Some people are fans of the retro look, and I'm... decidedly not. But I am a fan of making your home suit your taste on a budget, so that your home is a place where you love being and are proud to call your own, and if retro is how you want to do it, here's some tips from reader Beth.
Furniture
One of the key factors to getting the retro vibe is by the choice of furniture you choose to encompass. Whether you choose to go retro in every little detail or take just one item and go full retro with it in order to stand out, the furniture will have its own voice that will really speak up. You can choose an Eames chair to give the retro effect and you may click here to get an idea about the history and how vintage it really is. It will also help you understand where to place it and how to style it, once you’re familiar with its entire story and how it came to be.
You can still easily achieve the retro effect with one piece of furniture standing out and screaming retro, so choose your furniture wisely. Just make sure that you understand what retro really means to be able to spot the kind of furniture you should be using. From teak consoles, vintage globes, or hanging chairs, these items can be used to really decorate your space with the most basic retro style.
Colors
Another way to give a room a retro vibe is by the choice of colors that are used. It is very easy to identify the retro colors as there is a lot of avocado green and mustard yellow involved. Combine accents of those colors on the walls, furniture, rugs, or accessories and you’ll feel that the room has transformed completely. Add a dash of brown, black, white, and red to help those colors stand out or even choose purple and hot pink to make the retro décor be really visible. Retro themes usually have a lot of colors involved and can even mix up the many shades in one area or even a single furniture piece.
Patterns
The retro era was known for its love of patterns and can be easily identified by it. While the choice of colors can really help bring out the vintage feel, there’s nothing like strong patterns to make it even more evident. Whether you choose checked patterns, paisley prints, or even tie-dyed fabrics, you’ll find that there are many patterns that were very common in the retro style and needed to be evident in order to make it visible. You can add these prints to rugs, bed covers, pillows and cushions, sofa fabrics, or even wallpapers.
Wall art
The retro style is very highly intertwined with the pop art theme and can be used to decorate the walls. With many typography styles, advertisements, styles and brands that really shone during this time, it is a great idea to cover your walls with a collection of frames that portray highlights of the theme in terms of art and typography. Don’t forget to use old magazine posters or music albums to set the vibe, too. That way, anyone who walks into the room, will be able to identify the style without a single doubt.
Accessories
The way you choose to fine-tune your home can have a huge impact on the vibe it gives. Even if you have plain and simple furniture that do not have a definitive style, it is very easy to transform the room to become retro with how you choose to accessorize it. This can be done by the lighting units being used, by the accessories placed on the walls, tables, and doors. As well as the types of cushions and rugs employed. Floor lamps are very commonly used to give a retro vibe as well as square or tasseled shades. You can also consider using a chandelier with a lot of colors to truly bring out the retro vibe and make sure to combine a lot of white and wood together.
Going retro doesn’t have to break the bank or make you decorate every little aspect of your home. But, combining bits and pieces of these tips together can really help you achieve the retro aspect without going overboard. Just remember not to add too many items together at once in order not to make them clash together and compromise on the elegance and style that your home décor portrays.