Retro style in the interior

The word "retro" is called any things that were relevant in the past, but do not fit into the realities of modernity. There is another concept - vintage. In colloquial speech, they are often confused, although they are similar, but not identical. Retro (from Lat. "Back") is considered the abstract designation of old things and those items that have been aged artificially. For the direction there is no time limit. The age of such things can be both 30 and 60 years old. The word vintage means only authentic, cult objects (usually in the fashion world), which have become a real symbol of an entire era. Their age, as a rule, does not exceed 25-30 years. For example, plastic earrings and tights of acid shades are vintage items of the 80s. Retro direction includes vintage, as part of the flow, obeying fashion. Religious things can not organically fit into modernity, if they have not become popular again. Retro style is out of fashion, the true value of old parts is precisely at their age. Antiques play a special role in this direction - it has become one of the basic elements. Retro style in the interior, as in fashion, will appeal to true connoisseurs of beauty. In the article we will talk about how to decorate the house in an original way with your own hands and at the same time convey the unique spirit of the chosen era.

Features and characteristics of style

Although antique furniture and decorative items were used in different epochs, the beginning of the 1950s is considered to be the official “date” of retro birth. It was during this post-war time that enormous changes occurred in the design. In parallel with the economic recovery, designers wanted to get rid of dullness and routine, find new ideas and solutions, so that the interiors would raise people's spirits and push them to be active. From the 50s, the epoch countdown begins (usually 10 years each), which appear in the history of retro-style as separate landmarks. The post-war years are always taken as the zero coordinate. There are common features that are peculiar only retro:

  • Antique furniture. It can be not only an expensive lot of auctions, but also an old grandmother's suite for the living room or a buffet for the kitchen. And the preservation of furniture does not matter. If the cabinet is polished and looks like new, it does not mean at all that it will not be suitable for decoration of an apartment and you don’t need to age it purposefully. The main thing is that the furniture reflects the characteristics of the era. In any case, it has its own special “history”. The task of the designer is to make the furniture "speak" to maintain the atmosphere of retro-romance.
  • The use of imitations in materials. The 50s became a turning point when new, inexpensive materials began to appear, replacing durable wood, stone or brick.
  • Rich colors in detail. Perhaps it was the first alarm bell for the classic style, since its dominant brown and pastel colors faded into the background when bright colors burst into the interiors with a fresh wind.

For each epoch, special elements, tones, textures are peculiar, but let's talk about this later.

    

The color scheme of the past

Since retro style does not depend on fashion, but on time, it does not have common color standards. For example, these days popular such "tasty" colors as mustard, mint, olive, peach. In the 50s, bright shades were in demand: turquoise, red, green, yellow. Plain fabrics were not used at that time. For this era, relevant combinations with floral ornaments, peas, flowers and "village" cell. Calm colors were chosen as the background: white, shades of brown, pastel colors. Restraint and laconicism in the palette did not give up "without a fight." In the 60s, the background tones became calmer, more muffled, but bright prints appeared, characteristic of the “children of flowers”. By the 1970s, the palette changed once more, preferring gold and shades of brown, against which red, yellow, purple, green, and blue geometric patterns looked advantageous.


    

Retro furniture

Furniture - the main aspect in retrospect. It should correspond to the chosen epoch, therefore the choice is very responsible. Even if the right furniture is placed in a room with a finish that is usual for our time, it will force out the spirit of modernity thanks to its dominant color. Professionals advise in addition to traditional elements to use unusual details that will be the "highlight". For example, a chair in the form of a blossoming flower bud, original chair backs, carved cabinet faces or a dressing table with an oval mirror. Suitable furniture is easy to buy at flea markets where antiques are sold. Find a dresser or bedside table can be in the grandmother's attic. They ennoble them with varnish, paint, sandpaper, with the help of which characteristic rubbing “from time” is subsequently added. Decoupage technique became popular in our time, when drawings are transferred to the surfaces of cabinets, cabinets, cupboards. You can add pictures using stencils, which are sold in specialized stores. For the interiors of the 50s choose massive, angular furniture. For the era of the 60s suitable rational solutions that take up less space, but still do not differ increased comfort. To create aesthetics of the 70s, compact, functional, cozy furnishings of original forms are used.

In furniture from any retro era, the legs have an elegant shape and are made of either wood or metal.

