Old appliances make great accessories in retro rooms.
Retro design is an ode to decades past, specifically the '50s, '60s and '70s. With bold colors and sleek lines, retro design will definitely make a strong statement in your home. You can deck out your room in retro style or just pick an idea or two to give a hint of the funky times.
Color Scheme
Retro design is not for the faint of heart when it comes to color. Candy apple red is the signature retro color, perfect for furniture, accessories and chair covers. Pops of aqua, sunshine yellow and avocado green complete the look. This works for contemporary styles with a hint of retro in the accent colors or with complete retro looks.
Shapes
Geometric shapes were a sign of the funky retro times. Mimic the shapes in fabric patterns, furniture, floor tiles and lamps. Arrange your dining room table with colorful square plates and streamlined silverware. Place floor tiles in patterns with contrasting colors. Lamps should be angular with round shades. Pick a coffee table with an irregular boomerang or kidney bean shape. Retro design idepends on bold shapes.
Furniture
Retro couches usually have straight, angular lines or asymmetrical curves. Current convertible sofas mimic the retro styles, as well as give your room extra functions. Bubble chairs and rounded fiberglass chairs scream retro. For your kitchen, shop for a chrome, diner-style kitchen table and fit red fiberglass chairs around it. Vinyl upholstered booths and bar stools also complete the look.
Flooring
Retro design flooring consists of shag carpeting and geometric floor tiles. Variations of black, white and red floor tiles mimic the '50s diner look, completing any retro look. If an entire room of shag carpeting is too much, go with small area rugs to add pops of color and the shag feel. For a mix of both ideas, connect colorful shag carpet tiles together to make a rug that brings in elements of geometric shapes and shag carpeting all in one.
Accessories
Scavenge vintage and thrift stores and plunder your grandma's attic for retro accessories. Turntables and records put off a retro vibe. Collections of vintage glass bottles (preferably still with old soda labels), perfume bottles, buttons, water pitchers and vases accent any retro room. If you want to go completely retro, finish the look with a lava lamp.
Wall Art
Op art pieces gained popularity in the '50s. Op art offers an abstract element with geometric shapes and bold colors. Framed old movie posters, records and game boards all give your retro room a pop of color and vintage style. Sift through vintage and thrift stores for anything that you could hang on the wall to enhance your retro room.
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