Retro Style Decor

To be honest, decorating in what is known as retro style actually encompasses several decades, and the term is used broadly to describe decorating themes influenced by popular trends from the past. And, even though pretty much any era from the past may be considered “retro” today, it is more commonly used to describe trends from the 50’s and 60’s through to the 70’s.

With bright colors, wild designs and a bold flair, Retro style decorating has a cheerful, vivacious feel to it. There is nothing laid back to this style, nor can it ever be called casual. Funky would be a better description for it and it takes a very ingenious, creative personality to pull it off successfully.

Retro style furniture has an abstract feel, with each piece fighting for the limelight and as the focal point of the room. The sofas are broad and long, heaped with multi-colored pillows for a huge splash of color. Ottomans of various colors and materials give an almost puzzle piece look to the completed seating area. Wet bars feature tall and shiny chrome barstools with red vinyl seat and backs. Kitchen furniture made for the retro style actually resemble old-fashioned diner booths with bench seating against upholstered backs, surrounding a rectangular or round table.

One of the easiest ways to give a room a retro feel is to incorporate the popular colors from those bygone eras. Avocado green is just one of the many popular choices, followed closely by mustard yellow and combinations of black, white and red. Purple and hot pink make for bright splashes of retro color in any room. Tie-dyed or batik fabrics are also an excellent choice to covering furniture or as pillows. Fabric stores always have stock lines of retro style fabrics, usually incorporating paisley prints with checkered pattern material, as well as dotted prints of orange, green, yellow and indigo blue blended into themed prints resembling posters from decades ago.

The number one floor material most people think of when they are looking for retro furnishings are shag area rugs. Made popular again thanks to the films featuring Austin Powers, you can now find bamboo shag rugs, as well as flokati area rugs done up in bright colors as standard stock in most stores today. An alternative look to shag is to choose flower shaped rugs or heart shaped rugs for a room to add a cheeky 60’s look to the space. Natural wood and bold mixes of tiles in a checkerboard or mosaic patterns are also popular choices for retro flooring.

There is almost no limit to the range of retro accents available to complete the style. Lava lamps, skate tables, door beads, bean bag chairs, body pillows, scoop stools, and double-duty storage ottomans are available everywhere today in both retro colors and more neutral tones. Authentic pieces of everyday items like telephones, televisions, record players and radios can be rescued from thrift shops, many of them still in working condition to add your own special signature to this crazy style.