Before you jump in and start redecorating your living room, let’s explain what is a “retro” interior design style first. Incorporating trends and lifestyles from three decades, the 50s, 60s, and the 70s, a retro interior design style is essentially a bold expression and reinvention of the feel of that specific era.
Who wouldn’t want their living room to be associated with happy, fun, and positive feelings? That is why more and more fashionistas and style icons are looking into the past for inspiration about how to really make their spaces – a home. A retro-decorated living room will give you just that. A bright, fashionable but comfortable space where you’ll be happy to spend time. So if you are already sold on the idea of retro interior decor like the rest of us are, here are six things that will help you transform your living room into retro-inspired heaven.
Rugs
Something as simple and as beautiful as a retro area rug can instantaneously shift the whole feel of your living room. Thanks to its rich texture it will create a certain type of depth for the space, and thanks to the bright colors it will spread an everlasting positive spirit. Noone can be sad in a room with a great retro rug, remember that!
The main characteristics of a good 70s-inspired rug are the geometrical shapes of the design, the fluffiness of the fabric as well as the size. Another thing to remember, when it comes to rugs the bigger one is the better one!
You can position it in the center of the room, and let it be the beating heart of your retro, pop-culture-influenced, and hippy-inspired living room. Make it sing like the statement piece that it truly is.
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Coffee Tables
Nothing screams retro more than a fabulous coffee table decorated with even more fabulous coffee table books about the mid-century delights.
When it comes to retro-style coffee tables you have an array of different designs to choose from. You can go the wooden route and go for a solid wood coffee table. Or you can opt for the more minimalistic choice that combines glass and metal. Whatever design you end up choosing it would be a great addition to the previously purchased rug and will tie the center of the room together.
Cocktail Cabinets
If you want to mimic the lifestyle of the raging 70s then you must purchase a glamorous cocktail cabinet. If there is one thing the adults loved doing in the 70s it is drinking and partying. Equip your living room with a flare that drags the mind immediately to Studio 54. There are thousands of vintage cocktail cabinets that you can find online. Even their style doesn’t matter that much as their incentive. A cocktail cabinet is one of the best ways to create a mini bar in your home.
Owning a cocktail cabinet will not only make your living room more retro but it will retro up your mindset also. You should always have a reminder right there in front of your eyes that every spare moment can be turned into a party with your close ones.
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Pillows
Throw pillows are associated with lushness as well as comfort. Pick throw pillows in fabrics that serve as reminders of that period in time. We are talking about suede, velvet, silk, or cotton. You can either choose to have them in a similar color as your sofa so you’ll achieve the sensual monochromatic look more effortlessly. Or you can go the contrast route. Pick fabrics with floral or geometric patterns found in every home in the late 60s and 79s.
Mirrors
Every interior design lover knows that mirrors are space openers, but getting them in different shapes can also add to the overall feel of the room.
For example, if you want to achieve the ultimate retro look for your living room, put a mirror with a fun thick colored 3D frame in the most unbusy corner of the room. If frames are not your thing, you can get a vintage mirror with roundly cut borders that will totally go with the retro design.
You can even go on a hunt for an antique mirror that will help you achieve the desired decoration effect. If nothing is to your liking, you can always try and make your own retro mirror.
Lamps
From floor lamps with weirdly or cool-shaped fixtures to multicolored table lamps and multiple little glass-hanging lamps. Nothing changes the atmosphere of the room as much as its lighting. If you want to go the extra mile, try and find the perfect crystal chandelier for your living room.
To add to the lighting effects and the atmosphere, we recommend that you fill the room with scented candles. They will certainly make the space feel even better because it will smell better. You can get them in colors that match other details of your retro living room interior, like the color of your pillows, so the room is finally pulled together.
