When one thinks of the word “retro”, their mind automatically goes to the decorating styles of the 1960’s and 1970’s. For more and more people, however, the 1980’s is also considered retro. Here are some ideas you can use to create a retro bedroom for yourself.

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The 1960’s was the time of hippies, and free love. Even more than that, it was a time for people to discover love of their fellow man with the emergence of Martin Luther King, Kennedy, and war protests. Home décor was as bold and free as the youth of the generation.

Walls: Room décor did not necessarily come from wall colors. They came from what was hung on them. On your white or neutral wall colors, hang colorful bold flower print fabrics in two or three colors.

Fabrics: Use bold color blocked fabric for your bedding and window treatment. For example, a white background with orange circles or uneven squares. Colors to look for are orange, brown, white, celadon green, and mustard.

Flooring: Floor tiles were very popular during this time. Purchase floor tiles in two colors and install like in a checkerboard pattern. Add several throw rugs to warm your feet in the morning.

Accessories: Accessorize the room with pop art reminiscent of Andy Warhol who was famous for his paintings of Campbell’s soup and Marilyn Monroe. Lava lamps and Hawaiian tiki carvings are also great room accessories of the time.

As the baby boomers came of age in the 1970’s, free love, war protests, and overall cultural awareness faded as disco and nightclubs became the obsession of the generation who needed to work off steam as they worked themselves up the corporate ladder. Home décor and fashions evolved greatly during this time from wild and crazy to clean lines, but bold colors remained.

Walls: Paint the room in a two-toned design like a beige on top and brown on the bottom. Two tones of any color will work well.

Fabrics: Floral designs continued to remain dominant, but more colors were added to the color palate. For your bed, purchase a cozy chenille bedspread and matching sheer curtain panels for your windows.

Flooring: Shag carpet would look great in your 70’s inspired bedroom, but you do not need to stick with the mixed shades of brown that was used to camouflage spills. Purchase your shag carpet in solid colors instead, and stick to area rugs to save money because shag carpet does not have a long shelf life.

Accessories: Mirrors and glass became the main room accessories during this period. Cover a wall with mirrors and add a mirrored disco ball to reflect the light in your room.

During the 1980’s the baby boomers became parents and so home décor became more grown up. Patterns became more subtle, subdued, and traditional. Victorian elements re-emerged during this time.

Walls: There was a return to white and neutral colored walls. You can paint your 1980's inspired bedroom walls white with pastel colored trim, or antique white with high gloss white trim.

Fabrics: Pastel colors became the popular color scheme during this period interspersed with subtle florals by designers like Ashley Stewart. For a more masculine room, stick with classic stripes and argyle patterns.

Flooring: During the 1980’s, carpet got colorful and shorter. Short twisted pile carpet in pinks, blues, and greens would work well in your room.

Accessories: Accessories during this period were also a bit more grown up. Glass figurines became popular for adults and hand made bunnies and stuffed animals were the main décor in children’s rooms. Photography became the wall hangings of choice from candid pictures of family members to posters of rock stars, to black and white landscapes by photographers like Ansel Adams.

Written by ANDREA HERMITT - © 2002 Pagewise