Ever felt like you were born in the wrong era? You’re amused with everything your aunt, uncle, and grandparents own – like old pieces of vinyl, rotary dials, floral wallpapers, classic Cadillac, and vibrant neon-lit diners. You want to collect them and display them at home.
While you can’t travel back in time, you can bring the trends of the older generation back to life with your retro-style home design.
Retro refers to reviving the lifestyles, trends, fashion, music, or art forms of the recent historical past. When it comes to interior design, retro styles are often shown as a decoration of mixed styles and artifacts from the past, second hand and new. You can also find modern-day retailers producing new products in old-fashioned styles. You can find inspiration from the eras of old pieces of vinyl, rotary dials, floral wallpapers, classic Cadillac, and vibrant neon-lit diners.
If you want to incorporate retro style into your modern home, here are 9 tips for pulling it off.
1. Pick quirky, comfy furniture
Retro-style furniture isn’t your average neutral, cookie-cutter home depot furniture – it has a quirky feel to it, with each piece wanting to be the focal point of the space.
Retro-style sofas are elongated and broad, with curvilinear features. It can be a mid-century daybed or a classic loveseat in leather, lacquer, or velvet. If long couches aren’t for you, you may spruce up your space with vivid mitt chairs and statement ottomans.
For an added punch of color, adorn your seating pieces with multi-colored throw pillows with classic patterns.
2. Go funky with your colors and patterns
Colors: Some of the top colors that scream “retro” include avocado green, mustard yellow, bright orange, red, and the rustic combo of brown, black, and white. If you want to have a more feminine look, purple, hot pink, and aqua make a great addition to your décor. You may also go for pastels, if you’re not a fan of bright tones.
Patterns and prints: Tie-tied fabrics, checkered patterns, big circular patterns, and paisley prints are some of the trademarks of the long-gone era. Use these for your fabrics, including throw pillows, blankets, rugs, and window treatments.
Just make sure to keep the bold patterns and colors within a few colors for your palette. Rules are rules: Too many colors will surely make space look scattered and uninviting.
3. Don’t be afraid to adorn walls and floors with big patterns
If you enjoy large patterns, you may use them for dressing up your walls with wallpaper, paint, or murals. Always wanted to have a checkerboard pattern for your floors? Going retro is the perfect excuse to do so. Call the best home builders or contractors in town for your home project.
4. Play with interesting textures
Forget thy love for sleek and clean surfaces – retro style decorating goes over the top when it comes to textures. Think about bold velvet fabrics, glossy plastics, and shag textiles, like rugs.
However, don’t forget the importance of contrast. Make sure to mix and match smooth and rough, and matte and glossy for a well-curated look.
5. Accessorize with old artifacts
Displaying old artifacts is one of the best ways to bring retro style into your modern home.
If you happen to have old, small electronics that aren’t working anymore, you can transform them into pieces of art. Old telephones, TV sets, radios, typewriters, cameras, clocks, record players, and other antiques won’t fail to make your space even more charming.
6. Go for abstract art
When it comes to art, the bolder the better. Art and sculptures that lean toward abstract pieces and old artifacts rather than still-life and landscapes belong to a retro-style home.
Just think about Picasso-inspired portraits, pop arts, old movie posters, and album covers, old vinyl and covers, and tin signages.
7. Steal your grandma’s lighting
Those old-timey floor lamps or table lamps featuring square or tasseled shades that you often see in your grandmother’s house? They look perfect in your vintage-inspired home.
If you want something more eye-catching, you may go for a multi-colored chandelier that dangles beautifully atop your living room.
8. Don’t forget your kitchen
Retro is associated with a wet bar or diner-style kitchen. Recreate the idea with shiny chrome bar stools, if you have a kitchen bar. You may also swap your dining chairs with bright red chairs.
9. Repurpose your items
Of course, not everything should be “buy, buy buy” – you can capture the essence of vintage home décor with repurposed items. Revamped cabinets, chairs, and task lighting look great when mixed with newer pieces.
Whether you have a vibrant personality and design preferences or you’re a true fan of everything old-fashioned, going retro with your home décor is one surefire way to stand out.
Author Bio: Carmina Natividad is a resident writer for Wincrest Bespoke, one of NSW’s most experienced and well-renowned home builders aiming at building and designing modern family homes in Sydney, Newcastle, the Central Coast, and the Hunter. Her passion for interior design loves writing articles focused in real estate and interior design.