Interior design over the past few years has been seeing a trend of repeated throwbacks. People are essentially channeling their inner nostalgia and looking to old chapters in the book of interior design to add a flair to their homes. The result has been a series of different interior design styles from the 20th century or even older making comebacks across the globe. The latest of this series is the comeback of the 1970’s style of interior design. 

Of late, home interiors in particular have become a lot less about following set patterns and a lot more about expression, creativity, positivity and spirit. Stepping away from the simple ol minimalistic design and taking an edgier approach has become the solution to monotony of many which is exactly why 1970s design has been able to make a comeback. 

Not only does the design offer a lot in terms of uplifting the home environment, but it actually allows one to embrace the nostalgia without looking far off for the modern age. This is because there are a lot of similarities between interior design trends of today and the 1970s style.

Channeling this style in your humble abode can be the perfect way to give it a ​​stunning and cozy vibe. 

Here’s all you need to know about 1970’s interior design and just how to ace it in your home: 

DECODING THE 1970’S INTERIORS 

The 1970s were an era of difficulty for the world. There were a lot of different socio-economical and political actions happening at the time that were rather major. Amidst the tumultuous environment, people receded to their homes as their ultimate spot of peace and comfort.

The 1970s interior design thus came to be characterized as one of comfort and peace in a way that the homes become safe havens for people. A similar situation is upon the world now in the shape of the pandemic. Its spread and fall is rather unpredictable, making homes once again the place one can feel protected and at ease in.

Channeling the interior design from an era with a similar requirement can thus prove to be quite useful. With the simplest of tweaks and additions, you can deck up your home the 70’s way. 

Here’s how you can nail the look just right:   

OPEN THE FLOOR PLAN 

The first and one of the most important things for an interior design to perform well is a strong foundation which comes from the floor plan. The layout you pick acts as a canvas upon which the design can express itself properly. 1970’s floor plans are quite similar to the trendy ones today i.e. an open floor plan.

Open floor plans basically call for lesser divisions across a home and rather a more open and seamless approach where different parts of the house freely flow into each other. Having such a layout not only adds to the spaciousness but can also help the place look more arid and comfortable to move around in.

It also makes different portions of the house more accessible from the central point. Above is a floor plan from the 70’s to better understand the kind of layout that was predominant. In the layout one can see that the living room, dining room, kitchen and foyer have no set door separating them, rather they are blended together as a holistic space making the place seem rather spacious and open which is perfect for the modern home as well.

Begin with an open floor plan, and try to combine common spaces around the house into a single set of spaces to ace the layout for comfort. 

SOFTEN THE COLOR SCHEME 

The 1970s style is all about sticking to comfort and tranquility in the house. The color scheme of the 70’s is thus a sharp turn away from most retro styles that use bright and bold colors. The color palette of this style is rather simplistic and soft on the eyes.

Much of this style is centered around the idea of highlighting the presence of nature in your home. As a way to radiate the positive psychological effects of nature the style draws from different elements of nature which is perfect in times where going outdoors is not always feasible.

The color palette too rotates  around a similar approach. Taking cues from nature, one could use colors like green, blue, orange, yellow, brown, beige, cream etc to get the look. Rusty orange and brown tones in particular are ahit in this aesthetic. The attempt should be to stick to lighter and earthier heus of the colors you choose to maintain the simplistic vibe.

The neutral color scheme can be complemented with subtle pops of colors if needed through smaller accent pieces. 

GEOMETRICAL MOTIFS FOR THE WIN 

Away from the curves and squiggly patterns, the 1970s was all about sharp geometric patterns. Geometric patterns have a timeless quality to them. No matter the era or time, they are a classic that can be featured in a bunch of different ways around the design.

The 1970s style did just that. The geometric edgy approach was applied all around the design as well as made a huge part of the decor. The idea is to be experimental to mix and match different patterns across the design yet keep it sophisticated through the right placement and color scheme.

There are a lot of different designs that one can try out. From the classic grid pattern, to the everlasting checkered pattern or a clean peardrop design there’s a lot to work with. While one can pick just about any shape or pattern to work with, the focus must be on keeping the design rather neat and highlighting its geometrical form to stay true to the theme. 

EARTHINESS IS KEY

Rustic and earthiness qualities of design are rather key to the 1970s concept. Since the aesthetic of this era is all about comfort and enveloping yourself with nature, an earthy quality to design naturally became quite prominent in homes. Even for modern homes, following a similar aesthetic can help develop a feeling of warmth and coziness right in your home.

To match the earthy vibe with your design, you could begin by looking at neutral and brown hues to run around the space. You could also dip into other earthy shades such as ochre or even a terracotta red to mix things up yet keep it simple. The easiest way to get the look is to stick to a monochromatic scheme i.e. look into different hues of the same color for different elements in a room. 

Further, adding grainy and gritty textures can help accentuate the vibe of any room with ease. You could do so by adding rustic decor, texturing your walls, or even going for things like live edge furniture to complement the look well. 

THE RETURN OF RATTAN 

Rattan and wicker pieces are already making waves in interior design. With all the talk of sustainability and biophilic centered designs, rattan pieces are being increasingly picked by consumers and designers. In the 70’s too, rattan furniture was rather popular and well loved.

Since the approach back then was similar to the nature centric designs that are trending now, it’s not surprising that this material is a key part of the design. To include it, there’s a lot of different things one can do.

You could go for upholstered rattan couches in your living room, a rattan coffee table, dinette set, patio furniture or simply go for woven rattan decor pieces to accentuate your walls and tables in a subtle yet trendy way. 

HERO THE TEXTURES 

Natural textures are a huge part of the 70s aesthetic. The style truly believes in channeling nature through textural input. To do so, the most important thing is to retain the natural textural quality of different materials used around the house without altering it too much.

For instance, timber is a material that is featured a lot in this aesthetic’s design. As a way to bring in nature as well as retain the earthy vibe, wood was used all over the space. For the texture to make an impact, it wasn’t altered rather maintained and accentuated through paints and polishes.

This helped show off the natural grain and pattern of wood in the space while also keeping it aesthetically prime. Similarly, elements like exposed brick, wooden beams, exposed concrete beams and pebbles were also rather popular. You could go for a similar approach by utilizing such concepts around the house or even set up an accent wall that heroes the textures of nature well. 

Overall, the 1970s interior aesthetic has all the flair and character a home needs while also being equally comfortable and homey. From textures, to colors, the aesthetic is loud on its love for nature making it the perfect pick for the modern day home. Try out the above ideas to get your perfect 70’s interior.