Most Depression Era bedrooms featured Colonial-style furniture, a holdover decor alternative from the 1920s. Another trend in the 1930s was streamlined Moderne furniture, for instance, sleek Waterfall design, with its curved edges and delicate inlay patterns. Waterfall spinoffs arose to cater to customers with declining incomes. Straightforward farmhouse furniture also typified ’30s-era bedroom decoration. Depression Era furniture was diverse; several bedrooms exhibited mixed styles. To emulate the look, you may include different furniture styles at the exact same bedroom.
Colonial Holdover
An early ’30s-era bedroom exhibits remnants of the former decade’s trends, including a dark, Colonial-style dresser having a trifold mirror and a skirted dresser stool. Walls in cream, mauve or dove gray dot with the subdued, Depression Era palette. A Colonial 2- or four-poster bed in dark mahogany adds a real touch, as does a Colonial dresser. Ruffled bedspreads and curtains deliver vintage authenticity. Accent pieces might incorporate a Priscilla — a portable sewing rack with arch particulars, turned legs, and flaps that are double-sided and hinged.
Art Moderne Sojourn
Waterfall furniture adorns many ’30s-era bedrooms. The style has curving edges, subtle inlays and Bakelite handles. A streamlined vanity may possess the inlays and an outsized, circular mirror. A matching sleigh bed generates unity. For Depression Era bedrooms on a budget, a Borax dresser provides a much less expensive choice — Borax pieces feature yellow undertones and extensive, painted inlays. Floral wallpaper is a staple of the era, but a Borax dresser is offset by the plainness of a good accent wall in soft yellow, gold or sloping.
Farmhouse Charm
Many ’30s-era bedrooms have a rustic farmhouse sensibility. A white iron bed conveys simple elegance, combining with a white chenille bedspread and other white accents, including a porcelain light fixture and a porcelain doorknob. Light coloured furniture adds into this ’30s-era farmhouse motif. A fundamental dresser in pine coordinates, and easy drawers with wood knobs increase the timeless appeal. A circular, skirted accent table has a homemade look. Or pair a skirted or embroidered stool with a simple vanity at light pine.
In the Next Decade
Traditional styles coexist in Depression Era bedrooms, and not only Colonial style, which saw a series of 20th-century revivals. A ’30s-era bachelor’s chest — or chifforette — might feature both Chippendale and Queen Anne-style detailing. Commingling in one bedroom, multiple styles of furniture display the ’30s-era innovation of five-ply veneers. From ruffled curtains to kerosene lamps with frosted glass, floral patterns abound in ’30s and ’40s-era bedrooms, including the relief work on dressing tables, dressers, accent beds and chairs with wide headboards and foot boards.