People who grew up in the 1970s would know that the overall vibe or appearance of homes is vastly different from today. The trends in furniture and home décor during the 70s were more vibrant and colorful, and while some people would prefer their homes to look more neutral, there are a few that want to relive the 1970s by decorating different parts of their house with 70s-related items. If you are one of those people that love the 70s, here are some nostalgic 70s home décor items that you can use to improve specific rooms of your home.
Velvet Curtains
Velvet curtains were incredibly popular in the 1970s, and because of how good they look in homes, they are still being used by many people today to block sunlight from their windows. Velvet is a type of woven fabric that has threads that are evenly distributed to produce its distinctive soft and smooth feel. In the last decades, velvet was primarily made of silk, but velvet today can now be made using cotton, linen, wool, and synthetic materials.
There are many kinds of velvet home décor items for you to choose from, but velvet curtains are arguably the best and most beautiful to look at. Besides looking elegant, velvet curtains can also block out most of the sunlight, so they can serve as true blackout curtains for your home.
For reference, here are three velvet curtains you can check out line:
- Roslynwood Velvet Curtains 2 Panels Set
- Pleasant Boulevard Velvet Curtains 2 Panels
- HOMEIDEAS Black Velvet Blackout Curtains
Wood Paneling for Floors
Wood paneling was also popular décor for homes during the 1970s, especially in homes that can get quite cold in the winter. With the help of wood paneling for walls and floors, the temperature of homes can be more stable during cold months, as wood is a natural insulator. While wood paneling for walls is not as common nowadays compared to the 1970s, there are still some homes that have wood paneling for floors, as it helps elevate the look of the home’s flooring.
70s Movie Posters
There were a lot of great movies that came out of the 1970s, and if you are a fan of one or more of them, you should definitely have a poster of those movies in your room or in other areas of your home. Some of the posters you can buy and display could include posters of the first Star Wars movie, the first Rocky movie, or the 1975 shark thriller film Jaws. There are many movie posters to choose from, so pick the 70s films that you consider as your favorites so that you will have an easier time buying the most suitable posters to display.
Faux Leather Throw Pillows
Leather is a material that was quite common in the 70s, so you would often see it in pieces of furniture like sofas, chairs, and even throw pillows. Today, most of the popular sofas and chairs have an exterior made of cloth, but there are still some people that prefer leather furniture, and if you are one of them, you should also get some throw pillows that are made of leather. If real leather throw pillows are too expensive, you can opt to get faux leather throw pillows that still have the soft and rubbery texture of leather without the expensive price tag.
Check out these faux leather throw pillow covers if you want to have an easier time finding one online:
- BRAWARM Faux Leather Throw Pillow Covers
- HOMFINER Faux Leather Throw Pillow Covers
- DEZENE Leather Throw Pillow Covers
Vinyl Record Player
Before cassettes, CDs, and audio streaming apps, people listened to music through a vinyl record player, which spins a phonograph record (commonly known as a vinyl record) and puts a needle on top of the record to play what was recorded onto the record’s grooves. Vinyl was eventually replaced with other formats like cassettes and CDs, which were arguably more durable and affordable.
However, vinyl records experienced a resurgence in popularity during the late 2000s, as many independent artists and bands started selling vinyl copies of their albums, singles, or EPs (extended plays). Soon after, mainstream musical artists also began to sell vinyl versions of their records. Because of how many vinyl records are now available today, vinyl record players are becoming more and more popular. Besides being nice home décor items, vinyl record players can also be used to play your favorite vinyl albums.
Here are three vintage-style vinyl record players for reference if you are planning to buy one for your home:
Bean Bag Chair
Bean bag chairs are common in today’s era, but during the 1970s, a soft chair filled with polystyrene beans was considered “different” and “radical.” The bean bag chair, also known as the Sacco chair, is a large bag that has a fabric exterior and is filled with pellets made of a type of plastic called polystyrene, and these pellets are often referred to as “beans.” The chair was invented by designers Cesare Paolini, Piero Gatti, and Franco Teodoro and was introduced in 1968.
The bean bag chair, despite having a radical design in the 70s, became a very popular home décor item for many homes around the world. The reason why it became popular was because it was one of the most comfortable chairs available during that time. The bean bag chair’s popularity extended beyond the 70s due to its comfort.
