# Watching Old Movies for Old Home Decorating and Design

- Link: https://www.oldhouseguy.com/old-home-decorating/
- Published: 2014-02-25T09:07:00-05:00
- Author: Ken Roginski

[⌊1906 vintage kitchen hoosier cabinet drainboard sink⌉⌊1906 vintage kitchen hoosier
cabinet drainboard sink⌉[

Old Home Decorating should be done tastefully and with care.  Choosing an appropriate
period in history to match your house is the first step.  To give your guests the
feel you want there is quite a bit you will need to understand.

Of course if you have a vintage home you do not have to decorate it in an old style.
However if you decorate to the period of your house, the experience your guests 
will have will be much more memorable.

The secret is to maintain the flow. Viewing your house from the exterior should 
set your mind up for “an experience” as you enter the home and move from room to
room. That same feeling should continue right into the kitchen.

Antique furniture is not all that set the stage for your old home decorating.  The
layout is also important.  Let me use coffee tables as an example.  While they are
nice to have today, you would not find them in a 1920’s house.  Nor will you find
end tables.  Furniture layout was different.  While you don’t have to make your 
home into a museum, if you try to be as real as you can and not like everyone else’s
home, your guests will be more impressed.

# Models to Follow for Old Home Decorating and Design

Watching old movies can be very educational for owners of old homes. You will see
examples of interior and exterior architectural features, landscaping, wallpaper,
furniture, lighting, gadgets, etc. that will help with decorating your old home.

Watching a contemporary film of the period is your best example. In other words 
if you are watching a silent film from 1915 that takes place in 1915 (or close to
it), you then have a great example to follow.

Be careful with older movies that represent earlier times.  The movie “[I’ll Cry Tomorrow ](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0048191/)”
with Susan Hayward (1955) is supposed to take place in the 1930’s, but the musical
style, clothing, and hair style, and furniture are 1950’s.

Most old movies were filmed on movie sets and not in real homes, but these interior
and exterior props were designed based on real life rooms of the period. **So a 
movie set is as accurate as if it were a real house of the time – except for the
cardboard walls.**

![old home decorating to 1924 movie set](https://www.oldhouseguy.com/blog/wp-content/
uploads/2013/01/old-home-decorating.jpg "1924 Buster Keaton in Sherlock Jr. movie
set")

1924 old home decorating. Note wallpapers, hard wood floors with throw rugs on top
of rugs, electric and gas sconce, portieres, pictures, chair rail height, etc.

 

[⌊hold house decorating⌉⌊hold house decorating⌉[

Here is a colorized version.

[Sherlock Jr. (Buster Keaton 1924) ](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0015324/) in the
above photo is one such example to follow.  There is really a lot of information
in this picture to use as a model for old home decorating.

Some things I like to pick out are the new electric wires mounted on the exterior
of the wall which leads to a toggle light switch predating push-button switches.

Round frosted light bulbs that look like ping pong balls in chandeliers and sconces,
are seen in silent films in 1920 and then changed to more pointed bulbs around the
mid 1930’s.

[⌊1934 light bulbs⌉⌊1934 light bulbs⌉[

Notice the calendar says 1934, the round frosted light bulbs in the sconces, and
the style of the picture frames on the walls.

Many times at movie-night parties with friends I will have to ask to reverse the
movie just so I can get a closer look at a light switch or a toaster. You can imagine
my friend’s enjoyment when I ask that!

If not an old contemporary movie then [look at actual historic catalogs. ](https://www.oldhouseguy.com/catalogs/)
No disneyland or period inspired photos here!

[⌊original shutter mounting⌉⌊original shutter mounting⌉[

Notice the shutters how they are mounted. How the look when closed and opened and
that they fold over double.

Through this I found a good photo of exterior folding shutters to add to my website.

Notice the 2^(nd) floor windows. On the center window the shutters are closed but
on the right window the shutters are open and folded over to fit into a narrow space.
This is important to know if you have a similar window and want to add shutters.

There are also some books I have listed on my website.  These books are great for
old home decorating.

Here is one such book I recommend. [Interior photos 1860-1917 ](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0761991344/kenroginskihisto)
This book features a collection of photos from 1860 through 1917 of real rooms in
average homes that a person can relate to.

What better way to understand period decorating styles than by examples.

So get the popcorn, sit back, and let the silver screen transport you back in time
and help you with your old home and antiques.

**Please use the Comment box below to let us know if you have any suggestions of
movies or photos sites!**

Check out my [old home decorating ](https://www.oldhouseguy.com/my_restoration) 
here.

## UPDATE:

I always wanted a piano shawl or piano scarf for my player piano.  I have seen them
briefly in the background of old movies.   I have searched for them for years at
flee markets and on the internet with no luck.

When watching the [1933 version of Little Women ](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0024264/)
with [Katherine Hepburn ](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katharine_Hepburn) and [Joan Bennett ](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan_Bennett),
I noticed that every fireplace mantle was dressed in a mantle scarf – not really
different from a piano scarf.  I paused the movie and took photographs.

I was able to see the type of material, tassels and fringes, and how it was constructed.
Notice in the photo, to create the draped look, it is tacked to the underside of
the mantle.

Of course I would not put tacks in my piano, but can have it stitched as such to
reproduce an authentic piano scarf.   I would have it draped higher in the center
for access to the piano rolls.

Here are the pictures if you would also like to copy them!

[⌊mantle shawl piano shawl⌉⌊mantle shawl piano shawl⌉[

Notice the drape effect is created by inserting tacks into the fireplace. Stitching
would be better.

[⌊old home decorating mantle scarf long tassel⌉⌊old home decorating mantle scarf
long tassel⌉[

Larger tassels on this mantle scarf show authentic old home decorating. Look at 
how young Joan Bennett is here.

**Our readers along with myself would love to hear any stories you have about “movie
inspiration” for your home etc.**