    

Materials and methods of finishing rooms

To finish the surfaces of the room choose simple materials. In this respect, retro style is unassuming and dispenses with whims, as for example the modern eco-direction. In the decoration prevails wood. If we are talking about a later retro, then use plastic, which at that time was at the top of popularity because of its cheapness and availability.


    

Walls and ceiling

Ceiling plaster or sheathed boards. The surface of the tree is polished and painted in the desired tone. In small rooms, it is not recommended to experiment with bright prints and rich shades, as they ground the ceiling. To decorate the walls used fabric wallpaper. Drawing on their surface can be very different: from a simple floral ornament and to complex ornate patterns. The second option would be painting the walls. In this case, combinations of up to five colors are possible. They can be both bright and muffled. In the modern interiors, stylized as retro, often use brickwork. This typically Loft element does not correspond to the epoch, but paradoxically organically merges with the atmosphere of the 50s.


    

Floor

The laminate of light shades approaches fabric wallpaper. If the walls are painted, then it is better to use a floorboard or linoleum with a “checkerboard” pattern. Modern self-leveling floor will fit only the style of the crazy 80s. The kitchen uses durable tile. Mandatory element on the floor is a round carpet with a short nap. Its color is selected in such a way that it is in harmony with the walls and furnishings.


    

Accessories and decor

The decor, as is known, induces a gloss in the room. In the retro-style used an abundance of jewelry that enlivened the situation and made it more fun. In any room should be present colorful curtains of lightweight fabrics. Also, the interior is necessarily decorated with many family photos and an abundance of books. The latter is desirable to use not only for decoration, but also in order to enrich their knowledge. Cotton and cotton are prevalent in textiles. Tables covered with tablecloths in a strip, a cage or naughty peas. Decorating the walls with signs and posters with images of pin-up girls will be the original design move. In the kitchen using bright dishes. Do not shun retro and vases, caskets, mirrors, floor lamps with unusual shades. Among the materials for the decor lead cast iron and wood.


    

Retro from different decades

For three decades (from the 50s to the 70s), the style has undergone changes in which one can find a reflection of changes in the lifestyle of the average person and his tastes. It all began with the strict settings, where echoes of the classical style were traced. Gradually, the interiors changed beyond recognition and reflected chaotic time in anticipation of the “fashionable” revolution of the 80s, which later led to modern styles. The retro era has become an intermediate option, a designer "buffer zone" between the directions that are radically different from each other. It is thanks to her that this transition between contrasts has become soft, without elements of shock therapy.


    

1950s years

At this time there was a breakthrough in industry and automotive. At the time, European countries and the United States became legislators of interior fashion. This "boom" and was due to the unusual design of household appliances: cookers, refrigerators, ovens, radios. They have an abundance of handles, levers, sensors and buttons, which made them look like a car dashboard. The furniture was made of simple materials: wood, metal pipes, various iron "waste". This traced the post-war shortage and rationality, as a way out. In the upholstery of the furniture they used monochromatic textiles, and decorations decorated the ornament. Even the retro-style heating radiators had an original surface with embossed patterns. Also in the interior composition there was an abundance of chrome-plated elements, and instead of expensive leather, a quality substitute was used, again in order to save. By the way, the furniture (especially the chairs) was harsh, but practical.

A special element for karaoke lovers will be the arrangement of a corner for singing in the living room. The main subject in this area will be a microphone at the front, like an American star - Elvis Presley. It symbolizes a whole era, a musical breakthrough. By the way, such microphones have a special cardioid pattern that allows working in rooms with poor acoustics.

1960s years

The aesthetics of the 60s does not yet have the “challenge” of future decades. In the interiors they used the same tones as in the 50s, but in more muted versions. For styling the apartment used posters and prints symbolizing the movement for peace (hippies). The Flower Children, as they were then called, gained widespread popularity in the United States, then the current overwhelmed the British youth. The young generation drew on new ideas from school, which was the reason for a real revolution in the design world. Children were raised on completely different ideals than their parents in the post-war years. At the end of the 60s, the most grandiose festival of those times was held - Woodstock, which only the Monsters of Rock could beat in mass only in 1991 in Moscow Tushino. The large-scale popularization of the new lifestyle has had a tremendous impact on the interior design. Freedom and brightness gradually won their positions, shifting rationalism and laconicism. In electrical appliances (lamps, teapots, televisions), the use of smooth shapes and rounded corners is observed. But the furniture remains almost unchanged. Only its upholstery is gradually decorated with an asymmetrical ornament.

