In recent years, the world of interior design is experiencing a certain nostalgia for the past, bringing back aesthetics and styles from past decades, obviously in an updated version. The 70s revival is part of this phenomenon, and we find it especially in the colours (see earthy and autumnal shades,burnt orange,ochre, mustard yellow, bordeaux, burgundy…), but not only.
What was the 70s style like?
The 1970s was a complex decade, from every point of view: social, political, economic, aesthetic. In much of the world, it was an era of transition. The social revolutions that had previously exploded have, in some cases, come to fruition, in others they have seen a wave of ebb and flow, eventually leading to the individualism and hedonism of the 1980s. In terms of aesthetic taste and interior design, it is not easy to pigeonhole an entire decade into one style. Again, it was a transitional period: between the bold experimentation of the 1960s and the eclecticism of the 1980s; between modernism and post-modernism. However, certain characteristics can be recognised in the furniture style of the 1970s:
- abundant use of colour;
- palette of ‘earthy’ tones;
- predilection for bold patterns;
- use of natural materials but also extensive use of plastic;
- combination of many different textures;
- voluminous fabrics (see classic long-pile carpets, so-called shaggy);
- low, elongated furniture;
- soft lines;
- more ‘open’ subdivision of domestic spaces, encouraging sociability (see the famous conversation pit, already in vogue since the late 1950s);
- in the bathroom, extensive use of tiles (sometimes up to the ceiling) and coloured ceramic pillar toilets.
Paint stores
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How to furnish in 1970s revival style
Colours
As already mentioned, the use of colour was central to 1970s design, with a predilection for warm, earthy tones. In the palette inspired by that decade we could find:
- ivory white
- beige
- ecru
- chocolate brown;
- mustard yellow or saffron;
- ocra;
- burnt orange;
- terracotta;
- bordeaux;
- olive green;
- green avocado;
- green/petrol blue;
Very important is thecombination of colours, based on strong colour contrasts, often in geometric patterns for carpets, curtains, cushions and wallpapers.
Materials
There is a return to luxurious and comfortable fabrics such as velvet, leather, bouclé and moleskin, especially for sofas and armchairs. Make way for natural materials such as wood (especially in dark tones), rattan and cork, both for furniture and upholstery. As far as metals are concerned, steel and brass will take centre stage. Glass, usually with a smoky effect, will be juxtaposed with other materials. But there is also room for plastic, the undisputed star of many modern pieces from that era. Incidentally, plastic is one of the many materials that can be painted with the material paints of Rio Verde’s Vintage Prestige line. Here, the most seventies colours are black cherry, vanilla, lattementa and juniper. Thecombination of different textures is very important. The 70s revival must not only be an experience for the eyes, but also for the touch.
The furniture and decorations of the 70s revival style
- Original vintage pieces from the period, juxtaposed with contemporary furniture, as long as it has soft lines;
- modular furniture;
- low and deep furniture;
- furniture that mixes different materials, e.g. wood and glass or plastic;
- upholstered chairs;
- confidential;
- large leather or velvet sofas;
- large carpets with geometric patterns;
- large chandeliers made of Plexiglas, or brass, or smoked glass;
- playful ornaments in bright colours;
- geometric pattern wallpapers;
- broad-leaved house plants, and then ficus and ferns;
- open-plan domestic spaces.
