One important ingredient for this simple retro mod living room: the high walls and ceilings were all painted white wood, giving the tall room a spacious feel.
Vintage homes & gardens
This living room was mostly decked out in earth tones, but went beyond the usual with two cozy cubic cantilevered chairs that somehow made a seat made of squares seem comfortable.
In this 1970s home, a colorful peacock wallpaper pattern was the springboard for a fanciful hallway design.
A personal room that invited family or friends, this cozy sunroom from the 70s was a dazzle of color – but the colors never intimidated, never overpowered.
In this lavender bedroom, a pale purple cotton was applied to walls over cotton batting, surrounding the room in a cocoon of visual warmth.
As one retailer selling this blue tie-dyed sofa said at the time, ‘The bolts of blue lighting in this unusual and dramatic resist-dyed fabric will knock you out.’
This decor from the early 1970s overflowed with a bold electric blue in many different textures, materials, and surfaces, making it look more like a living room art installation than a family home.
A masterly mix of patterns gave warmth and a sense of intimacy to this hug vintage Texas living room/great room.
In this home, every space, including the 1970s contemporary living room, had sliding glass doors, decks or balconies that opened up to the outdoors.
From boots to saddles, all of the elements of a luxury tack room made an appearance in this western-themed family room, made back in the 1970s for a family of fast-riding horse lovers.
This beautiful boho bathroom decor was created by none other than Gloria Vanderbilt Cooper back in the 70s, using a collection of flower prints she designed.
A white and pink gingham checked fabric covered just about everything in the room, for a look that was, somehow, not quite as cloying as you might expect.
Using the famous Mondrian-inspired interior design blocks of red, blue, yellow and white, these vintage 1970s cabinets and drawers took on new vibrant life as home decor with real function.
Here’s a geometric graphic-clad sunken bed in a bright red room! The DIY decor for this 1973 bedroom was made from sheets, towels and carpeting.
In the early 1970s, an architect designed this dining room for a serene and luxurious city apartment, transforming the original rectangular shape with curving walls.
Black & white checkerboard patterns on the walls, the chairs and the sofas – some straight, some on a diagonal, some with fish-eye bulging effects – dressed up this retro 70s living room with graphic flair.
The decor of this pink and red 70s bedroom was one brilliant melange of peppery hot colors and a mix of exotic patterns – all done with fabrics.
These vintage Princess phones were enormously popular in the sixties, with their compact style and backlit dial. Here’s a look back!
As this girl’s interest and sewing expertise grew, she asked her parents to transform a tiny, unused back room into a super-efficient, light and cheerful sewing room just for her.
From those using flamboyant fabrics to the more sedate styles, here you can peek inside houses from back to the sixties and check out these once-fashionable retro curtains & drapes!
Beaded curtain comeback? They’ve been here for years Beaded curtains have been in use in Asian culture for over 2,000 years, gracefully partitioning spaces with
Back in the 70s and 80s, the all-new trash compactor appliance was one way to deal with America’s growing trash production — and it probably wouldn’t hurt for it to come back into fashion!
This gigantic collection of vintage wall paneling from mid-century (and beyond) makes for a surprisingly delightful scroll down nostalgia lane!
Remember apple head dolls – the early American craft with folk art roots that became popular again in the ’60s and ’70s? Find out how to make these shrunken apple dolls, and more about the art of dollmaking.
Take a look back at these vintage Hide-a-Bed sofa models – fold-out beds tucked into a couch to sleep guests – no spare bedroom needed.
When you were a kid, there was nothing else like the joy of old-fashioned treehouses or forts: a little getaway that you built (maybe with some help) that could be a clubhouse or castle or spaceship or simply a place for a little peace and quiet.
What was Walter Matthau’s house like back in the ’70s? His wife Carol said that they gave it a country look and country feeling. Take a peek inside!
Based on one of the many traditional needlework crafts, these vintage needlepoint designs might just inspire you to get creative in all-new ways!
Take a look back into the ’70s to remember more than 100 different kinds of retro window curtains, including sheers, tie-backs and cafe curtains!
Retro air-pop popcorn makers like these were super popular in the ’70s and ’80s, because they made it so easy to make a big batch of perfectly puffed popcorn. Here’s a look back!
