It combines a coordination, timeless and homely elements and embodies the retro style of interior design while at the same time ensuring modern comfort and functionality. Seamlessly showcasing custom furniture, vintage-inspired décor, and luxe finishes, each space manages to feel at once nostalgically chic and luxuriously sophisticated. Tailor-made mid-century furniture, geometric designs and bold color schemes embody the spirit of an earlier era while keeping things polished and modern.
Retro elements styled with a smart home twist is a perfect compromise between nostalgic atmospherics and contemporary utility (smart home innovations always make lives more manageable). Its owners can have the coziness of wood-paneled walls, velvet sofas and brass accents alongside the conveniences of automated lighting, climate control and security systems. The result is a beautifully curated mix of vintage and modern, with retro style interior design colliding with modern luxury to create a setting that is both nostalgic and unpretentious.
Origins of Retro Design
The Retro movement recycled styles created since the Industrial Revolution. Retro was coined in 1970 to refer to new artworks that imitate specific elements of the times. Yasemi: This relates to styles reproduced or inspired from the past, also referred to by designers as retro style.
The French term, Rétro, is short for Rétrospectif (English: retrospective). This word entered cultural knowledge along with the rewriting of Charles de Gaulle and France’s role in World War II. Later, the term “Retro” came to be associated with French fashions reminiscent of the 1950s-1970s period.
Gradually, Retro became acquainted with English-speaking cultures through the chapters of fashion media where words identify with reacquainting past eras.
Vintage vs Retro Style
It’s a bit of a head scratcher when the words “Retro” and “Vintage” are used in the same context. These two terms are also two different types from the same roots.
Vintage is a term for a style that has survived for 20 to 99 years. Some will argue that true Vintage should be a minimum of 50 years. Styles that are more than a century old are termed Antique styles.
Retro, on the other hand, refers to reviving styles or fashions from previous times. It relieves the nostalgia of an earlier time. That said, Retro designs don’t need to be old or worn.
So, what does “Retro” mean at your place? It’s often used as a shorthand to describe particularly midcentury decor (from the 1950s to 1970s eras). Retro designs do not have to be old but adjust the styles of the ages mentioned above.
Why Do People Like Retro Style?
In this Retro 60s style, geometric graphics are highlighted on various surfaces.
The appeal of this Retro aesthetic is that it is a break from modern life. The inner Space allows users to be nostalgic, especially for those who are looking for their lost times.
On the other hand, time moves on and makes the look of modern Retro houses. The Retro house draws from an eclectic range of old styles and new or new shapes with old materials and finishes. Stylishly chic and timeless Retro decorations become treasures ranging from grandma’s pieces to bespoke bookshelves. If you’re still trying to identify the style that suits you best, perhaps you should take our quiz to find your style.
What Are Retro-Style Features?
Retro design embodies a period when designers used fresh materials to build bright and cheery spaces. Retro styles are also often associated with the word “Funk.”
Ironically, what you call Retro in Singapore might mean something entirely different in other parts of the world. First, we’ll touch on the unique traits of Retro styles. Then, we’ll talk about how you can quite literally bring this style into your own Space, Singapore-style.
Whimsical Furniture
Whimsical furniture is entertaining and fanciful in a mildly humorous way.
Unlike most modern furniture, retro furniture cuts a different shape. They are colourful, bright, and unique shapes, and they are fun and cheerful.
Form is rarely more important than function. Some designs can even make furniture impractical, as the form gives the furniture a playful feel.
Designers also blend a fun mix of fanciful furniture. Every single piece of Retro furniture brings a visual highlight without interfering with each other.
Muted Colors
Retro styles use a rich range of colours with muted shades.
Retro homes utilize bright colours for every aspect. It uses colours that are duller and less vivid; No single colour dominates the others.
They give the home a fun and playful spirit by mixing colours that might never seem to go together.
Bold Graphics
Retro graphics have a unique appearance.
Retro graphics tend to have this flat appearance. Designers create life from graphics by activating vectors and hues into a volumetric representation of an otherwise lifeless being.
Its bent glass tubes give the neon signs a particular appearance.
The Retro style also includes neon signs. Designers have taken the appearance of neon tubes and developed a graphic style showcasing the bent tubes’ craftsmanship to get the desired look.
Heavily Patterned Walls and Flooring
Playful patterns are echoed on the walls and floor.
The Retro interior also features vibrant patterned walls and flooring. This is not common since the Retro style is rooted in a loud, funky, and boisterous design concept.
The overall aesthetic can initially feel chaotic due to the eclectic blend of factors. But a home filled with clashing prints and patterns is the whole point of Retro style — the fun of it if you will.
Decorative Textures
Colourful abstract art pieces in oversized frames, mustard yellow couch with plush flattering cushions.
It’s all fun and has a retro design. The textured design is bold, colourful, and funky. Pleat patterns help make a bold statement, especially in a modern interior style (the Scandinavian).
