Popular Interior Design Styles of the 70s

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Interior design styles during the ‘70s were cheery and pleasing. Thanks to its assemblage of wonderful decorating trends ranging featuring shag carpeting, use of earthy tones to campy colors, and the iconic prints, it brought fun into the homes during one of the most tumultuous decades in history. In this post, let’s look back at the popular interior design styles of the ‘70s, some of which became timeless and can still make your home beautiful today.

Shag Carpets

Shag carpets became wildly popular during the swinging sixties and lasted into the seventies. Though they can be challenging to clean, these bush floor coverings just seemed to suit the decade of disco, bell bottoms, midi skirts, and frayed jeans. In the ‘70s, shag carpets came in more vibrant colors and exciting textures. People just loved the creativity, making shag carpeting quintessential in the ‘70s.

Prints

People from the seventies were undaunted by prints. Walls became colorful and were splashed with bright, large-scale, daring prints, coming in geometrics, floral, paisley, plaid, and other abstract patterns. Even bedspreads weren’t spared from these vibrant, contrasting prints, which came in shades of yellow, orange, green, and gold.

Macramé

The art form of macramé is believed to have originated during the 13th century. It became a fad during the Victorian era but its popularity eventually faded. In the 1970s, it saw a resurgence and became the crafty craze in the decade. From bedspreads, wall hangings, draperies, tablecloths, and other ornaments, this soft, shaggy textile was just seen nearly everywhere.

Lots of colors

Juxtaposed colors characterized the seventies, making it one of the most colorful times in interior design history. For every earth-toned space that used tans, browns, mustard, and ochres, there was a matching bright and vibrant room that used green, red, turquoise, sunshine yellow, and a lot of oranges – an explosion of colors, that made homes feel both incredibly congenial and funky.

Brass Accents

Brass accents lied through the eclectic disco era of the 1970s. Glimmering in shiny gold to subtle bronze sheens, brass accents in the form of animals of flowers were seen in people’s homes. Though other trends dominated the decade, brass channeled in the individualistic mindset in the seventies.

Rattan

Wood remained popular in the decade but veered away from the heftier rosewood, teak, and mahogany and instead shifted to the lighter rattan and other wicker materials. It offered a natural, laid-back, airy vibe that perfectly fit the boho look. Once used for patios, porches, and outdoor spaces, they were integrated into interior spaces in the seventies, such as living rooms and bedrooms. Plus, it just suited the macramé and palm fronds that were just virtually everywhere.

Palm Fronds

True enough, palm fronds were a hit in the ‘70s. With the comeback of maximalism in the decade, oversized greenery became widely accepted in interior decor. Along with ferns and other featherlike branches, palm fronds accentuated homes and served as an excellent way for people to freshen and turn their homes into indoor gardens or urban oases.

Chair Craze

The 1970s saw massive developments in chair designs. Interior designers employed various high-tech materials, such as polyurethane plastics and tubular steels. It was a period of experimentation and radicalism, which brought the popular versions of the Eero Saarinen tulip chair and Verner Panton panton chair. Of course, with rattan being a widely used material, rattan-made hanging chairs also swung during the decade.

Linoleum Floors

Keeping pace with the groove of the 1970s, home floorings became anything but unfussy. In this decade, linoleum flooring became a requisite in living rooms, kitchens, and even bathrooms. It’s no wonder as linoleum became available in a fun array of color schemes and crazy patterns. Not to mention that many also loved the ubiquitous flooring material for its easier cleanup and durability.

Terrazzo

Another omnipresent item during the seventies was the terrazzo, a composite made of various material chips, such as glass, marble, quartz, granite, onyx, and a lot more. While it’s traditionally used for flooring, it experienced its heyday during the seventies. It has been used in nearly any form, from bathroom accessories to countertops, backsplash, furniture, and decor accents, while still keeping its tasteful and chic look.

Final Words

Indeed, the seventies were one of the most memorable decades in terms of home decors. After the past decades of restrictions, new materials, prints, colors, and patterns, all made the period exciting for people’s homes. With a stylistic balance, these classic 70s styles can even still be viable solutions to provide your home a groovy and uplifting look you’ll surely relish. If you loved our retrospectives on 70s style, you won’t want to miss our newest post on how Studio 54 shaped interior design.

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