Back in the ’70s, Lenox Temper-ware did everything: you could freeze in it, then bake in it, serve in it – and it came in 8 different dramatic patterns.
Vintage Fenton glass – candy dishes, bowls, vases, lamps, baskets and more – came in milk glass and in radiant colors.
Forget white or stainless steel – these colorful vintage kitchen sinks came in bright and bold colors like red, orange, green, yellow and more!
Samuel Colt’s Connecticut mansion also known as Armsmear, was built on a huge plot of land owned by the inventor of the famous gun. See what this grand and spacious Victorian home was like in its heyday!
If you were a child or a parent in the seventies, or are looking to the past to style something new, you’ll love this sunny trip back down memory lane. We’ve tracked down some of the coolest, trendiest vintage kids’ bedroom makeovers from the 1970s. Take a look!
Years ago, companies promoted all kinds of vintage freebies and low-cost mail-in offers, usually requiring some boxtops or proof of purchase. Look back at some of the premiums from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s!
There were lots of vintage wall stickers and paper cut-outs available in the sixties and seventies – easy ways to decorate rooms at home, temporarily or long-term, without needing to hire someone to help.
If you want to make a tiny bathroom vibrant and colorful, here are some retro ’70s powder rooms for a little vintage inspiration!
They toasted! They cooked! And, most important of all: these vintage toaster ovens warmed up TV dinners without needing to heat up the full-size oven. See how the little kitchen appliances evolved over the years, right up through the 1980s.
The 1970s arrival of old-school food processors like these vintage Cuisinarts – along with similar small appliances from other companies – were some of the most beloved kitchen tech tools since the invention of the stand mixer.
Take a look back at these cute plastic retro Rubbermaid food storage containers, mixing bowls, measuring cups and other kitchen gadgets that lived in kitchens during the seventies and eighties.
Here’s a look back to some of the most colorful examples of popular Kohler bathroom suites from the 1960s and 1970s – bold blues, harvest gold, avocado green, basic black & more.
For the front and back yards of the ’70s, here are a few vintage 1970s Rubbermaid garden goods. See retro-style plastic borders for the lawn, plus a little something special just for the birds.
The 1970s Rival Crock-Plate multi-purpose cooker – from the people who made the famous Crock-Pot – had a high-fired stoneware plate that they said could do the work of several appliances.
Keyed for color, comfort and convenience, the retro bathroom decor for two homes in the city and two in the country have been remodeled for maximum relaxation.
In the ’70s, long before he was the guy millions of Americans knew as a cop on Law & Order, here’s what Jerry Orbach’s home – a New York City brownstone – looked like.
Beautiful, festive Christmas plates and dinnerware – like these vintage sets from Lenox and Spode – are still popular. Here’s a look at some of the patterns and pieces you could get in the past!
Decorated vintage bathroom sinks with designs that looked painted or stenciled on had some popularity in the ’60s, until less frilly designs were once again favored.
In both 1975 and 1978, singer Helen Reddy took national magazine photographers on tours of her California home, which was full of music, plants and country charm. Here’s a look inside!
These old Betty Crocker Storybook Dinnerware sets featured vintage kid-friendly characters like Peter Rabbit, Raggedy Ann & Andy, 3 Little Pigs and more. See them again here!
Charles Bronson has many houses and lives wherever filmmaking takes him, but this superstar is most “at home” in his Vermont farmhouse.
Take a look back at a few views of the pretty and peaceful backyard and the Kennedy family pool house behind the Virginia home known as Hickory Hill.
Of Gloria Steinem’s apartment in New York, the feminist icon wrote in 1970s that it offered cheerful rooms to live in and a private place to work. Take a look!
Vintage actor James Coburn’s home in 1970 was filled with exotic treasures from around the globe, and colors and patterns to match. Take a look!
These are the vintage alarm clocks – ranging from the mod to the digital – that used to wake people up during the workweek. Take a look!
Take a look back at these creative handmade vintage quilts from the ’70s. These are the 51 prize winners out of almost 10,000 entries.
Take these vintage centerpiece ideas from the ’50s, ’60s & ’70s, and put your own spin on them for a modern-day retro-inspired holiday or party table!
Vintage dinettes – matching table and chair sets – were popular in the ’60s and ’70s because they were affordable and came in a wide variety of styles. Take a look!
