Groovy 70s Home Decor That Will Have You Reevaluating Your Interior Design Preferences

You probably don’t have any memories of the familiar swish of bell-bottoms around your calves or the faint scent of marijuana hanging on the northern California breeze, but if you try hard enough, maybe you can imagine yourself there. Woodstock nostalgia, disco, and Jaws–some of the most influential and defining cultural creations of the 20th century. You would think the blow-your-mind styles and out-of-this-world artistic license would have stuck around for longer than a decade.

Here at FamilyWise, we enjoy paying our respects and tipping our virtual hats to the artists, musicians, and culture curators that made the 70s as colorful and memorable as they were. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of the top 20 most notable interior decorating tropes of the decade.

Whacky 70s Chairs, Colors, Carpets, 70s decor and More

1. Wood Paneling

You probably recognize this from either your grandparents’ basement, HGTV, or That 70s Show, but either way, it takes the cake for 1970s interior design cliches.

2. Harvest Gold

This color is probably one of the more psychedelic aspects of the 70s decor. It was a household staple back in the day, and there was scarcely a middle-class suburban kitchen built without this as the color scheme.

3. Floral Prints

If you were to derive one overarching message from the seventies, it would most definitely be “flower power.” 70s decor was all about it.

4. Egg Chairs

In our book, these chairs are still the epitome of cool. Maybe it’s something to do with small, enclosed spaces that just makes you feel all safe and cozy when you’re sitting in them.

5. Band Posters

This is probably one of the more persistent interior design trends on our list–at least for teenagers.

6. Rattan Furniture

Basically, rattan is another word for wicker. You didn’t know that? Don’t worry, neither did we. 70s decor on point.

7. Sunburst Clocks and Mirrors

If you needed a little bit of sunshine in your life back in the 1970s, the obvious solution was to purchase yourself a literal burst of sun to hang on your wall.

8. Hand Chairs

Chairs are meant to be supportive, right? Whoever designed these bad boys kept that well in mind, what with the whole hand-holding concept.

9. Shag Carpet

This one is classic 70s decor. Everyone who lived through the 70s remembers the familiar feeling of this wooly, matted stuff between their toes.

10. Bean Bag Chairs

There are a lot of crazy interior decor ideas out there, but this must have been one of the weirdest by far. If you’d never seen a bean bag chair before, imagine how awkward it must have been plopping yourself down in one for the first time!

11. Sunken Living Rooms

For some reason, normal-leveled flooring was just too basic for the architects and designers of the 70s.

12. Avocado Green

The folks in the kitchen appliance business must have really liked earthy tones back in the day. It reminds me of the color of old vintage canvas tents. Who knows? Maybe it had something to do with the environmentalist movement. 70s decor for the win!

13. Macrame Wall Owls

Who knows why these little handmade wall pieces were so popular? Maybe everyone just wanted to absorb a little bit of wisdom, or maybe the obsession with handwoven crafts went just a little bit over the top.

14. Whacky Carpet Colors

The photo says it all. If you wanted a splash of color in your life back in the 70s, why not just throw it down on the floor and walk all over it?

15. Hanging Plants

You might have noticed that these bad boys haven’t quite gone out of style, especially with the recent resurgence of hippie nostalgia and every millennial’s rising obsession with succulents.

16. Linoleum

Boy, oh boy, do we remember this one! Linoleum was the standard in every suburban dream home. Whether you lived in Nebraska or New York City, this plasticky material was probably what your bathroom floor was made of.

17. Crocheted Blankets

Not only are these things warm and cozy, but they also make for nice throw blankets. Next time you visit your grandparents, keep an eye out for one of them.

18. Lava Lamps

Lava lamps are still totally rad, but in the 1970s, they were the epitome of cool. They resurfaced in the 80s, the 90s, and the 2000s. It’s probably not a stretch to say that they’ll make their rounds again in the next decade.

19. Floating Stairs

If this trend gives you some Brady Bunch vibes, you’re getting it right. These stairs are one of the most iconic features of 70s suburban home architecture.

20. Vinyl Tables

Regular old wooden tables? Forget about it! Vinyl tables were the most practical way to go. Easy to clean, portable, and–most importantly–stylish.