Better Homes and Gardens Decorating Book

by Better Homes and Gardens

Take a walk down memory lane with this 1950s decorating classic, re-released for a whole new generation

The year is 1956. America is a mere decade past World War II. Richard Nixon is next in command to President Dwight Eisenhower, the Dow Jones soars above 500, and Norma Jean Mortenson legally changes her name to Marilyn Monroe. Two words described the decade, as John Updike wrote in the short story “When Everyone Was Pregnant”: Fear and gratitude. And during this boom period, grateful young families thrilled to find themselves homeowners after the uncertainty of the Great Depression followed by a second Great War. Those empty rooms needed filling in order to make the house a home, and homeowners turned to the iconic Better Homes and Gardens brand.

Better Homes and Gardens Decorating Book, the first edition of a title that would spawn ten editions over the years, became the new home bible for injecting class, style (and the occasional misguided cowboy wallpaper) into American homes. While exploring numerous styles, the main theme of the book is the on-trend mid-century modern sensibility, a style as appropriate today as it was six decades ago when the book was initially released.

Filled with hundreds of full-color period photos, dozens of adorable illustrations, and decorating tips and tricks that are both helpful and nostalgic, the book remains a fun classic. With this welcome hardcover release, reproduced exactly as it looked and read in the 1950s, everything old is new again.

Genres: Nonfiction

400 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2017

About the author

Better Homes and Gardens is the fourth best selling magazine in the United States. Better Homes and Gardens focuses on interests regarding homes, cooking, gardening, crafts, healthy living, decorating, and entertaining. The magazine is published 12 times per year by the Meredith Corporation. It was founded in 1922 by Edwin Meredith, who had previously been the United States Secretary of Agriculture under Woodrow Wilson.

Better Homes and Gardens is one of the "Seven Sisters", a group of women's service magazines.

Reviews

[Carolyn Page · Rating 4 out of 5]

OK, so some of these rooms are laughably, horribly tacky, but the driving principles remain the same despite the changing fashions. I think its gonna be a while before the world recovers from the chevron craze of the early 2010s...

[LemontreeLime · Rating 4 out of 5]

oh my! love it! I have always had a deep passion for the designs of mid century modern, and having this reprint in my hands is like manna from heaven! (& surprisingly the advice inside still has quite a bit of merit, even if the culture it was written for is long since gone.) pure fun and nostalgia.

[Eve Markley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a full color reproduction of a book originally printed in 1961. Styles have changed a lot, but the principles of decorating have not.

I bought this book because I want to decorate my home in mid-century modern style. The pictures provide a faithful reproduction of the era. Not all of the styles featured are what we think of when we think of mid-century. There was a lot of colonial and traditional going on back then too.

The colors in the abundant illustrations were a bit muted or faded, I thought. But I think that was typical of this type of printing back then. I can remember my textbooks often looked the same way.

I found the book completely delightful in every way and it gave me some decorating tips that I'm anxious to put into practice.

[Megan Close Zavala · Rating 4 out of 5]

While this is a bit dated in some ways, this was a fun read. Lots of good advice and stunning, colorful pictures. It makes me want to live in the 1950s/1960s, but plenty of the concepts and suggestions are applicable today. I felt really inspired, even if I have to make do with an apartment for now!

[Two Readers in Love · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a fun reprint, especially for those of us with mid-century homes.

Contemporary shelter magazines will frequently praise a certain design scheme as "timeless," but studying a 1961 reprint throws that into a better context. Every human design, even "timelessness," is of a time. A surprising amount from 1961 holds up.

[Liselotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was SUCH an interesting read! I really love mid-century design and this book gave me a lot of tips to improve my own home. I highly recommend it if you are into mid-century home design, but as well if you have an interest in the history!

[Mandy Crumb · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful and usable book for decorating. The illustrations and photographs are straight out of the 1960's. Some of the ideas are no longer accepted for decorating such as wall to wall carpeting but the level of nostalgia is fantastic.

[Amy Hesterman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just so incredibly fun to look at! Our styles have definitely changed over the years but the concepts in this book are still very applicable. Now, I wish they would do one on the 70s!

[Wendy Zuern · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this for the title. I didn’t know it was from 1961. Hilarious and fabulous.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great photos, diagrams, and tips for the mid-century design enthusiast.

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is probably one of the best decorating books of all time for regular people. The one negative is that the photos aren't as pixel-perfect as you'd expect from a more contemporary design book, but honestly, who cares? So many of these 1961 designs look modern, probably because our current era looks endlessly backward. So, let's roll with it! The principles are eternal, the tone is cheerful, and it's a pure joy to page through after doomscrolling peel-and-stick Amazon affiliate TikTok hacks.