flashback friday - when in doubt, go with brown

Let’s flashback this week to the décor of the 80’s…While Sherry and John over at Young House Love showed off the pages of House Beautiful from the 70’s this week, I’d like to give you a glimpse into the house I grew up in. First of all, the paneling. It’s hideous. And if you’ve gone house hunting in the past couple decades, then I’m sure you’ve seen you’re fair share of rec rooms and dens and basements covered in this atrociousness. It’s always the room you look at and say, “Well, the paneling’s gotta go”. You might even have grown up in one of these faux forests too. I’m not too sure what people were thinking when they decided to attach this stuff to the walls. Of course, this was the same generation that thought avocado appliances and macramé were the bees knees.

this is what happens to photos when stored in brown paper grocery bags for 25 years

And although my parents didn’t choose this paneling, I still blame them because as evidenced by the next picture, they never took it down. Not even in the late 80’s cream, mauve and teal explosion. Remember that one? With dried-flower arrangements in obnoxiously large urns artistically splashed with mauve and teal paint?

And the couch. I love it’s sheen. I remember it being almost satin-y. Ugly as hell, but nice to run your hand down.

But at some point in the 90’s, we re-decorated. Let’s not brighten the place up anymore. Let’s stick with brown. It goes fabulously with the burnt orange carpet. Yes, let’s stick with what we know.

And here folks, is where I get my dislike of matchy-matchy…the afghan. Most likely crocheted by my dad’s mother, it showed just how well brown and orange go together. But my mom was clearly onto something. What, I’m not sure though. Check out the lamps. They are light gray…with pink and white flowers. I know my mom just thought that they were pretty and could’ve cared less that they didn’t “go” with the new living room furniture. And I know she thought I probably wouldn’t be re-hashing these decorating nightmares almost 20 years later. So there you have it, the reason we can’t figure out where I got this tendency to care what things look like. We won’t even start on the black hose and pumps I was rocking.

Share with me, the horrors you grew up looking at. And no, I don't mean your creepy next-door neighbors. Was your furniture covered in plastic? Any scratchy floral couches? Scare me!