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Home / By the Decade / 1940s

1940s color ideas from a 1939 Kroehler guide

pam kueber - March 21, 2010, Updated: November 10, 2020

Retro Renovation stopped publishing in 2021; these stories remain for historical information, as potential continued resources, and for archival purposes.

Feast your retro eyes on the 1939 color harmony guide from Kroehler, one of the largest furniture manufacturers back in the day. That smart devil Missouri Michael found it on ebay — it’s still in its original crinkled cellophane wrapper (!) — won it for $2 with no competition, and posted it on his blog. Drats and double drats. It should have been miiiiiiine. My search terms are failing me. Good news, Michael very graciously gave me permission to show the color chart here, too. Remember my recent post on 1940s decorating style? Colors like the ones above are synonymous with the era: Jewel tones with strong Hollywood-glamour contrasts…As well as sweet and sunny kinda-grayed-out pastels. Also: Notice the cheery prints recommended for window treatments. You can read more about Michael’s find — and also access a larger version of this color chart — over on his wonderful blog, Cul-de-sac Shack. Thank you, Michael!

CATEGORIES:
1940s Paint

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10 comments

Comments

  1. Elena says

    March 26, 2010 at 12:08 pm

    Thanks for sharing – this is very inspirational! Love the dusty rose/coral print combo.

  2. Jenny says

    March 23, 2010 at 1:26 pm

    I’m in desperate need of someplace that sells retro looking flooring to go in my original 50’s kitchen. Any suggestions???

    Jenny

    • pam kueber says

      March 23, 2010 at 1:52 pm

      Jenny – go up to the blue navigation bar… Find PRODUCTS… Kitchens… flooring.

  3. Kathy says

    March 21, 2010 at 11:57 pm

    Thanks so much for posting these! Forties, forties, forties!!

  4. jkarrigan says

    March 21, 2010 at 10:44 pm

    great find

  5. Dix says

    March 21, 2010 at 6:28 pm

    I love those colors together!

  6. Mel Kolstad says

    March 21, 2010 at 3:04 pm

    Oh, how fabulous. I’m off to Ebay right now, to see if I can snag on of these beauts myself – that is, unless you beat me to the punch, Pam! 😀

  7. Michelle Teall says

    March 21, 2010 at 2:54 pm

    Thanks for sharing, this is lovely and inspirational!

  8. handyandy says

    March 21, 2010 at 11:48 am

    Oh, woe is me, I need that color guide badly! I need to hold that honey yellow sample up to my barkcloth curtains. ……whimper, whimper…….

  9. gavin hastings says

    March 21, 2010 at 11:32 am

    I love these colors!

    And in relation to the previous postings about colors: I believe that what “looked good” in previous decades was quite different to what we consider harmonious today.

    Availability was also a problem. Kem-Tone paint was the runaway favorite of the 1940’s and made in 10 colors….yup, 10 colors. Pick one….

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