“Everything old is new again.”

Looking at the furniture ads that come with the newspapers and magazines proves that point.

After World War II, Ball Band or Uniroyal developed naugahyde, soon everything was covered with the new fabric. The homes of my parents and other family members soon had everything possible recovered with naugahyde.

Sofas, chairs and car seats were covered with the new indestructible material. After naugahyde, pleather – a leather imitation – took over and was used for clothing, coats, handbags, hats and shoes.

Today we are back to the colors of the 50s and 60s. You know the colors I am talking about: avocado, gold and a little orange thrown in for good measure.

Furniture was redesigned from the overstuffed scratchy mohair to the   leathery items on blond wooden legs. Some even had chrome legs.

Every professional waiting room had the same furniture. Very serviceable, sanitary and uncomfortable.

Then came a period of neutral colors  inspired by the maven of decorating. Martha, her magazine and TV show,  made everything look bigger and brighter with white and off white walls, furniture and appliances. Pastel colors were the new rage.

Next came the era of dirt. Taupe was the name of the color with walls and decorating accessories looking like a cloudy Michigan winter day. Anyone in the Midwest could identify with the color and many of us did not use it. It reminded us of the gloomy winter days. But in the  sunny south and western states they needed a little gloom in their lives and taupe became a popular color choice.

Advocating painting rooms with dark or bright colors is the “new thing” today. Making rooms look like caves and the colors of the 50s are back.

When I look at the before and after pictures in the decorating magazines, I really prefer the before pictures. The color pallet of 50 to 60 years ago was ugly then and is still ugly today.

Not for me. I’m not buying it. Couldn’t wait to get rid of my gold sleeper sofa, my avocado stove and refrigerator and orange naugahyde chair.

Not going there again. I’ll stick to the pastel colors even if they are out of date.