Retro Decorating

by Giorgina Devereaux

For the living room, you can include a black leather sofa with tufted seat tops and legs finished in a brown stain.

You can also add a leather chair that features a wrap around back with molded sides with the seat forming from the back though the center and is completely padded.

Retro furniture pieces for the kitchen, for instance, include dinette sets, with an oval red cracked ice table that has chrome insert banding, and chrome chairs upholstered in yellow, red, and cracked ice vinyl.

Also, a vintage wooden style table with an enamel top will work perfectly in the kitchen.

You can spruce up your furniture and cabinets with glass knobs because they add an authentic vintage look.

For cabinets painted in white, you can install the green glass knobs for a nice contrast.

A super way to add appealing charm to your walls is by painting the walls in a cream and green, red and white, or pink and blue color scheme.

Through the use of wall art, you can enhance the overall look. This is a great way to show off your vintage finds by displaying collectibles on shelves or hanging them on the wall as a group.

A tip when hanging art pieces is to keep the center of the artwork at eye level.

Furthermore, you might want to consider using vintage tile on the walls or painting in vintage colors to help accentuate other decorative items.

For flooring, you can install linoleum in a checkerboard pattern for a retro feel.

Another option is to use throw rugs to add color to the floor, which help tie the elements together.

Lighting helps transform the ambiance in the room.

To achieve that authentic retro look, you can buy vintage ceiling lights, vintage desk and table lamps, and wall sconces in plastic or in an enameled metal. You can choose from sputnik lamps, along with other lamps in a variety of colors, which includes yellow, red, and orange, just to name a few.

Decorative accessories are essential to bringing your Retro decorating look together. Try to focus on finding items that match your particular color theme.

For the kitchen, stainless steel containers and breadboxes are a good choice, as well as patterns, such as cherries, solid pink, and powder blue.

Also vintage plates, tablecloths, and dish towels make interesting pieces. If you are having difficulty tying that refrigerator or stove into this look, consider purchasing ones reproduced with today’s technology in the original appearance.

Other accessories that can be displayed include:

• classic pedal cars inspired from the 1940’s and 50’s
• replica jukeboxes
• turntables
• radios
• Double Bubble clocks
• atomic clocks
• cocktail clocks
• orb clocks
• Coke machines
• car hop
• oil signs
• metal laundry soap bins (for a taste of laundry room nostalgia)
   

Decorative pillows are another fabulous decorative accessory because they add a nice touch to any room. You can purchase pillows that are made in a retro fabric design.

Finally, for window treatments, consider the use of vintage barkcloth that comes in complementary colors and great patterns. This will definitely add drama to your room.