Vintage card tables and other folding furniture were a staple in every home decades ago.
By design, this spacious one-level family-friendly ’70s model home opens graciously from a center linking two living areas. See inside this 1975 house here!
This 1973 House of the Year showcase had a variety of furnishings and fixtures that would be on the market the following year. Take a look inside!
Make bedtime wonderfully wild with these lion and elephant quilted comforters for kids, that can turn nights from hassle to heyday. See how to make them here.
The ‘in’ gift of the year! Lava lamps are so unusual they defy description! You’ll want several! Beautiful! New! Exotic! Fascinating! Intriguing!
In the ’70s & ’80s, vintage vinyl floors like these were the must-have design touch in kitchens, family rooms, and beyond Take a look back – or look down – here!
See some vintage Tupperware – including pitchers and picnic baskets, lunchboxes and every kind of storage container – in a variety of retro hues.
A terrarium is not only easy and fun to put together, it’s a snap to care for. Here are several vintage ideas to help you make your own!
From Bert Bacharach (father of Burt) come dozens of helpful household hints & tips, from cleaning up paint to making cheap cookie cutters.
Stitch your own American folk patchwork and make a beautiful wall hanging for your home with the help of these patterns & style ideas from the ’70s!
Old-fashioned Granny squares are easy to do and multiply so fast, you can turn out an afghan fast. And since you crochet a square at a time, you can carry them anywhere.
Take a step back into the beauty of yesteryear, and see some pretty vintage & antique Christmas decorations that were both charming and affordable.
Actual carpeting – and even shag rugs – in the food prep area? Yep, it was a thing, as these vintage kitchen carpet photos will prove!
These vintage Peter Max clocks were designed by the famous pop art illustrator, whose colorful & psychedelic designs were a distillation of the ’60s.
Every home has room for a Christmas tree, even if it’s only the tabletop variety. See the festive joy a small tree Christmas tree can bring to your home!
See how the famously handsome football star Joe Namath used to pitch rocker-recliners and other easy chairs from La-Z-Boy… and the ads weren’t exactly subtle.
Create your own distinctive beaded jewelry – bracelets, necklaces, belts, headbands – by weaving it on a basic box loom! Here’s how to do this retro bead craft.
Garden delights! Here are some old-fashioned backyard flower carts made of metal (often wrought iron) and wood.
In the ’70s, pro golfer Jack Nicklaus and his wife helped advertise the new microwave ovens made by Magic Chef. Here’s a look.
Holly Hobbie was the old-fashioned girl dressed in calico with lace-up boots and an enormous sunbonnet who appeared on everything from curtains to clothing.
Get 25 tips on how to conserve water inside and outside your home, developed in 1977, during California’s drought.
With a couple dozen clothespins – the flat, springless, wooden ones – you’ve got the raw material to craft some really original clothespin trivets!
With their smooth white ceramic surfaces and sealed electric burners, these flat vintage cooktops made kitchen cleanups a breeze.
A kitchen remodel portfolio: Help yourself to the inspired ideas – some big, some little, all of them adaptable – in these kitchen makeovers by talented designers! Retro styles from 1978.
Michael Landon’s ‘Big House in Beverly Hills’ is a far cry from the ‘Little House on the Prairie’ featured in his hit TV series.
Shortly before her clothing line debuted – and back when her son, Anderson Cooper, was 8 years old – the multi-talented heiress Gloria Vanderbilt came out with her own print magazine: Gloria Vanderbilt Designs for Your Home.
These vintage Sunbeam Hot Shot kitchen accessories made hot water for tea, hot chocolate, coffee – and were promoted by actress Shirley Jones.
Vintage Formula 409 household cleaner hit supermarket shelves in the ’60s, and was one of the most popular household cleaning products during the 1970s and 1980s. See why people loved the stuff here!
The mark of the guest room is its appointments. It should be fitted with all the comforts that art and ingenuity provide in house furnishings. Here are some vintage tips!
Raised bath platform with a deep round tub in red-orange Old-fashioned rustic French style bathroom with dark brown fixtures from 1974 Retro lime green bathroom
Why not go native at your next party with a retro Hawaiian luau party? It’s now officially as American as a New England clambake.
