Every House Had One In The '60s — The Natural Material Wall Art We Love
If your grandparents decorated in the 1960s, there's a good chance textured wooden wall hangings were displayed somewhere in the house. This kind of wall art was made from warm walnut or teak panels topped with raised "popcorn" artwork, and it added a natural, handmade aesthetic to living spaces. Eventually, tastes changed, and homeowners replaced them with sleeker décor. However, these unique pieces are finding new fans among vintage collectors.
Many of the wood wall art pieces found today came from two major manufacturers: Windsor Art Products and Belart Inc. Windsor was the art division of the Illinois Moulding Company. Its aim was to make professionally created art accessible to everyday people. Belart followed in the 1960s, creating similar textured pieces that complemented the era's love of warm woods and geometric shapes. These pieces were part of the broader 1960s craft art boom, and some people made their own art. Craft Master sold "gravel art" kits under the Mosette name, letting people make similar textured designs.
As for popularity and value, buyers tend to like matching sets. A pair of vintage Belart stylized bird plaques can sell for over $250. Teal peacocks sold for over $300, and an Illinois Moulding atomic wall set sold for over $100. Even the plastic DIY kits are popular — a vintage pebble wall art kit of cockatoos may fetch over $100, depending on its condition.
What to look for in '60s wood wall art
If you run into one of these at a flea market, church sale, or thrift store, flip the piece over and inspect the back. Some Belart pieces have a small "Belart Co/Mendota, Minn." stamp, but many vintage examples have no identifying marks at all. For example, Illinois Moulding pieces sometimes aren't marked, which means condition and completeness are what collectors value the most.
When evaluating vintage popcorn art, look for chipped or missing popcorn since it can't really be fixed without showing that it was repaired. Also be sure to check for warping in the panel. If you love mid-century modern style, the teak and walnut tones have a lot of appeal, especially since walnut wood tones are making a hard comeback.
Whether you find one tucked away at a thrift store or hanging in a relative's basement, these amazing wall pieces belong in the same conversation as the other valuable vintage wall art worth hunting at thrift stores. If you like the era's wall decor generally, the Lucite flower plaques everyone is collecting for collage walls are the plastic version of these pieces for a cheaper price.