To make it easier for you to find a bean bag chair, check out the three products below:
Rattan Chair
Besides the bean bag chair, another popular chair from the 1970s is the rattan chair. In case you don’t know, rattan is the name used to refer to the 600 species of climbing palms that belong in the subfamily Calamoideae. These climbing palms are typically used to make wickerwork furniture (a type of furniture made by weaving natural materials) like chairs and beds.
Rattan chairs are believed to have been around since the 18th century. In order to make a rattan chair, climbing palms are cut into sections and woven together to form strong weaves that can carry the weight of a person sitting on them. Because rattan has the look and texture of wood, it accepts paints and stains, which then allow the rattan to come in different colors. There was a period in the 70s when people were keener on having all-natural furniture, and one of the best natural pieces for them to have at home is the rattan chair.
Shag Rugs
Shag rugs are also a popular type of rug used in the 1970s. As their name already suggests, shag rugs are shaggy in appearance and texture compared to other types of rugs that are supposed to be smoother and silkier to the touch. The term “shag” was actually used in the 17th century to refer to an inferior silk material that has a rougher texture than premium silk. In the 1970s, shag rugs often came in vibrant colors like orange or lime green, but today, you may often see shag rags in much more neutral colors.
For easier choices, take a look at these three shag rugs:
Lava Lamp
The lava lamp is arguably the most “70s” home décor item on this list, as it is both colorful and groovy at the same time. The lava lamp is a type of decorative lamp that was invented in 1963 by an entrepreneur named Edward Craven Walker, who had the idea for the lamp after seeing an egg boil inside a homemade egg timer that has a transparent cocktail shaker in the middle. In order to make his idea into an actual working lamp, Craven Walker hired an inventor named David George Smith to design and develop the lamp and the chemical formula needed to allow two kinds of liquids to swirl and float in different directions inside a container.
After the lava lamp was released in the late 1960s, it became one of the most popular home decorations in the United Kingdom and the United States. Soon after, lava lamps became more available in other countries. Even though lava lamps are not as popular as they were before, they are still available for purchase today in specialty stores and online shops.
If you want to get the best lava lamps on the market, check out the three lava lamps below:
- Lava Original Lamp – Aurora Borealis
- Lava Original Lamp – Purple Sunset
- Lava Original Lamp – Cosmic Wave
Flip Clock
If you want a clock in the living room or your bedroom that is surely 70s in vibe and appearance, you should check out the flip clock, a type of electronic clock that has a split-flap display at the front that flips whenever time changes. Flip clocks were incredibly popular in the 1970s because of how efficient they were compared to other clocks that were available during that time.
Today, flip clocks may not be as efficient and convenient to use compared to before, but there are still some people that like to collect because of their intricate mechanisms. These people that collect flip clocks are often referred to as horopalettologists, which came from the term “horopalettology,” a study of collecting and repairing flip clocks.
If you want to start your own flip clock collection, take a look at these great flip clocks that you can buy online:
- Yariaii Digital Flip Clock
- WoneNice Retro Digital Flip-Down Clock
- Betus Retro Style Flop Desk Shelf Clock
Macrame Wall Hangings
Macrame wall hangings were abundant in homes during the 70s, as they also tied to the “all-natural look” that many people tried to achieve for their homes. Macrame is a form of textile that is produced through knotting, a technique where yarn is tied into knots in order to form different shapes and patterns. Although macrame has existed since the time of the Babylonians in the 18th century BC, it became significantly popular in the 1970s and was used as the textile for jean shorts, accessories, tablecloths, draperies, bedspreads, and even plant hangers.
By the 1980s, macrame-styled accessories and home décor items fell out of the trend. However, they eventually gained popularity once again by the early 2010s. You can now find different kinds of macrame-styled items, but wall hangings are considered to be the most popular.
Check out these three macrame wall hangings to give you a better idea of what to purchase:
- AerWo Large Macrame Wall Hanging
- Flber Large Macrame Wall Hanging
- Guzhiou Large Macrame Wall Hanging
These are just some of the best 70s home décor ideas that we can provide if you want different parts of your home to feel like you are back in the 1970s. Check out the links we have provided above so that you will have an easier time choosing and buying 70s home décor items.