You all must remember some years ago, ducks and geese, with blue and white gingham, and blue ribbons, and jam jars, and a ‘country’ vibe - that decor was everywhere.
So this weekend I went to an estate sale full of: framed prints of vintage looking palm trees on a dark shore: clocks, boxes, suitcases of dark faux leather like old steamer trunks, and more palm trees. Antique-y looking prints of monkeys and elephants. Everything vintage, weathered looking, like grandpa’s luggage from the turn of the century, like old maps. Do you know what I’m talking about? Home decor stores were chock full of the stuff in the 90’s. (I loved it myself) but it seems to have disappeared.
Was there a name for this kind of decor? ‘Heart of Darkness’? ‘Memories of Colonialism’?
Ah! I never knew the name, but knew it had to do with British Colonialism. An odd thing to see at the time… I had friends out in the 'burbs, lower middle class types with a nice house, but whose home decor featured dozens of bad Sears family portraits on a wood paneled wall, and framed prints of vases of roses, galloping horsies against a prairie sunset, and inspirational prayerful posters all over. They inherited a little money and all of a sudden there was pale wall-to-wall carpeting, dark carved bed posts, inlaid wood dining room suite, duvet covers printed with antique-y looking maps and compasses, and huge triptych wall art of those dam palm trees on a distant fatal shore. A big change! Well, it was all the rage then!
It’s the Empire equivalent of Tiki decor - there’s a bit of crossover with the steamer trunks and palm trees, but Explorer doesn’t have all the Polynesian nick-knacks and has either a Raj or Happy Valley thing going on. It’s all very Pith Helmet-y.
I’d call it Jumanji Style, myself. Or Gearless Steampunk.
Anybody remember the early days of Banana Republic when it was all safari jackets and pith helmets? I think that was the 80s but is probably part of the sane overall trend.