One 1950s designer’s choice for this golden yellow living room decor: a large-scale wallpaper pattern that had white to dress it up, plus striped window shades for added smartness.
retro inspo home
Divide the spaces in your home with a colorful mid-century modern wood & glass dividing wall that gives a cheerful retro vibe!
One of the most lively of H&G’s decorator colors for 1965, Tiger Lily, made its first appearance in this pink & orange striped entrance hall decor – making it look like a circus or child’s party lay just beyond.
This cute and creative 1930s attic bedroom made the most of its space by incorporating custom-built canopy beds that fit perfectly under the eaves on each side.
This Tucson, Arizona, kitchen from 1965, wasn’t a traditional Mexican-inspired kitchen, but shimmered with a familiar Mexican decorative material – embossed tin – put to highly inventive use
A contemporary black 60s kitchen with a number of wide-open spaces became more intimate and more restful when lined with subtly glowing color.
The restful core of this vintage 1960s house was the gorgeous skylighted atrium family room, which gave the whole house a sense of spaciousness.
A room to relax in, to revel in, to play games in – when have we had a room precisely for that? This 1960s party room could do all that and more.
This vintage study’s boho decor included at least eight different styles – and that’s not even to mention the designs featured on the area rugs on the floor.
This dramatic circular kitchen, inspired perhaps by contemporary theatres in the round, was a superb example of a smoothly-functioning kitchen back when it was built in 1968.
While the structure of the room remained the same, right down to the black ceiling beams and trim. The furniture placement also didn’t change for this retro living room’s decorative mood switch.
Swaths of fabric were used creatively in this apartment living room to create a space-age pad that was almost as exotic as a Bedouin tent.
This wonderful antique wooden screen, made of five panels of very old French boiserie, dominated – and warmed – one side of this living room back in the 1960s.
Space expanded in a small room when compact furniture was paired with visually expansive wall art — all created to decorate this space age small apartment back in 1970!
Built in a style that was super popular at the time, the midcentury stone fireplace didn’t appear overpowering, thanks to the lofty ceiling and extensive glass areas above it and on the sides.
A smashing mix of style, color and pattern energized this small pink & yellow panda bedroom decor.
Here’s how one interior designer back in the early 1970s envisioned a retro-futuristic living room – a space filled with fashion-forward furnishings that were modern, fun and colorful.
Here’s an inviting vintage boho-style tented nook that was created almost entirely with patterned fabrics and carpeting.
Once reserved for luxury backdrops, in the sixties, it wasn’t uncommon for fine eighteenth-century furniture to be set against walls of rough countryish texture. Here’s a look.
This vintage bedroom decor from the 1930s – which could have been for a guest bedroom or a mother-in-law’s suite – had decor elements unique to that decade: an intersection of art deco style and modern decor.
Square and triangle patterned panels on the left wall of this retro geometric room inspired the fantastic color scheme that filled the rest of the walls.
The colors and shapes of the furniture used for this futuristic mod living room decor were fabulously vintage, in the space-age style so popular in the late 60s and early 70s.
In this contemporary home from the early 1950s, the beautiful red brick fireplace wall extended all the way beyond the cypress wood paneling on the high vaulted ceiling, and out over the lofty gabled slopes of the roof itself.
Jutting out from the corner wall of this cool, contemporary living room was a fireplace and chimney of very neatly laid natural grey stone.
The white brick fireplace effectively divided the living room from the dining room without obstructing the flow of traffic. It was massive, but the overall spaciousness of the combined areas kept it in scale with the rest of the house.
This large two-sided stone fireplace was perfect for its setting – the double-duty living room of a home in Lake Tahoe, seen here as it was back in the early 1960s.
This minimalist dining room’s furniture was designed by mid-century modern architect T H Robsjohn-Gibbings, one of the major influencers of the contemporary era.
In this kids’ bedroom from the mid-60s, a brilliant boho-style wallpaper in watermelon shades of pink and green enchantingly decorated this cozy boho bed alcove.
A medley of the multiple variations of yellow-green was captured in a patterned print and used extensively in this 1960s green paisley living room.
A small white birch tree was brought inside to live in a planter on this elevated and carpeted indoor terrace – a peaceful, pretty and very retro addition to a home that was decorated in the mid-1960s.
What this retro family room needed was color, pattern, and texture. And it definitely got it, going from bland neutrals to colorful super 70s home decor!
In this purple & white guest room bedroom from 1942, a lavender floral pattern sang out from the curtains, the chaise lounge, the bed, and the walls.
