Retro furniture refers to styles and designs inspired by furniture, fashion, and trends from the past. Commonly, the term “retro” is used to describe furniture with a mid-century 50’s and 60’s aesthetic, which features 1950’s modern design, bright colors, and bold shapes or patterns.
However, some may refer to certain pieces with a 70’s, 80’s, or 90’s flare as retro as well. Retro furniture can include items such as couches, loveseats, armchairs, coffee tables, dining chairs, lamps, and rugs, but it can also extend to include other decor pieces within the home.
Retro furniture can add a bit of whimsy and nostalgia to an interior design, providing the perfect combination of modernity and vintage style.
What is the difference between retro and vintage furniture?
Retro and vintage furniture are both styles of furniture, but there are some key differences between the two. Retro furniture typically refers to furniture from the 1950s and 1960s and takes inspiration from the popular automative, advertising, architecture, and product design of the era.
It often has vivid colors, and its designs are sleek, clean, and bold. Vintage furniture, on the other hand, refers to furniture that is at least 20 years old. As such, it can come from any era and is not necessarily limited to furniture from the 1950s and 1960s.
Vintage designs encompass pieces from all eras, and can range from highly ornate antique styles to mid-century modern styles. Additionally, vintage furniture tends to be more subtle in its colour palette than retro furniture, often featuring earth tones and pale shades.
What is modern retro style?
Modern retro style is an aesthetic that combines traditional design elements and trends from the past with more modern influences. This style of fashion and design is rooted in vintage and often incorporates colors, furniture, and shapes from the mid-20th century.
It can also mean taking things that are considered “old” and making them look new with a modern twist. Common colors often used in modern retro style include deep jewel tones, pastels and warm neutrals.
Furniture pieces are usually mid-century modern, with lines that are geometric and minimal. Patterns can range from bold, geometric shapes to motifs that reference classic designs, such as florals and animal prints.
Accessories may include statement-making pieces like oversized glasses, as well as basics such as hoop earrings and suede shoes. Ultimately, modern retro style is about combining old and new to create something fresh and timeless that still has an air of nostalgia.
Is mid century retro?
Yes, mid century design is considered retro. It refers to the design aesthetic popular during the mid 1940s to mid 1970s, which was then revived in the late 1990s through the early 2000s as modern trends began to shift away from traditional convention and toward a more eclectic, eclectic approach to interior and product design.
Mid-century designs have become popular again due their simplicity and functionality that never seems to go out of style. Characterized by clean lines, organic shapes, and natural materials, mid-century furnishings, fixtures, and accents all evoke a timeless, modern look and feel.
How can you tell the age of furniture?
The most reliable way is to look for stamps or labels from the manufacturer. Often, furniture will have a stamp or label that includes information about the age, model number or series, and any other relevant details or instructions.
Additionally, you can look for the style of the piece and the materials used to create it. Pieces made in a certain era or with particular materials can be identified and used to determine its age. Plus, identifying the maker and researching their history can help you determine the age of a piece.
Finally, paying attention to details such as hardware and the type of joints used to connect the pieces may provide clues about the age of the furniture.
What is considered antique furniture?
Antique furniture is generally defined as any piece of furniture that is at least 100 years old. However, in certain cases, it can also refer to items that are 75 to 100 years old. Furniture is usually considered antique if it was made before the start of the 20th century, as modern mass-production techniques were not yet in practice.
Antique furniture can include a variety of different styles and eras, such as Georgian, Victorian, Regency, Arts & Crafts, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque. Many items of antique furniture may have been made by skilled craftsmen, making them unique and hard to replace.
As a result, antique furniture has become popular and sought-after because of its undeniable charm and character.
What does retro decorating look like?
Retro decorating pays homage to a certain style from the past. This style often reflects the period from the 1930s to the 1970s, with its distinctly bold colors, playful patterns, and iconic furniture styles that are still popular today.
Retro decorating typically includes bright colors and bold patterns, such as tweed fabrics, checkered patterns, stripes, florals, and polka dots. A common color scheme for a retro space is an orange, yellow, and green palette.
Furniture styles from this era often feature curved lines and bright colors. Popular pieces are armchairs, sofas, coffee tables, and bar carts. The walls are usually filled with historical artwork, large mirrors, and tapestries.
Accessories include vintage suitcases, record players, vintage kitchenware, and retro posters. The space also often features eclectic decorative items such as hanging plants, rugs, colorful cushions, wall lights, and pendant lamps.
Retro decorating provides a warm and inviting atmosphere, with a vintage flair.
What is a retro living room?
A retro living room is a room that showcases classic furniture and design styles from the 1950s and 60s. Retro living rooms are often vibrant, featuring a range of bold colors, intriguing patterns, and fun décor.
This style of living room typically features iconic pieces from the era such as flamboyant lamps, tufted sofas, velvet chairs, atomic clocks, and bubble gum mid-century furniture. Funky rugs, vibrant wallpapers, and interesting art work are often used to add a touch of glamour and flair to a retro living room.
It is a great way to make a space unique, stylish, and chic.
What are the retro colors?
Retro colors are a specific style of color palette derived from the 20th century. This unique set of colors is characterized by pinks, oranges, reds, purples, greens, blues, yellows and browns. Popular retro colors often used in interior design and fashion include teal blue, mustard yellow, bright pink, Peruvian pink, shades of taupe, burnt orange and avocado green.
