look of choice for young urban professionals everywhere, particularly when combined with slick leather and this black, white and red colour scheme that proved so popular during the decadent decade.

Could you even call yourself a yuppie if you didn't have at least one elaborately shaped shiny metal chair?

Vertical blinds

No modern condo or apartment was complete without a run of vertical blinds mounted in front of the patio doors. Made from durable vinyl and connected with plastic beads, they created a more homely vibe than the classic aluminium design typically used in offices.

Paired with curvaceous rattan furniture and palm prints, the look was positively tropical. Check out the popcorn-effect ceiling here too!

Decorative brickwork

Decorative brickwork was a fashionable feature on walls, fire-surrounds and kitchen breakfast bars everywhere. But rather than authentically exposed bricks, budget-friendly faux blocks, sometimes made from polyurethane, were glued onto surfaces instead.

Our love of smooth finishes and minimalism soon made this look obsolete.

Leather loungers

Remember the over-stuffed armchairs with a handle that popped up the footrest? The US is the king of comfort and home to brands such as La-Z-Boy and Barcalounger, which made these luxury chairs famous.

Almost every home – and TV show living room set – in the nation had one. They were usually the prime spot for kicking back and relaxing with a TV dinner.

Push-button TVs

Can you believe that back in the 80s we felt spoilt for choice with just a few TV channels? We loved to sit together on our velvet or plaid sofas, engrossed in prime-time TV on a Saturday night.

A certain generation will never forget those iconic shows such as The Golden Girls, Cheers, The Wonder Years and Dallas. Channel changing was far more physical then too, as the remote control wasn't a common fixture in our homes until the 2000s. You had to get up and walk to the set to push a button!

Eternal Beau china

Designed and produced by the Johnson Brothers, the Eternal Beau collection was introduced in 1981 and instantly became extremely popular. The quintessentially English pattern featured a pretty ribbon print entwined with a trail of delicate flowers.

The unique eight-sided china dinner service went out of fashion in the 2000s and was finally discontinued in 2013.

Cherry wood kitchens

A staple 80s kitchen look was undoubtedly cherry wood cabinets, which came in a variety of stains. They looked ultra-contemporary at the time, combined with marble worktops and oversized cooker hoods.

Colourful carpets

Colourful carpets were the go-to design choice if you wanted to make a statement in your home back in the day.

Photographed here in the White House in 1981, President Ronald Regan and his wife Nancy perfectly epitomised the look with their fancy living room design. From the bright red carpet and bold matching chintz to the mahogany furniture set and old cradle phone, this sitting room is pure retro perfection.

Corner bathtubs

Corner bathtubs were all the rage in the 80s. Add in a whirlpool function or Jacuzzi bubbles and you are living in high-end luxury with your own spa-style space – particularly when surrounded by retro shades of beige and brown.

Decorative wallpaper borders

Wallpaper trends in the 80s were all about the decorative border, which added yet another layer to the era's typically busy schemes. Plus what a genius way of covering up any wallpaper mistakes.

Don't banish this old-fashioned embellishment away in a time capsule just yet. Wallpaper borders are back in a big way, with brands such as Studio Atkinson and Woodchip & Magnolia reimagining these 80s staples.

Memphis Design

Memphis Design was a postmodernist movement that started in 1981 in Milan, Italy, spearheaded by a collective of designers. The bold decorative style was colourful, vibrant and angular, emphasising bold patterns, abstract designs and geometric shapes.

The polarising movement was devoured by the young and hip, offering a counterpoint to the more conventional flowers and frills of the era.

Country roses

Perhaps a step forward from classic chintz, floral prints turned homes into romantic retreats, made popular by the rise of flowers and every shade of pink.

The secret was to use patterns on curtains, wallpaper, lampshades, cushions and bed linen, in an enveloping coordinated scheme.

Matching mahogany furniture

Every home needed an elegant wooden cabinet with glass-fronted doors to show off collections of dolls or ceramic ornaments. But one piece of mahogany-toned furniture was never enough.

Rooms were maxed out with matching pieces such as dining tables and chairs, coffee tables, lamp stands and even picture frames, all in the same shade of rich cherry wood.

Glass surfaces

In keeping with the move towards sleek futurism, glass surfaces were fashionable in the 1980s too. Glazed coffee tables, TV units and dining tables were seen as glam and stylish additions to a living room. This room has a lot of the big trends from the decade on show: big blousy floral wallpaper in strange pastel shades, dried flower arrangements on a pedestal and a brass statement decorative lamp.

Frills and flounces

New Romanticism heavily influenced 80s fashion, with ruff collars, flouncy sleeves and puffball skirts all dominating the latest looks.

Naturally, the trend spilled over into home décor and romantics everywhere filled their fairytale boudoirs with frills, ruffles and acres of ruched fabric.

Glitz and glamour

The affluent 80s gave rise to more families with cash to splash – and they wanted to show it off! Subtlety went out of style and glam took its place, no doubt influenced by glitzy US soap operas like Dallas and Dynasty.

Opulence and luxury were the buzzwords of the day. Marble, silk, satin and pastel shades dominated, along with the frills and flounces we've already mentioned and gilt just about everything.

Louvre doors

Today, louvre designs are more commonly associated with stylish, Mediterranean-inspired window shutters.

Inexpensive and offering handy ventilated through their slats, they were especially popular in the 80s, when louvre doors were used across fitted wardrobes, kitchen cabinetry and airing cupboards.

Cottage kitchens

The cottage or farmhouse kitchen was the height of elegance and sophistication in the 80s.

This wholesome look was defined by shaker cabinets, a large pine table, decorative china, chintz curtains and – if you were really lucky – a cast-iron range cooker that served as the heart of the home.

Black lacquer furniture

Glossy, glamorous and bold, black lacquer furniture fitted right in with several major 80s trends.

It lent itself well to the clean lines of 80s deco, proved the perfect contrast for Memphis design's vibrant colours and would have been perfectly at home in soap character Alexis Carrington's glitzy mansion.

Built-in cupboards and cabinets

While flatpack furniture was more popular than ever, homeowners still enjoyed installing strangely complex bespoke cabinetry into their bedrooms, which may or may not have incorporated a space-saving Murphy bed, which folded up into the wall when not in use.

The matching burgundy walls and bed in this room were another 80s trademark style. Pairing well with pine, it brought a touch of nostalgia to a decade obsessed with affluence and fast-paced living.

Statement duvets

Geometric patterns in bright, in-your-face colours were all the rage in the 1980s and most teenagers would have had a bold duvet set like this one we spotted on Airbnb – usually with a matching set of curtains. Graffiti-inspired designs were used for album covers, magazines and advertising, and this filtered down into soft furnishings. The US boyband New Kids On The Block was one of the most popular groups at the time and had their faces plastered across everything from T-shirts to mugs and pillows, long before anyone had heard of Justin Bieber!