Why I love the 1950s midcentury lifestyle

There’s something about the 1950s that has always tugged at my heartstrings in the most comforting way. Perhaps it’s the charm of a simpler time, or maybe it’s the deeply rooted values that shaped everyday life, whatever it is, I’ve long been enchanted by that era.

I started very young with this odd little fascination. As a little girl, I used to fall asleep listening to a cassette tape, always of the soft, comforting voice of Doris Day. She too was a favourite movie star, and if it wasn’t her, it would be Marilyn, Audrey, or a multitude of musicals.

If I chose to watch a “modern” movie or TV show, you’d bet it was at least set in the midcentury, The Darling Buds of May, Dirty Dancing, Grease, Blue Suede Shoes, Happy Days, Heartbeat… and the notes of Frank, Bing, and Elvis were familiars too.

A snippet of my magazine collection

These sights and sounds still fill my home today. It’s very much a choice I make - and for a reason.

What I distinctly remember from a very young age, is being acutely aware of a kind of gentle romance found in those old-fashioned movies. That is what I dreamed about the most. Even then, I realised I was nostalgic for a slower, sweeter time and wanted a life shaped just like it.

I didn’t feel truly confident to step into it during my late teens and twenties, but then something shifted, and I realised life is too short to be anyone but myself… choosing these decades to reference for my lifestyle really makes my heart sing. We can select the best parts of it, and leave the not so lovely bits 70 years behind, where they belong.

I used to feel like I was born too late, but actually I was born in a perfect time to make great choices for myself - and so were you!

People often say they were born too late but perhaps we’re actually here so that these things don’t get forgotten. Maybe some of us are here to help keep the good parts of history alive.

Vintage style AND vintage values

I’m also deeply fascinated by what I read in countless vintage magazines about the daily rhythm of life back in the mid 20th century. Specifically on the topics of homemaking, family, love, and community.

The 1950s weren’t perfect of course, and a lot of the values of the time weren’t favourable, but the heart of home seemed to beat a little louder than it does today (or was at least talked about more than it is today), and that’s what I find myself drawn to again and again. Today feels like too much hustle.

The decade also arrived on the heels of a long and painful war, and people were desperate to build something beautiful out of the rubble. There was a collective sigh of relief, a hunger for peace, and a deep desire for stability.

That post-war optimism coloured nearly everything. How homes were built, how families were formed, and how people lived their day-to-day lives. Life wasn’t about excess, it was about enough. Enough food on the table. Enough laughter in the living room. Enough peace to tuck your babies in at night without the shadow of sirens or loss.

They hadn’t forgotten just how precious even the simplest of resources were, and that attitude is incomprehensible to most of us in the modern western world.

People were grateful for what they had. They had known fear and sacrifice, and now they embraced the ordinary with reverence. A roof over your head, a steady job, and a family to care for were the things that made life rich. I fear that so many of us have forgotten that today, and I certainly need the reminders too, and often.

I just feel like we have lost a little bit of contentment with living ordinary wholesome lives, too concerned with keeping up with trends, and the chasing of things, yet it is proven time and time again that hustling for excess isn’t what makes us happy - it’s having and enjoying the simpler things. Things that were once at great risk.

Domestic life in the 1950s had a sense of purpose that feels nearly lost in today’s hustle. The home wasn’t just a place to crash between obligations, it was the heartbeat of the family. Husbands worked to provide for it and it was a sense of pride for them to do so, and wives “worked” the home. Meals weren’t grabbed on the go, they were planned, prepared with care, and served with a sense of occasion. The kitchen was a warm and busy place, filled with the sounds of bubbling saucepans, clinking dishes, and maybe a bit of Bing Crosby playing in the background. It was a space where a woman’s creativity shone, not as a chore, but as an act of love.

You could chalk this up to “nostalgia”, or even anemoia on my part, but one thing I am very good at is chatting up old ladies! I’ve had the pleasure of meeting and spending time with a lot of ladies of much older generations, and always ask them to tell me what life was like as a homemaker back then - nearly every story corroborates this lost world of home, pride, and purpose.

Just as we imagine it, it was.

There was an art to homemaking then, and I don’t mean that as a tired cliché. There was real pride in making a house feel like a home, in keeping things tidy and lovely. Not to impress guests, but to nurture the ones who lived there. A vase of fresh flowers on the table, a homemade dessert waiting after dinner, children playing in the garden, it all speaks to a quiet kind of beauty that often gets overlooked today.

Family time wasn’t something you had to schedule and fight for between commitments. It just happened, naturally. Evenings were often spent together, whether around the dinner table or in the living room, with board games, records, or simple conversation. It was slower, yes, but in that slowness came connection. There wasn’t always the distraction of screens or the relentless noise of a world that never stops. People looked each other in the eye more. Children knew their parents were truly present. Marriages, while not without their struggles, had space to breathe and grow in a steadier, more grounded way.

