Life in the 1940s during World War II included rationing and regulations that stopped production of cars and many household items. The 1940s home featured many common items that are no longer common items in homes of the 21st century.
Living Room
In the 1940s, home entertainment consisted of radio shows, board games, card games, listening to music and reading. If the family only had one radio, then it was usually in the living room so they could invite friends and neighbors for coffee and dessert while listening to "Amos ‘n’ Andy," Bing Crosby, "The Green Hornet" or one of the other popular shows of the era. Phonographs played big bands including Glenn Miller and Duke Ellington. Living rooms had a magazine rack to hold the newspaper and magazines, with floor lamps behind the chairs for better light. The 1940s home had blackout curtains during World War II to make cities a more difficult target for a potential enemy.
Dining Room
Telephones sat on a small “telephone table” that had a drawer to hold the phone book. The telephone was usually in the dining room to not interrupt conversation or radio listening in the living room. The average dining room set consisted of table and chairs, buffet and china closet. Even budget homes often had a chandelier as part of the decor. Large wall mirrors hung above the buffet. Wax flower arrangements were a popular adornment on furniture throughout the home.
Kitchen
The kitchen had some appliances, but not nearly as many as today. Standard appliances of the era included toasters, mixers, iceboxes or refrigerators, stoves and ovens. Other kitchen items included teakettles, coffee makers, coffee grinders, cookie jars and canisters. Chrome was popular for its beauty and easy of cleaning. A typical kitchen table had metal legs and frame with an enamel top. Most homes did not have air conditioning, so a floor fan to cool the kitchen during the summer months was a common sight. The floor was linseed linoleum.
Bedroom
While builders designed bedroom closets as a standard feature in new construction in the 1940s, many people lived in older homes. They used a shift robe, which is a piece of furniture with a bar for hanging clothes plus drawers for folded items. It was standard for a large mirror to attach to the bureau. Many women had a hope chest, also called a cedar chest. All furniture was solid wood.
Other House Items
Wool room rugs became standard during the 1940s. Previously, homes had area rugs on bare hardwood or linoleum floors. People had the same electric appliances for laundry and cleaning as we do, including an automatic washing machine, steam iron and vacuum cleaner.
FAQs
Still, the '40s brought us Jeep, the Slinky, Velcro, Tupperware AND Frisbee. And all of the Beatles were born in the '40s. It is almost impossible to explain how much of an impact the war had on all aspects of life. You were not allowed to simply waltz into a store and buy as much sugar, butter or meat as you like.
What home decor was in style in the 1940s? ›
Colors often hovered in the range of pastels. Iconographic shapes like scallops, sweeps, and curves were common. Unfinished pine was a favored inexpensive wood often used for kitchen cabinets. These were touches that hearkened back to an earlier, more innocent age before the war.
What furniture was popular in the 1940s? ›
The 1940s | Popular Materials & Motifs
Bent wood furniture was very popular and even featured in fashion shoots for Vogue magazine. Metal was used sparingly for decoration. Paint and lacquer enhanced the design of many 1940s pieces. Arabesque design motifs were in vogue, especially for French designers.
What were homes like in the 1940s? ›
The exterior of a home built during this decade was often of a red brick siding, and the interior home flooring was often of hardwood, just as it was in earlier decades. Other luxuries of 1940s homes included newly-installed roofing, kitchen cupboards, spacious rooms, and thermostat controlled heat.
What items were in the kitchen in the 1940s? ›
Colanders, ladels, milk jugs, deep saucepots, measuring jugs, kettles, buckets…the list is endless. The white versions became the norm in the 1940s but this period definitely favoured green. They can still be used in the way they were intended even though they now will all have enamel loss and slight rusting.
What products came out in the 1940s? ›
During the Second World War, the 1940s bring some of the greatest inventions of all time. And in the peaceful years that followed, all that inventing know-how would carry on in ways never imagined. Featured inventions include: the jet engine, the computer, the microwave oven, kitty litter, and the Crash Test Dummy.
What were popular colors in the 1940s? ›
Yellow, red, and blue tones were incredibly popular. So too were soft greens like mint and aqua. Not unlike today, women tended to wear lighter, softer colors during summer months. Pastels were always appropriate for bright spring and summer days.
What toys did boys have in the 40s? ›
Popular toys from the 1940s resonate with kids of all ages. Innovative 1940s children's toys include the Slinky, the Magic 8 Ball, Circus Sam the Balancing Man, Silly Putty, and Shoot the Moon.
How much was a nice house in 1940? ›
Of course, location matters. The median value for a house in New Mexico in 1940 was just $656 — or $6,800 when adjusted to 2000 dollars. The same year, the median value for a home in California clocked in at $3,527, or the equivalent of $36,700. And prices haven't risen uniformly.
What was trendy in 1940? ›
1940s fashion icons
They wore tailored skirt suits, beautiful dresses with full skirts and cinched-in at the waist, and embraced androgynous style with suits or a pair of wide-legged trousers and monochrome flats. They certainly weren't afraid to experiment.
1940s – Lego was the top toy at Christmas in the 40s
In the 40s Lego made its debut and became the most popular toy of the year. Nearly 80 years on, Lego is still as popular as ever with children and adults alike. Meccano was also a hit and another toy that is still around today.
What were popular toys in the 1940s? ›
Innovative 1940s children's toys include the Slinky, the Magic 8 Ball, Circus Sam the Balancing Man, Silly Putty, and Shoot the Moon. The 1940s decade brought beloved games for all ages as well- Candyland, Chutes & Ladders, Scrabble, Rummikub and Clue, to name a few.
What was the biggest thing in 1940? ›
Timeline of 1940 Events: World War II Takes Shape. In this timeline, you'll find important events that happened in 1940 relating to World War Two, such as Dunkirk, The Blitz and the establishment of Auschwitz Concentration Camp.