Here’s how this bold and beautiful art deco living room decor was created inside the opulent East 57th Street apartment of 1930s writer Katharine Brush.
In the living room of this luxurious old New York City apartment, shades of rosy and shell pinks created a cheerful atmosphere for traditional furniture.
The basic simplicity of this refined living room decor, seen here as it was in the 1950s, brought out the elegance of choice European antiques – furniture with graceful lines.
When this Northern California home was renovated and redecorated back in the mid-1960s, the owners added a charming circular stone fire pit right in the middle of the room.
A contemporary overscaled paisley pattern splashed with lotus blossoms was a vital part of this 1960s home’s colorfully eclectic dining room decor.
In this 1960s brown living room, the sweeping impact of the carpet made a neutral monochromatic color scheme come alive – and set the decorating mood of the entire room.
A central feature of this impressive mid-century modern living room was the huge, two-story fireplace that reached right up into the very peak of the vaulted ceiling.
In this room from the mid-1950s, a striking harlequin pattern wallpaper, as dramatic as gift wrapping, lined one side of a small dining room.
Stylized blossoms centered in twined hearts – in fabric form – swept over walls, bedspreads, curtains, and window shades in this pretty 1960s dormer bedroom.
Natural materials like wicker and rattan have an almost magical ability to create a tropical feel year-round, indoors and out. That was certainly the case with this lounge setup, seen here back in the mid-1950s.
When decorating this spectacularly pink living room back in 1969, the interior designers said that one of the most effective and most versatile was to apply color in the form of a pattern.
Near the very contemporary and quite airy white fireplace, there were charming bursts of bright color from the pair of yellow modern chairs and the royal blue stool.
Wallpaper with an open mesh wicker weave pattern of yellow on white covered the walls, and established the basis of the warm country-style bathroom decor.
The freshness of growing plants and striped shades on this peppermint-striped sun porch created a relaxing view from a simple but formal dining room.
In this mirror wall kitchen from the 1960s, the reflective doors at the end of the room opened to reveal major storage – a full-height pantry or a great place to keep glassware.
This dining room had contemporary decor with old Persian style, as it was decorated in a vintage Arabesque design in reds, browns, oranges and yellows, spiked with blue.
Mirrors, soft textures and pale colors – plus some unique decorative elements – brought a look of classic sophistication to this elegant 1940s living room.
When the occasion called for elegance, this formal 1970s dining room was all set, with a combination of mod seventies style and traditional finishes and accessories.
This wood-paneled 1940s house was held up as a fine example of the maturing character of American Modern architecture. It used no line or material that was not necessary.
With the help of these cute wallpapered kitchen cabinets, extra space was found for dishes, glasses, linens, and bulky items like an ice bucket and wine storage rack.
This vintage 1960s entrance hall was a setting for strong-minded vintage treasures, and was home to an unusual carpeted spiral staircase.
This vintage living room decor was set in front of one of this home’s most impressive architectural features: the wide, ceiling-height masonry fireplace wall.
This Beverly Hills mansion’s elegant study décor – seen here in the early 1970s – was a portrait of contrast between warm surfaces of natural wood and solid expanses of deep blue silk.
By treating a master bedroom and its adjoining dressing room and bath as a suite, using simple red lattice doors, this 1950s home achieved a feeling of spaciousness in a somewhat small area.
This mellow 1970s rap room concept was very much a retro thing, although these spaces weren’t just for hippies. In fact, this particular room was a pretty high-end version. Dig the details here.
In this light and breezy midcentury modern bedroom, the bright gleam of brass acted as a foil to the rough-textured masonry walls and the matte finish of unstained, unpainted wood.
In this vintage 1960s living room, a mirrored fireplace wall beautifully reflected a bright sunshine yellow color scheme.
This simple room featuring a black & white houndstooth pattern didn’t need a lot to make it into a warm and welcoming example of crisp farmhouse style.
This beautiful vintage striped sunroom decor complimented the garden’s natural greenery that was just on the other side of the three glass window walls.
In this dramatic vintage 1930s dining room , the eyecatching starburst stripes of the silver and black linoleum flooring led outward, while the hint of a garden outside the window led still outward to more open space.
Instead of a separate dining room, this late 60s home in Northern California had a classically-styled yellow dining area that was part of a large open-plan living space.
When you look at this vintage blue & white patterned living room decor, seen here in the mid-1970s, you’ll see a chorus of correlating designs.