And then, of course, there’s the romance of it all.

I don’t just mean the fashion, though there’s something undeniably lovely about a full skirt and a man in slacks. I mean the way men and women treated each other - with a certain sweetness and gentleness that’s rare today. Courtship was slower, more intentional. Even after marriage, there was room for tenderness and thoughtfulness. Husbands brought home flowers just because. Wives wrote little notes and tucked them into coat pockets. Holding hands, and a gentle touch on the small of the back was a way of being close, a kiss on the hand, a peck on the cheek. Romance wasn’t reserved for Valentine’s Day and anniversaries, it was stitched into daily life.

There was an expectation for romance, and the movies and music echoed that. Magazines published short stories of romance. There was always a happy ending.

Look at today in comparison, when was the last time you read or watched something truly romantic? I’m concerned it is altering the neurons in our brains and we are expecting bad things to happen.

What you consume brings you either health, or harm. That’s why I choose media from the midcentury instead, it was optimistic in nature!

How Queen Elizabeth II embodied the values of the 1950s

And how could we speak of the 1950s without mentioning Her Majesty?

Queen Elizabeth II came to the throne in 1952, and she quickly became a symbol of dignity, grace, and continuity. Her coronation was one of the first major world events broadcast on television, and millions watched with wide eyes and full hearts as a young woman accepted the enormous weight of duty with quiet strength. She wasn’t just a monarch; she was a beloved figurehead during a time of renewal and rebuilding. For many women, she was a gentle inspiration - feminine yet powerful, regal yet humble. Her presence brought a kind of reassurance, reminding a weary world that stability and honour still had a place.

What made the 1950s especially beautiful to me, though, were the values that held it all together. Here are some of the ideals that anchored life during that decade…

The core values that defined the 1950s

• Family first
  The nuclear family was the cornerstone of society. A typical household often included a breadwinning father, a homemaking mother, and children. Roles were clearly defined. Not as limitations, but as a way of working in harmony. There was pride in being a devoted parent, a loving spouse, and a good neighbour.

• Marriage was sacred
  Marriage was seen as a lifelong commitment. Divorce was rare and carried stigma, so couples were encouraged to work through difficulties, not walk away from them. There was a strong cultural narrative that promoted enduring love, loyalty, and mutual support.

• Homemaking was honoured
  A tidy home, warm meals, and well-raised children weren’t trivial, they were achievements. Homemakers were respected for their work and often praised for their creativity and dedication. The home was a woman’s kingdom, and she ruled it with care.

• Respect for authority and your elders
  Children were raised to respect their parents, teachers, and elders. Good manners, politeness, and obedience were seen as virtues. Discipline was expected, and character development was part of parenting.

• Strong community ties
  Neighbours knew each other by name. It was common to pop over for a cup of tea, share vegetables from the garden, or offer help when someone was sick. Social life revolved around community gatherings, school events, and Sunday church services.

• Faith and tradition
  For many families, religion was central. Sundays were for rest, worship, and family meals. The church offered more than doctrine, it offered belonging, structure, and a shared moral compass.

• Civic pride and responsibility
  There was a deep sense of responsibility toward country and community. People voted, attended meetings, volunteered, and took pride in contributing to the greater good. There was a belief that every citizen had a role to play.

• Modesty and decorum
  Fashion was feminine, behaviour was dignified, and public conduct mattered. People took care in how they spoke and carried themselves, with an emphasis on humility and grace.

Bringing 1950s values into modern life

So how can we carry these values forward in a modern world that often feels rushed and fragmented? I believe it starts with intentionality. We may not all have the same family structure, but we can still put our homes and relationships first. We can cook dinner from scratch a few nights a week, sit together at the table without screens, and listen, really listen, to one another. We can honour marriage by choosing commitment, even when it’s hard. We can slow down enough to notice the little things like a clean home, a freshly made bed, a kind word spoken. We can build community with our neighbours, smile at the shopkeeper, drop off a meal for a new mum. We can dress with care, speak with kindness, and look for opportunities to serve. The values of the 1950s don’t need to stay in the past, they just need willing hearts to live them out in fresh and thoughtful ways.

The values of the 1950s don’t need to stay in the past, they just need willing hearts to live them out in fresh and thoughtful ways.

Some may say I’m idealising the past, and maybe I am, just a little. But I don’t look back on the 1950s with blind nostalgia. I see it as a blueprint. An inspiration. A reminder that home can be a haven, that family can be our greatest joy, and that love can be gentle and enduring.

For me, embracing the heart of the 1950s isn’t about going backward, it’s about choosing values that still hold timeless beauty. It’s about making room in our lives for the things that matter most, and letting the rest fall away.

And that, I think, is something truly worth loving.