Every decade is defined by key interior design trends - and the fun and funky seventies were no different. Ever looked at a photo of a room decorated in the 1970s and thought 'Ooh, that's so seventies?' Well, that's because er, it was! When it came to home decor, the seventies had a style that was all of it's own - even though a lot of those trends were borrowed from previous decades. But the seventies have made these home fashion features their own, and they have since become synonymous with that decade.
There were a lot of contradictions among the key styles and trends of the seventies. It may have been known as the decade of glitz, glitter and disco, but there was also a move towards nature and all that was organic and earthy which was reflected in the colour palettes that were largely in fashion at the time. There were however also a great deal of bright yellows, reds and oranges, Not to mention plastics. See - contradictions!
And indeed there was a variety of materials and textures in the seventies' home: wood (and lots of it) plastics (especially within a bright colour scheme) corduroy, velvet, faux fur, cork, coir, wool, rattan, glass, leather, ceramic, exposed brickwork, stone... more textures than a baby's activity play mat! So aside from having a distinct colour scheme, the seventies home was also a very textural one. It's interesting to note that despite the use of 'hard' natural materials that were in-line with the whole return to nature ethos - coir, jute, rattan, stone, wood etc. - there was also the need for 'soft,' for luxury and comfort as reflected in the use of velvet, fur, wool, corduroy, and shag rugs and carpets.
And as you'll soon see, it would appear that unless you were especially house proud, the seventies home may well have been a bit of a dustbowl! But a very charming one! We take a look at key trends and just some of things that you had to have in your home during the seventies.
1. SHAG PILE
Isn't it funny how times change? Today many people opt not to have wall-to-wall carpets fitted in their home due to the practicalities of hardwood/laminate floors and the increase in allergies. But back in the seventies only a shag would do (of course we're talking about the flooring!) and carpets had to be shaggier than all of Slade's barnets put together! Sure, shag piles shed and were harder to keep clean than the bottom of a birdcage, but no one seemed to care that much. What was a bit shedding and dirt compared to that cozy look and soft underfoot feeling? And the more deeper the pile the more luxurious the look - especially if it was all white. And for those who couldn't do wall-to wall carpet, they made do with a shag pile rug instead.
2. FRINGING
Fringing and tassels were in during the 1970s, and not just for clothing but in home décor too.
Fringing was found on the edges of blankets, lampshades, bedspreads, rugs, wallhangings, window dressing and around the base of couches.
3. ANIMAL FABRICS & PRINTS
The hunting lodge look was a very big trend in the 1970s. There was an abundance of hides and animal prints - anything from cow hide to zebra print to leopard print. These prints and pelts were often mixed and matched to the point where KISS or Del Boy would have been proud! It gave the room an edgy yet cosy look and feel. It's a style that's still in use today except that the overall look is toned down and all the furs and skins are faux and completely cruelty-free - and thank goodness for that!
4. FLOCK WALLPAPER
Velvet flock wallpaper was definitely the in-thing in a lot of British homes back in the seventies, and this trend carried on until around the mid-eighties. Most of us who grew up during this time will probably remember having flock covered walls in our hallway or sitting rooms, or came across it in someone else's house. It came in a range of colours but flock wall coverings in brown, burgundy or gold were especially popular.
The Warrenders' living room in Just Good Friends (YouTube)
It's still used today but whereas nowadays, people would put up flock wallpaper to highlight an accent wall, people in the seventies would use it to highlight an entire room - and they say the eighties were the decade of excess! But it was very popular at that time due to it's luxurious feel and that touch of elegance. But no doubt, as with that other great dust collector, shag pile carpets, people probably look back and think, "yeah, that was probably a bit much!"
But it wasn't just flock wallpaper that people were into - textured walls in general were very much the in thing during the seventies: foil, textured plaster, and everyone's favourite, woodchip paper!
5. THAT 1970S EARTHY COLOUR PALETTE
When people think about popular colours of the 1970s, avocado green immediately comes to mind. It's believed that it's popularity was due not just to the increase in consumption of the creamy, pear-shaped fruit with the big pit (and you thought you were starting a trend with your avo on toast!) but also because of a desire to return to nature and concern over the environment.
