The best 70s interior design and decor tips you can use

When you’re renovating your home, you’re looking for inspiration for your design. One of the most common trends at the moment is to follow the interior design of the 1970s. With some modern improvements, of course, to tie everything together.

We love the “eclectic hippie” design style. Best of all, you don’t even have to go far to find inspiration and elements. Just come to your parents’ house and take a look at the basement – there are bound to be loads of things you can reuse.

But the interior design of the 70s also has its own subcategories. There is the design in boho-hippie style and then the more glamorous disco look. No matter what you prefer, you will find plenty of ideas in the field of interior design in the 1970s.

Consider the old as new and take a moment to notice everything you can find in your mother / grandmother’s basement. Disco balls, macrame, and other items can add a healthy dose of the ’70s, and you can even experiment and try them out for yourself.

Here are some interior design tips from the 1970s.

The terrazzo

Image source: Dansky Handcrafted LLC

Nothing screams like the good old terrazzo in the 70s. There are many ways you can incorporate it into your design – whether it’s the floor, walls, or even the countertop.

It gives your rooms a good feeling in their mid 20s^th Century. Terrazzo is again big in design and there are more and more people who are designing their entire rooms with Terrazzo again. If you’re crazy about it, why not go bust and use large installations with it?

Hanging chairs

Image source: Studiovert design

How about a few swings in your house to liven it up? It’s an endless styling idea that will spice up your home and make it feel “old school”. Whether it is a rattan egg chair, a macrame swing or even wooden hammocks, you will bring fun to your home and have a retro feel at the same time. Or it can serve as a reading surface. Avoid accidents!

Geometric shapes

Image source: Micamy Design Studio

Forget the rounded shapes of today – it’s about the geometric shapes and patterns. The 1970s were full of cases where these shapes and patterns found their way into the design. It can be something fine, like a small piece of furniture.

Or you can consider an Ottoman piece to give you that retro feel. Invest in some good carpets and textiles like pillows and spread them around your room to use them.

Brass animals

Image source: Archetype Design Studio, LLC

Spend some time in antique shops, whether it’s online or physical. You will definitely find some interesting animal pieces and animal accents there. It turns out that this type of piece was extremely popular in the 1970s. They are just a subtle addition to your decor that can make a big difference.

ranch

Image source: L.EvansDesignGroup, inc

If you’re renovating your home on a 70’s style ranch, wooden walls are the way to go. But you need to add a touch of color and furniture and of course choose the right colors.

This modern Hudson River Ranch was inspired by the 1970s – alpaca for a carpet, straw-inlaid walls and other subtleties make it an appealing type of design.

Macrame wall over the bed

Image source: Urbanology designs

We have already mentioned macrame, but it is such a thing of the 70s that we cannot ignore it. It gives your home the hippie feel and you can use a macrame wall in your bedroom. Why not hang it over your bed to liven it up a bit?

A bold option would be a macrame chair, which is actually quite strong because it is made of knots and also adds some 70s to the design.

Crochet blankets

Image source: Marilyn Hill Interiors

While many people associate crochet blankets with a grandma’s house, this isn’t necessarily the case. This handmade crochet blanket gives your design an exquisite but subtle touch of the 70s.

rattan

Image source: Sullivan + associates architects

This idea is all about rattan. This type of sugar cane and wicker furniture was extremely popular in the 1970s. But you can create a whole design out of rattan – the furniture, the subtleties like bookshelves and much more. It gives him a relaxed feeling and at the same time a very boho feeling.

Naturally

Image source: Alderwood landscape architecture and construction

In the 70s, it was all about the hippies, and we know that hippies revered Mother Earth of all people. They wanted to live more naturally, connected to nature. This also led to changes in the interior design, which included various natural materials.

Natural materials were installed in the houses of the 1970s, such as extra-large windows, natural stone, interior gardens, pine accents, wicker furniture and much more. You can incorporate some of these ideas to create that feeling in your own home.

Avocado green

Image source: John David Edison Interior Design Inc.

We have already said that nature has been popular since the 1970s, and this was only encouraged by the green color of the avocado. Everything can be used with this color, from Pyrex to aprons to cupboards and walls. This color has long been the favorite color and you can still use it today.

Jungalow

Image source: Melissa Miranda interior design

Even if you’re a hippie enthusiast, you’ll love this design idea. The carpet, the exposed brick walls, the oversized plants and the pillows are tied together in a very hippie design that many still use today.

It’s all about velvet

Image source: Nanette Wong

While velvet isn’t necessarily a hippie-style decoration idea, it’s still a very popular ingredient in homes in the 1970s. More precisely, it dominated the whole world of interior design at the time. Velvet goes very well with rich colors, rich wood tones and decadent fabrics such as silk. With velvet you can create a more elegant design.

Cream-colored shags and sheepskins

Image source: Judith Balis Interiors

Wall-to-wall shag carpets could be a thing of the past. But small fixtures like shag carpets and sheepskins are still very popular. You can easily add a touch of coziness to your home, but you need to use it where dirt is unlikely to be present.

And the cream color is one of the colors that were popular in the 70s. You can add some cozy pillows and other details to complete the look if you are naturally interested in this type of color.

embroidery

Image source: Archetype Design Studio, LLC

Embroidery is another facility that is making a quick comeback today. Together with macrame, this style is more and more present in the modern design and we love it. You can add a homemade, hand-made embroidery to make your design a little more interesting and elegant.

Floral prints

Image source: Lauren Ostrow Interior Design, Inc.

It was about flower power in the 60s and 70s, from which hippies were inspired. The floral prints were fairly common, as were somewhat livelier colors like orange, avocado green, and mustard. They were often placed on bedspreads, curtains and other furnishings.

Owl accents

Image source: California Luster

In the 1970s, the owl was the protected animal and probably one of the most revered animals in the United States. That is why owl accents have often found their way, even into the interior design of the 70s. It’s a fun print idea for your child’s room or for some other spaces where it can be used more subtly.

Agate accents

Image source: Pompeii Quartz-Preciouston-Vetrazzo-Sapienstone

The importance of organic is also widespread here. Here stones and crystals climb the throne. You can add some of them to the design, and a table like this can be the centerpiece of your decor.

Disco balls

Image source: SCM Design Group

Towards the end of the 1970s, the disco was on the way up. And at that point, it also became one of the dominant features in design. This includes disco balls. While this idea is a little too bold for some, you can also make it subtle. They create a cool lighting effect and you don’t have to make them visible to make a difference.

Final thoughts on interior design in the 1970s

The 1970s will remain one of the most popular epochs in recent history. Many people remember them because of their carelessness and attachment to natural things. However, there are many 1970s interior design options that you can work with.

In the end, choose what suits you best. These are just a few ideas that will inspire you to redesign your interior.

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