Elvis would have turned 75 this year and there is still tremendous interest in the man’s life and music.  We all know about Elvis’ contribution to the music world and even the fashion world but what contributions did he make to the interior decorating world?  One visit to his home, Graceland, and you may be able to answer this question.

At first glance this house appears to be gaudy and pretentious.  But a closer look shows that the house was decorated in the style and colors popular in the early sixties.   Overlook the gilding and red velvet and you may be surprised to find that many of those design ideas are popular again today.  For example:

• The color yellow is used throughout the home from the soft yellow found in the living room to the vibrant yellow  bar in the playroom downstairs.  In 2009 the color yellow, aptly named Mimosa by Pantone, was a very popular color for home decorating.  The color blue is also used throughout the house and, lo and behold, the color of the year for 2010 is turquoise and related shades of  blue.
• The famous Jungle Room features hand carved chairs from Indonesia.  In today’s interiors, rustic and hand crafted items are very popular as are animal print fabrics.
• Graceland was decorated to accommodate a large family that gathered and ate together in the dining room and played together in the living areas.  Due to the state of today’s economy, many families are  now decorating their homes in a way that encourages and supports interaction with their families.
• Every room in Elvis’ home has several televisions and the latest electronic gadgets for the time.  Does this sound familiar?  Today’s homes also feature TVs in every room and enough electronic gadgets to fill a warehouse.  Not sure this is a good thing but it is the way of the future.

This article is a bit tongue-in-cheek but it is interesting to see how decorating and design trends come full circle.