These colors are often seen in mid-century furniture, wallpaper and accessories, giving a modernized vintage feel. Retro colors also bridge a connection to nostalgia, as color choices from this era often evoke mental images of a simpler time and place.
What makes a design retro?
A retro design is one that incorporates elements of design from an earlier era. Typically this means artistic elements that have become iconic, like bright colors, geometric patterns, and popular clip art of the day.
Retro signs often include bold colors like hot pink, orange, and yellow, as well as using fonts and lettering styles that are associated with a certain time period. Hand-lettering and hand-drawn illustrations were two popular elements of design during previous decades, so incorporating these types of visuals could also make a design feel retro.
Ultimately, creating a design that’s retro involves finding a combination of iconic elements from a particular era in order to evoke a certain aesthetic that is associated with past decades.
How do you make a modern room look vintage?
Making a modern room look vintage can be really fun and easy to do. To start off, you’ll want to focus on the color palette you’re using and choose colors that look aged and have a warm feel; blues, greens, dark grays/charcoals, oranges, and mustard yellows work great for this.
Then, you can add vintage elements, like an upholstered armchair in a 1930s style, a retro side table, an antique lamp, and perhaps some vintage rugs to bring everything together. For the walls, you could add some wallpaper with a floral or paisley pattern in warm colors, and hang some old-style artwork or mirrors.
Finally, accessories like a vintage clock, some books, and a few dried plants can finish the look. Incorporating a mix of vintage and modern elements can be an effective way to create a dynamic and inviting space.
How do you make a house retro?
To make a house retro, there are several steps that can be taken.
First, start by deciding on a retro style. Decide if you prefer a more classic 40s or 50s style, a funky 70s vibe, or may be a modern take on retro with a focus on mid-century modern.
This will be the basis for most of the decisions you make about furnishing the home and choosing accent pieces.
If possible, incorporate architectural features that create an overall retro atmosphere. This could include arched or angled doorways, wainscoting and crown molding, or exposed beams.
Next, you’ll need to think about wall and floor coverings. Choose materials like wood, stone, or bright terrazzo-tile for your house’s ground coverings. For walls, consider wallpapers or opt for a bright pallet and bold patterned accents.
Going retro means avoiding too much clutter and keeping things ordered, but don’t forget to accent your walls with art and objects in vintage-inspired frames.
Next, focus on furnishing the house with pieces in traditional retro styles. Choose furniture that corresponds to the era and image you are going for. For example, if you are going for a 40s retail style, opt for floral patterns, pleating, and velvet upholstery.
For something more modern, go for clean lines, straight edges, and neutral colors.
Finally, choose lighting fixtures and other decorative pieces, such as mirrors and shelves, that match the style of the house. Vintage-looking lamps, chandeliers, and sculptures can be a great way to really tie the look together.
For a pop of color and energy, fill the room with plants, books, and artwork.
With these steps in mind, you will soon be able to create a house with a totally retro feel.
What is 70’s style furniture called?
70’s style furniture is often called “Mid-Century Modern”. This style of furniture was popular during the decade and is still very popular today. Characteristics of this style include clean and simple lines, minimal embellishments, and minimalistic use of materials.
Common materials used in mid-century modern furniture are wood, metal, and plastic. Many pieces also feature geometric shapes and curves. Mid-century modern furniture is often brightly colored and is considered to be an influence on current trends in home décor.
This style of furniture is versatile and can be used in a variety of settings to create warm and inviting interiors.
What is traditional furniture styles?
Traditional furniture styles may refer to pieces that were popular during certain time periods. Many traditional furniture styles date back to the 18th and 19th centuries and are still available today.
Common traditional furniture pieces include English and French provincial, Chippendale, Queen Anne, Georgian, Regency, Federal, and Shaker.
English provincial furniture is known for its use of dark woods, such as mahogany, walnut and cherry. Soft curves, subtle carvings, and spindle designs are typical of this style. French provincial furniture, on the other hand, is more ornate and decorative, decorated with scalloped shells, gold trim and cabriole legs.
Chippendale furniture is named for the famous Thomas Chippendale and is known for its delicate curves, reeded legs and claw feet. Queen Anne style furniture has curved lines, intricate carvings, and cabriole legs.
Georgian furniture is often simply decorated with no carvings, featuring inlay work and desert gold finishes. Regency furniture tends to be a blend of Georgian and French style with an emphasis on comfort and functionality.
Federal style furniture has shelves, cabinets, drawers and a box shape that became the basis of modern furniture designs. Lastly, Shaker furniture is characterized by straight lines, utilitarian designs and sturdy construction made with the highest quality woodcraft.
Traditional furniture styles prove to be timeless, never going completely out of style. Those looking for a classic, yet fashionable home look may enjoy these designs.
How many styles of furniture are there?
There are a wide variety of styles of furniture available today, to suit different tastes and preferences. Generally, traditional furniture styles are generally characterized by wood, rich colors, ornate carvings, and intricate detailing.
Examples of traditional furniture styles include Chippendale, French Provincial, English Country, Hepplewhite, and Sheraton. Contemporary styles prioritize straight lines, natural materials, and neutral colors, lending a modern look to furniture.
Examples of contemporary designs include Scandinavian, Urban Industrial, and Mid-Century Modern. If a customer desires a more eclectic atmosphere, they can combine multiple styles, such as combining contemporary and traditional pieces.
There is also a range of antique styles that are also incredibly popular, such as French Provincial, Art Deco, and Queen Anne. Ultimately, there are many different types of furniture styles to suit different tastes, preferences and decor.