Feelin’ Groovy? It's Time to Bring Back the ’70s
Seventies-style interiors are back in a big way – here's how to bring the vibe to your house without overdoing it
Joanna Tovia
1 April 2015
Houzz editorial team. Photojournalist specialising in design, travel and living well. Follow her photodocumentary about pets and the people who love them on Instagram @unfoldingtails
Houzz editorial team. Photojournalist specialising in design, travel and living well.... More
Where once people looked back at the decor choices of the ’70s and cringed, enough time has passed for them to be cool again. And when the colours, shapes and textures of that decade are given a contemporary edge, interiors can become downright groovy. Embracing this colourful and free-spirited style in your home takes confidence, but get it right and your home will say a lot about you – not least that you have an enviable sense of style. These ’70s-inspired designer spaces show just how good this reimagined style can look. Catch you on the flipside!
Yellow and brown were so hip in the ’70s, but breathe a sigh of relief because there’s no need to go down the mustard yellow and poo brown road again in a hurry. A contemporary take on ’70s style is a mellower, buttery yellow and earthier tones of brown – they’re far more pleasing to the modern eye.
You’d feel right at home in a bell-bottomed pantsuit in this glamorous room … and don’t forget the Farrah Fawcett hairdo. Wallpaper in the ’70s typically featured oversized geometrics inspired by hippie pilgrimages to India and Morocco. Velvet and vinyl were where it was at when it came to wallpaper, but update it your way with a paper or fabric look and feel.
Wallpaper in ‘Drama Boheme’ (Chocolate): Graham & Brown
Wallpaper in ‘Drama Boheme’ (Chocolate): Graham & Brown
Retro style can be just as much about shape as it is about colour. Introduce curves as in this kitchen, and your home will give a nod to ’70s style without looking like it’s stepped back in time. A splash of muted avocado doesn’t hurt, either.
In the same kitchen, the colours and rounded corners of the decade really come into play with statement-making cabinetry and a clashing splashback that oozes confidence.
This bathroom brings in several elements of the era but still manages to look up-to-the-minute cool. Plum, aubergine, purple and deep red wine hues were used with abandon in the ’70s, along with the other characteristic colours of the decade. One of the reasons for the explosion in colour was the advent of colour TV. Although the first colour TV sets were available from the mid-’60s, most people could only afford to bring one home in the ’70s. I remember the day my own parents set up a colour TV in our lounge room in the late ’70s – the bright colours beaming out of that set were almost psychedelic! My brothers and I gathered around and stared at it in awe.
Along with the stunning wallpaper, this ’70s-inspired Melbourne bathroom makes use of shapely curves in the mirror, vanities and lighting. Can you dig it?
Along with the stunning wallpaper, this ’70s-inspired Melbourne bathroom makes use of shapely curves in the mirror, vanities and lighting. Can you dig it?
Shag carpet had its heyday in the ’60s, but disco fever meant it remained popular throughout the ’70s. This sunken lounge area, known as a ‘conversation pit’, features white leather and shag carpet to make it extra groovy. The conversation pit is actually in the parents’ retreat of a Melbourne apartment located above a café. The owners, new parents to twins, were used to a going-out lifestyle when their babies came along. A living area like this meant they didn’t have to give up seeing their friends – their friends could come to them. It’s an urban playground indoors.
Take a look around
Take a look around
This Scottish living room features a photo that has become a symbol of the ’70s. Taken by Slim Aarons in 1970 at Kaufmann House in Palm Springs, ‘Poolside Gossip’ graces the homes of many a modernist fan. The house at which the image was taken was designed by notable modernist architect Richard Neutra. The homeowner, Nelda Linsk (in yellow), had no idea the photo would become so famous. “There were no makeup or wardrobe people,” she told The New York Times earlier this year. “Our house was done in yellow: the umbrellas were yellow, the flowers yellow, so I thought I’d wear something yellow. My outfit was in yellow terry cloth. I had on palazzo pants… Both of our outfits were bare midriff. We both had big hair. In those days, you had big hair.”
Wallpaper in ‘Hexagon’: Cole & Son
Wallpaper in ‘Hexagon’: Cole & Son
This contemporary kitchen has been heavily influenced by the ’70s but looks far from retro thanks to a couple of subtle selections. Importantly, although the cabinets are in a similar tone to the browns so popular back in the day, there is no yellow undertone. The finish on the cabinets is matt rather than shiny – another move that takes it from dated to contemporary – and the green splashback tiles are toned down just enough to hint at the ’70s without going overboard.
Colour and accessories make this kitchen cooler than cool. The bright orange of the ’70s is teamed with dark grey to give it a modern edge.
In the same kitchen, the iconic designs of Orla Kiely have been introduced in accessories that match the splashback. Her designs are as popular as ever, and although they emerged in the ’70s, they look just as current today.
YOUR SAY
Are you ready to bring back the ’70s or should ’70s style go back where it came from? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
MORE
Did You Know? Macramé Plant Hangers are Trendy … Again
My Houzz: A Match Made in Retro Rental Heaven
Kitchen Inspiration: 15 Ravishingly Retro Schemes
YOUR SAY
Are you ready to bring back the ’70s or should ’70s style go back where it came from? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
MORE
Did You Know? Macramé Plant Hangers are Trendy … Again
My Houzz: A Match Made in Retro Rental Heaven
Kitchen Inspiration: 15 Ravishingly Retro Schemes
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*excited scream*