Ever felt like your home could do with a bit of the charm of the retro style but never had the courage to do so? If the answer is yes, then this blog post is for you! The idea is to start with small steps instead of going big immediately, and there’s no better place to start than the dining room!
When I think of retro eras like the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, I have the popular US diners and UK pubs in my mind that became the symbols of good food and togetherness – exactly what we all need for our homes. So, incorporating elements from either could work as a strategy to restore the dining room’s importance as the heart of the home, a role which started fading a bit in modern times.
Contents
The Dining Area
As the central part of the room, this area deserves special attention. Luckily, there’s a vast range of retro dining tables and chairs to choose from in terms of materials, shapes, colours and sizes. What I love about this range, in particular, is the fact it can fit any design style you already have at home, even if you don’t fully adopt retro so it’s a great investment.
Now, in case you don’t have enough space for the dining set (i.e. table and chairs), why not buy a booth instead of chairs as it fits perfectly into an unused corner. This way, you’d invite more of the retro charms in! Booths also happen to work great in open floor concepts, as they provide a bit of seclusion, kind of like a nook in the dining area, while still being part of the room as a whole.
The Walls
Yes, walls are an essential part of the interior décor and when you want to capture the soul of the retro era you need to include walls in the project too. In case you don’t know where to begin, wallpapers are always a great idea, more so now that they’re as popular as ever!
You don’t have to fully include wallpapers if you aren’t up for such a bold look, you could simply adorn one accent wall around the retro dining table, for example. When you don’t feel like incorporating wallpaper at all, wall murals are a nice alternative – just remember to consider the colours and patterns.
Then if that doesn’t work for you either, and you’d just prefer to paint the walls, you could turn to the help of retro wall décor like diner signs, paintings and metal plates you could find at homeware stores.
The Décor Pieces
Perhaps the easiest way to introduce the retro style. Adding bits and pieces of décor in the dining room will make a big impact even though it might not seem so at first. For instance, the retro dining tables are the perfect spots for eye-catching vases, candle holders and glassware with funky, retro designs.
Music enthusiasts would certainly appreciate the addition of a vintage radio. Moreover, floor and window coverings, like rugs and curtains, are other elements you can implement. And it’s good to note you should think of the patterns and colours the same as with the wallpapers and murals, knowing both are crucial in the retro style. When I think of retro, I see geometrical shapes, and colours like mint green, yellow, autumnal gold, blue, orange, and red.
The Lighting
Also to be considered as part of the décor, the lighting fixtures aren’t to be overlooked since they can help you set the tone in the room along while providing the needed light. You wouldn’t be wrong in choosing a vintage metal pendant that you can place right above the retro table since it’s always been part of the diners.
When in need of more brightness, industrial lights with metal bars are a nice option for the wall, but don’t forget the floor lamps as well because unusual floor lamps in terms of shapes and colours were the embodiment of dwellings in the 1970s.
The Greenery
You can’t think of any room décor project as entirely finished without the addition of plants. The reason for this is that greenery provides a sense of liveliness in the abode, it makes it vivid and energetic. Besides, it was in the era of the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s that plants became such an important part in the home, and it’s a trend that’s making a comeback.
The tropical plants are certainly some of the symbols of retro style, but don’t feel narrowed down in the options if you have some other favourites. Consider the planters and pots as part of the décor too, and look for those that radiate the style; don’t worry if you’re known as a plant killer, since there’s a simple solution to your problem: self-watering planter boxes!
This choice would take the burden of overwatering or not watering enough when needed, so you’d have more time to enjoy the beauty of your plants instead of worrying.