Full of candy colors, this cheerful open-air bubblegum pink sunroom from the 70s was set up to make it easy to have a little party any time.
This retro 70s party-friendly family room could easily host guests and after-dinner coffee — it was a family room (or living room) with definite pizzazz.
A simple decorative feature – a dining room’s mirrored wall – didn’t just add luster and elegance, but also helped fool the eye to make it look like a smaller space was really a lot larger.
Spirits soared as high as the tall ceiling when entering this spring-bright midcentury modern living room — the tall glass gables made it bright and airy all year round.
In this old plantation home, renovated in the early 1950s, old carpet and old wallpaper were faithfully reproduced to help restore the glory of the original hallway, with its graceful double staircase.
In this colorful and vibrant 60s living room, the decorators unleashed some pulsating hues – raspberry, lemon, lime and grape – and made them work in harmony.
The fab furnishings in this super pink 70s bedroom were split between the traditional and trendy – classic pine furniture, plus a lucite and chrome bed you just don’t see every day.
First of all, there was the focal point of this stylish contemporary 1960s living room: the stone fireplace wall with floor-to-ceiling plants growing on either side of the hearth.
A variety of antique and contemporary textures were so creatively mixed in this chic 1950s living room that they added more than just surface interest.
This space once looked small and cluttered, but the space was cleared out and completely renovated back in the mid-1950s – and this summery blue & white 50s living room was the end result.
A frame of sunshine colors softened the view of the sliding glass doors in this poolside party room without impeding either the view or traffic to the terrace.
A two-sided stone fireplace sat between this renovated home’s solarium and game room. It featured a modern style molded plaster hood, and an elevated round marble hearth.
This cozy retro carpeted conversation pit with comfortable built-in sofas drew party guests irresistibly toward the hearth of this dramatic living room from the 60s.
In the transformation of this 1940s-style living room, the color idea came first, and you can see for yourself how the simple recipe of pink and blue-green succeeded.
This glamorous silver living room looked twice its size because it held only two large pieces of furniture, and four small ones set against a background of silvery vinyl wallpaper. The effect doubled the visual space as well as a mirror.
Although this vintage orange & green family room had vibrant color and sharp patterns, the space also had the sophistication of a Gauguin painting.
When you look at this vintage home decor from the sixties, you’ll see that the timbered finishes plus team USA colors combined to give this living room a unique feel – a little like modern style met Americana.
To make this roof-high fieldstone fireplace look as if it had always been there, during the home’s renovation in the 60s, it was constructed of the same material as the tall old walls.
Decorators used the vibrant mix of red and purple decor for a family room back in the 1970s – accented with mod furnishings in stark white.
This vintage 70s country-style pink bedroom was snapped together with fresh color and pattern: a Venetian headboard upholstered in flowers, the bedspread ribanded in yet another floral.
This dramatic two-story tall grey and white brick fireplace was the centerpiece of this hexagonal living room – a super eye-catching interior design feature.
Take a look at this vibrant lemon yellow and black retro living room, and you may feel like you just woke up and found yourself back in the seventies.
An exuberant splurge of mixed pattern colored this cool and colorful plaid-filled family room, seen here as it looked back in 1972.
Rather than a typical horizontal edge across the top of the opening, or even instead of an arch shape, this home had a low-peaked triangular fireplace. Take a look!
Where this retro op-art fireplace ended at the top of the wall, a designer added more plaster to match the rest of the chimney breast, curving it up onto the ceiling.
This panoramic living room from the late 1960s included several creative elements, but the main focal point was the huge dramatic fireplace that was set in the middle of the room.
A traditional Thai butterfly floral silk print was the starting point for this beautifully unique living room, and everything in the space flowed from that and other Eastern motifs.
As space and simplicity were the goals of this 1930s upscale modern living room, located in an apartment on Park Avenue in New York City, the designer created a color scheme mostly in slate blue.
A piece of fabric, in the form of draperies, was the nucleus for this 1950s modern color scheme that was bright and smart.
With just a travertine-topped table, four chairs, a four-door cabinet, and two daybeds, the designer of this vintage 1960s beachside living room achieved a look of remarkable opulence.
A dramatic peaked ceiling and window wall were the most striking features of the living room in a vintage A-frame house. Find out more here!
Inside this old New Orleans home, five transoms made this dining room’s arched wood bay windows uniquely beautiful.
While the overall look of this orange family room was restful, several creative ideas had actually come into play for its decor.
In this modern white living room from the seventies, colors from the large abstract picture determined the entire room’s ultimate scheme.