1970s years

Relaxed interiors are gradually equipped with luxury and comfort items: sideboards, bar counters, coffee tables appear. The surface is decorated with an intricate ornament based on combinations of soothing tones: natural shades and golden, brown, and nut colors. Chairs become "softer" for greater comfort of guests and households. In many interiors, the outlines of incipient minimalism are observed. Sharp corners are completely discarded in favor of soft roundness. Forms become harder, futuristic. The disco era dictates its own rules regarding lighting and color palettes. In the setting, be sure to use a pair of accent, bright tones. In vogue includes geometric patterns (circles, squares, triangles). Houses are decorated with festoons, neon lights, devices of complex shapes.

A ottoman will become a stylish element in the living room. Visually, it looks like a couch without armrests and backrest. A wide seat will allow to accommodate twice as many guests as on an ordinary couch or couch.

Retro style kitchen

Consider the option of retro cuisine from the intermediate era at the junction of the 60s and 70s. The floor is trimmed with black and white ceramic tiles. Stacked tile in a checkerboard pattern. The kitchen apron is also decorated with tiles, but smaller sizes and other colors (lilac and mint). The same fresh shade of green is chosen for the kitchen. Its facades are laconic and have no moldings. A bright red table paired with chairs of the same color creates a cozy dining area. Upholstery is made of leatherette, and the tabletop has small light gray blotches that imitate marble of an unusual shade. Household appliances have chrome surfaces. The walls are plastered with special washable wallpaper with a repeating pattern. In the quality of the decoration in the room arrange bright dishes, hang a wall clock, a couple of pictures or photos.


    

Hall / Lounge in retro style

In the living room, three walls are painted in a neutral, pastel shade, and the fourth is decorated with wallpaper with a bright print. Upholstered furniture is represented by a corner sofa and a pair of chairs with upholstery in bright colors: yellow, green, red, orange. It is not necessary to buy a standard kit. Chairs choose unusual forms that were characteristic of the late 70s. The coffee table is made from a combination of glass and plastic. Wall brackets are fixed on the walls, and floor lamps with “metal” shades are placed near the sofa. In the corner place a rack with books. The floor is covered with a round colorful rug. Bright posters on the walls will complete the interior composition.

In country houses, where the halls have a large area, you can install a huge, long sofa that will follow the contours of the wall. It will be a great platform for the rest of large companies.

    

Bedroom

In the retro bedroom of the 50s they use a wide, massive bed with a metal or wooden frame. Her back is draped with the fabric from which the curtains are made. The best solution would be a bright pastel shade with a light floral pattern in textiles. The bed is covered with white lace blanket. On the walls hang pictures and paintings in square and oval frames. A bedside table is made with black and white pictures, decorated with a vase with fresh flowers and a lamp. The walls are painted in ivory, pearl shade, soft yellow tone. The floor is finished with dark laminate, and the center of the room is covered with a large carpet.


    

Bathroom

In the bathroom of the 50s, wooden boards, painted in a dark gray "asphalt" color, are used for wall cladding. Ceiling plaster. Materials do not differ practicality, but a special impregnation will save the situation. The faucet, faucet and legs of the bathroom are made of brass. The locker and cabinets are chosen from the tree of light shades. A rectangular mirror in a framing frame - a relic of a classic style - is installed above the sink. The floor is covered with a patterned rug (flowers, birds of paradise, fish). If there are windows in the room, they are curtained with translucent curtains with unobtrusive patterns to match the color of the walls.


    

Conclusion

Inspiration for creating retro furnishings can be drawn from old photographs, films, musical compositions, and books. Great ideas sometimes hide in the interiors of retro cafes, restaurants and other themed institutions. By the way, American roadside eateries give a special flavor. The interiors of many of them deliberately did not change for decades, and the time there seemed to stop in one place. According to the description of the retro style seems simple and unassuming. In fact, among designers, he is considered one of the most difficult areas, perhaps because in such an environment “atmosphere” plays a big role, the spirit of antiquity, which not everyone can catch.

Watch the video: How to Style Retro Interiors (March 2024).

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