But avocado green wasn't the only star in the earthy tone colour palette. Harvest gold was also a pretty strong contender, closely followed by burnt umber, terracotta, chocolate brown and beige. These colours generally took over the décor of the 1970s with regards to kitchen appliances, soft furnishings, walls and flooring, furniture and paintwork. If done correctly, rooms could look quite striking with this colour scheme. But what often happened was avocado green battling it out with harvest gold for supremacy which could be a bit much for the more mainstream homeowner. By the end of the decade this earthy tone palette declined in popularity, and then the eighties rebelled and got all pastel and neon on us!
Other popular colour palettes at the time included the all brown look which was a bit drab but was still very much en vogue; and the bright colour scheme for those who wanted their homes to ooze colour with its oranges, yellows, reds and greens.
And just in case you're wondering, yes - the colours of the Nostalgia Pie site are absolutely based on the 1970s earthy colour palette!
6. WICKER FURNITURE
Many people in the seventies were fans of the garden-furniture-indoors look, and rattan furniture was a common feature in most people's homes. Bedframes, lampshades, coffee tables, armchairs, mirror frames... it was probably just the cooker that wasn't made of rattan! Although it was sometimes painted white, rattan, which was light yet durable, was very much in keeping in line with the 'back to nature' trend and gave the home that organic, natural feel. The down side of wicker is that it did gather dust and wasn't the easiest of materials to clean.
7. WOOD PANELING
Angel Noire
Yep, you've guessed it - this was all down to the brown and natural look being in. And what could be more brown and natural than... wood! Although ironically the material used to make the panels wasn't always real hard wood but rather plywood or fiberboard which was made to closely resemble real wood. One of the advantages about having wood panelled walls was that you didn't have to fret over what paint colours to choose. However nowadays modern-day homeowners sometimes paint over their wood panelled walls to get away from what is sometimes perceived to be a rather dated look.
8. DROP-DOWN LIVING ROOMS
Drop-down living rooms are always that aspect of 1970s home decor that makes everyone go, "Oh yeah - I remember that! The more eagle-eyed among us, when watching films and TV shows from the 1970s, would be aware that a lot of the houses featured what could be described as drop-down living rooms. This is where the floor of the room was at different height levels. These were more commonly known as 'step-down' or 'sunken' living rooms. The two terms are often used interchangeably but a lot of people regarded a 'step-down' living room as one where there are a few steps leading from the entry i.e. - the hallway - to the living area; whereas a 'sunken' living room was generally a pit with seating in the sunken part of the floor, usually in the centre of the room.
The point of such a set up was to create different spaces within a room without the need for walls. And the conversation pit of the sunken lounge created a feeling of luxury, coziness, and intimacy. This was the kind of arrangement for people who wanted to socialize rather than just watch the telly. They were actually first created in the 1920s by architect Bruce Goff and became a feature in clubs throughout the fifties and sixties (not to mention certain airports) but they took off in a big way as part of home interiors in the seventies. There are some homes where step-down/sunken living rooms still exist but on the whole they are pretty much out of fashion (except for us retro lovers) and they've also been considered impractical - not to mention a bit of a hazard!
9. GEOMETRIC DESIGNS
Does anything scream seventies home interiors quite like those big bold geometric designs? (And yes, many of them can be found right here on Nostalgia Pie!) There was pattern, there was colour, and there was lots of it! The use of geometric designs was to make an impact, and this was a time when homeowners began experimenting with various patterns - and by the looks of things it sometimes seemed that the more clashing the better! These bold geometric prints could be found on walls, floors, soft furnishings, crockery... oh and tiles! Any surface that could be tiled, would be - including the sides of the bath! Though that was still better than carpet!
Those geometric designs are still favoured by those who love that retro seventies look, although nowadays it's used much more sparingly and is used to accentuate not overtake!
10. VELVET
Velvet was a very popular fabric back in the 1970s, especially crushed velvet. It was absolutely everywhere: couches, curtains, cushion covers, wall hangings... And when people weren't adorning their homes with it, they were wearing it!
As you can probably tell, 1970s homeowners were big fans of materials that seemed to collect dust like no one's business. But we still love that seventies home decor and style.
What did you like best about 1970s home interiors? What would you like to see make a comeback?
Photos: Pixabay, Youtube, Unsplash and Angel's own.
Word cloud: Angel Noire.
I really love it when people incorporate key trends from a particular period into the decor of their home. I'm a big fan of 1940s' style and I've added these touches with regards to colour, prints, vintage pieces and so forth throughout my home