Go 1940’s on a Budget
by Kassadee Marie, HSM team writer
Hi-de-ho! The first half of the decade between 1940 and 1949 saw the people of the world at war and almost every nation in Europe, North America, Asia and a lot of South America and Africa was involved in the war or affected by it. The second half of the decade was filled with internal conflicts in many nations, too. But still, people managed to find time for hope, love, happiness and even fun, whenever and wherever they could. In America, the 40’s were the heyday of film noir, such as ”The Big Sleep”; patriotic fashion including those resulting from rationing; and big bands playing swing music for the hep cats and hep kittens to dance to. Many of our grandparents lived through those times and they remember the good as well as the bad from this era. So let’s have some fun and go forties on Home, without spending too much lettuce.
My first choice for a 1940’s estate was the $4.99 Paris Clock Tower Apartment, for its timeless look and incredible setting. However, this does mean “being” in France during the Second World War, of course, which is a consideration. Very recently, nDreams brought out Carla’s Coffee Shop, which is set up to be all-American in my opinion and would make an ideal 1940’s coffee shop. Both estates are small – Carla’s has more street than interior space – but either would work well with this theme. I have seen Carla’s set up as a Japanese tea-house (thanks for the visit, Strom!) but that’s not suitable for a 1940’s theme unless you plan to be an Axis member, instead of a member of the Allies. This estate is offered with two bundles for $2.99 and $4.99, called the classic and premium bundles, respectively. The darby Paris Clock Tower space offers a little more flexibility, as it can be used as a personal apartment or a 1940’s office, such as a newspaper’s headquarters or private detective’s office. As always, I recommend that you ask for a tour from an HCV or other friendly Homers that offer estate tours before purchasing either of these spaces. Just check Sony’s Home forum for a list of those offering tours.
You should be able to put together your own niftic forties furniture look, if you wish, by choosing pieces with simple styles and uncomplicated lines, such as Game Mechanics’ $1.99 “Elegant Table with Chairs” or the “Large Modern Double Bed” which is a reward item from Lockwood’s Dream Yacht. Also add an occasional floral pattern, such as the $.49 “Floral Playground Love Seat”, as this pattern was very popular then. You’ll need to avoid most contemporary looking appliances, but Loot has some kitchen items from their Ghostbusters line that would look good for this theme. These four items are $.49 each or pick up the five-piece bundle for $1.99, which includes an oven. One thing every 1940’s home had was a radio, so be sure to include one in your space. The free Loot radio has a great look for this era.
Lockwood recently came out with the perfect set for that newspaper or detective’s office with their $5.99 Drey Noir bundle and you should cast an eyeball at it. This pack has seven pieces of furniture, including a desk, chair, coat rack and two bookshelves, and six additional accessory items, such as a desk lamp, newspaper and notebook and pen set. These items are terrific and thirteen themed items for $5.99 is quite a bargain. You may also want to add LOOT’s reception desk for $.99, which is available in black or brown wood.
If you go with a private detective theme, I think the Lucky Falcon reward companion from Granzella would look great, as a nod to the 1941 classic movie, “The Maltese Falcon”.
The Costume Store offers 1940’s drape under the Sony Originals tab. “Zoot Suits” were very popular with some people in this era and if you guys like this style it’s available there. The set is $1.99 for a four-piece suit, including hat and shoes. The ladies are offered a pack called the “1940’s Gal” and it’s $1.99 for five pieces, including a hairdo, shoes and gloves.
Lockwood’s Drey Noir line also includes clothing from this period for a Fifth Avenue look. There are four outfits, two for the guys and two for the gals. The Fashion Detective outfit for the guys comes in brown tweed or charcoal gray and it is $3.99 for six pieces. The Femme Fatale outfit comes in two colors, aubergine and charcoal and it sells for $2.99 and has five pieces. That’s an average of $.66 a piece for the guys and only $.60 a piece for the ladies, by the way. Both sets are also offered in a double pack, for even more savings. That’s like pennies from heaven.
In addition to swing dances, such as the “Lindy Hop” and “The East Coast Swing”, Latin dances such as the Samba, Tango and Mambo were popular at this time. Variations of dances such as the 1920’s “Charleston” and the 1930’s “Collegiate Shag” and “Big Apple” were still seen often and other dances such as “The Balboa” and the “Foxtrot” were favorites, also. The Jitterbug, so well known as a 1950’s dance, actually started and became popular during this time. So, if you want to drag a hoof on Home, avoid the most modern dances and look for ones such as the salsa from the original dances, and the Charleston in the “Party Dance Moves” pack from Atom Republic. You might even want to combine a few moves and make your own dances.
Well, folks, it’s time for me to fade. I hope you’ve enjoyed this look at another modern era that you can emulate on Home and I hope you’ll try it out, if it appeals to you. Whatever you’re doing on Home, be sure to “Have a ball!”
March 24th, 2013 by Kassadee Marie | 2 comments
Home is endlessly entertaining to this California girl. Kassadee has been in Home for about four years, and loves almost everything about it (with a few notable exceptions). She spends way too much money there, and perhaps too much time... Someday she will travel the world and write about the people she meets and the places she sees.
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^.^ love that era. I actually made a video based on that area. it’s playing in the theater and EOD right now, called “Speak Easy Nights.” ^.^
I’m sorry, but you have the wrong period. I do research before I write most of my budget articles and the 40’s were not the “prohibition period”. This period was “a” or the “war” era. The prohibition was from 1920 to mid-1930’s and was the time of “Speakeasies” and “flappers. Prohibition was repealed before the 1940’s in all states, I believe.
I always wondered why those zoot suit guys (shown recently) carried “tommy guns”, which were made popular by the gangsters of the prohibition era. It seemed quite an anachronism to me.