The Brady Bunch began airing in 1969 — their birthday was just a few days ago, Sept. 26. This 1969 paint color brochure from Benjamin Moore is not featuring their house, but it might as well be. The colors that dominated the upcoming 70s era are all here: Empire Gold, Mango Orange, Wedgwood (aka Avocado) Green, Tobacco Brown…. The 1969 living room above isn’t exactly Carol Brady — she and architect Mike had the mod California split level thing going on… but I particularly like the arrangement of prints and wall plaques. This is definitely “coolonial” decor, groovy in its own right. Click through for 14 more images from 1969, some of which are sure to have you scratching your head saying, Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!…
To view the slide show, click on the first thumbnail. Once it’s enlarged, click on the arrow below to move forward or back. You can start the slide show from any spot…
Broyhill Brasilia and Sculptra — pictures from a vintage furniture catalog 
Decorating a 1960s kitchen — 21 photos with even more ideas from 1962 kitchens 
Broyhill Premier Chapter One furniture — 1970s dream design — 20 photos 
Vintage Virden lighting — 52 page catalog from 1959 
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FABULOUS! where did i leave my time machine?
Gee,
I guess I was a bit ahead of my time when in 1965 I had slipcovers made of a huge floral in orange, gold and green similar to the one in picture 2. This was in my very first apartment of my own in NYC, a brownstone. On the windows I put orange burlap drapes — the only time in my life I have had drapes on any window. The cat(s) climb them so I did away with them. Also, I have been lucky to have lived in older places with wonderful trim on the windows.
OMG, Image 5 is MY Living room! The fireplace was brick, the curtains were a beautiful colorful watercolor floral made from sheets, pinch pleat, and the plaster trim was periwinkle blue from the print. I am saving that pic, what a trip back in time. I had blue denim covers on my oh, so modern sofa that hubby and I built.
Hi Pam,
Just wanted to thank you for sharing all these wonderful images you’ve been posting this last week. I’ve loved all of them and thoroughly enjoyed looking at each and every detail. Wish I had all these catalogs!!!
You’re welcome, Martha! Fun for me, too!
“Oh, my nose!” I think I saw that floral print couch in a thrift store recently? I’ve been waiting for ’69 – that’s the year I was hatched.
That’s it – now I have to add a brick chimney to our house and paint it Pepto pink.
A simpler time…when your upholstered furniture “don’t show the gravy” so to speak!
Pam-
What a great post! We liked it so much that we just shared it on our Facebook page! http://www.facebook.com/benjaminmoorepaints
Lisa
Community Manager
Benjamin Moore
Two thoughts: The Brady’s weren’t the only family with a swining pad. Don’t forget that Shirley Partridge had a pretty goovy house
I can’t beleive that not one of those coffee tables in the living rooms pictures had a set of large glass grapes sitting on top. Just about everyone of my playmates homes had these things when I was gowing up.
I mean “swinging”.
Loving that orange sectional couch!
I wonder what year the first macrame hanging planter and schefflera tree will show up?
Isn’t it funny how many of the colors in these brochures are coming back into modern decoration? Not necessarily in some of these rather retinal-scarring combinations, but still.
A few years ago I stayed in a modern hotel with valance boxes eerily similar to those in pic 3 (the green ones). Love the style, but knowing the vintage sort of dilutes the effect (of being modern and chic, that is).
I was just thinking how busy this first room is, and how much I really do like organized clutter.
I used to really love Bewitched, another show from the 60’s. Samantha had a very nice house. Her dining room had early American style nailed down. And she had great hair, too.
What in the world is that crazy painting in the second picture?
(Very) Early storyboard artwork for the movie, “Insidious”.
Our house was full of brown, gold and green stuff. Not much orange. That collection of wall decor in the first photo makes me think of another big trend back then, which was to have a family photo gallery somewhere in the house, such as the family room. It featured all of the kids’ school photos, family portraits, and those big frames filled with lots of little squares and circles for snapshots. They’d be arranged in a similar fashion as the elements in that photo, with a variety of frame styles and shapes. My grandma still has hers on the wall, and it is such a hoot to look at — the men in their leisure suits and big sideburns, and the ladies with shag haircuts.
Yes! Think avocado green, orange and harvest gold. Done!
Oooo! Thank you for this! My mobile home is from 1969. I love this time period and love (most of) the original features left in my little house.