Decorative textures are applied to furnishings to add to the vibrancy of the home, making it a fun place to be.
Nostalgic Decor
The 50s inspire Modern Retro decor.
Nostalgic retro decors adorn the living Space. It makes adults feel nostalgic for their young and carefree days.
Because retro styles aren’t minimalistic, decors are placed freely in the home without much limitation. Retro Space: Any kind of decors that signify memories.
Retro Light Design
Retro: Use neon lights as a decorative accent
These retro lights are purely about form. What the light does is less important than getting the look right.
Mahesh Chavan, 37, Nightlife Enhanced Neon lights are generally used to set a mood or for drama. With their colourful fluorescent lights, neon lights bring a sense of nostalgia back to the 1960s. Retro lovers use neon light quotes to express their personalities by decorating interior spaces.
Pendant lights are similar to the traditional way of hanging lights. The exposed wires hanging from light bulbs in the 50s create a similar but safer effect to types of modern pendant lights you can apply to your home.
Today’s Retro homes also employ other varieties of modern lamps for ambient lighting.
Retro style has gained the highest popularity of all styles in human history.
Living Room
Coming back to Retro furniture and decoration, a space would be given a fresh yet classic look. The living room gets extra thought from the designers; after all, we entertain family and friends.
This Retro living room is packed with bold graphics and bright patterns.
Retro decorative style is a fun, lively style in Retro interiors. The decor in the living area is typically bright and colourful, with bohemian, artsy prints and psychedelic patterns.
Refer back to the pop-culture trends, graphic design, or hackneyed emblems of the 50s to 70s. Some vivid and colourful decors can be used to contrast against an achromatic background. Bright yellow wave-pattern rugs, teal knitted pouffes, and gumdrop-pattern cushions give homes a Retro style.
Variety of Retro designs on cushion covers.
The most important part of a Retro interior is the texture of the surfaces. Smooth and flat finishes are uncommon in this style. Instead, personality is injected into Space through heavy patterns in textiles, upholstery, and wallpapers.
Typically used fabric patterns for Retro style.
Or eye-catching patterns on cushions, throws, rugs or sofas can bring a retro vibe to your living Space. Familiar varieties include herringbone, houndstooth, gingham, and tartan.
Homeowners can add retro furnishings such as bubble chairs, patio chairs, beanbags, and huge metallic pendant lights to their homes.
With a Retro-style interior, there is nowhere that repurposed pieces and vintage hand-me-downs stand a better chance. Marked art that has significance will always have a uniqueness to it.” Let them tell your story.
Kitchen
Whether you cook a meal or not, you will spend time in the kitchen brewing coffee or tea in the morning before work. A retro-style kitchen allows sentimentalists to embrace the comfort of nostalgia in a well-endured atmosphere.
Bright strokes of contrasting colour lend an unmistakable Retro appeal to the kitchen space.
Colourful colours work in favour of the Retro-themed funky art style. Bright and energetic colours that complement one another are sure to pep up the kitchen area instantly. Neon-yellow and deep teal tones, for instance, make one think of 60s vibes.
Select flooring with patterns from the 50s- 70s. Harlequin is one of the first iconic patterns used in the kitchen long ago. Other retro patterns you can incorporate into flooring include gingham, Greek keys, ikat, and jacquard.
Pastel colours for the SMEG series of kitchen appliances
Finish off that kitchen area by choosing retro appliances. Anyone who also speaks the language of Retro has iconic appliance brands like SMEsF refrigerators, Morphy Richards cooking pots, and KitchenAid mixers, to call them.
Bedroom
Retro bedroom should be funky and show some personality. Don’t be shy about trying wacky designs because this bohemian style is forgiving of how you decorate your Space.
A Retro designed bedroom featuring a Vinyl record look-alike shelvings feature wall
A statement wall in the bedroom is a perfect chance to channel Retro! It should tell a story and bring the room back to life with nostalgia and eclecticism. For instance, one such feature wall imitates shelves lined up with vinyl records.
Highlight lighting fixtures by adding small details of the 60s and 70s trending symbols. The pot lid forms a timeless retro pendant light. Of these, Orb-shaped lamps contribute best to achieving the Retro look.
Choose a basic wooden bed frame as it is more durable and can mellow bold colour backdrops. For extra whimsy, accessorize the bed with patterned throws and textural blankets.
Different Retro fabric patterns are pieced together to create an upholstery for a womb chair.
Some timeless furniture designs (egg chairs, womb chairs, Eames lounge chairs, Bertoia bar stools) have survived to this day. Home decor furniture can turn your dull room into the most interesting place!
Do not be concerned about having different decorations and furniture. This style loves some juxtapositions, so learn to embrace them, bringing major retro vibes to your room.
Modern Retro Home Examples
Most designs we see today follow this minimalist theory. What that means in practice is a clean, uncluttered living space.
Hence, “Modern Retro” basically means “Do Minimalism with Retro spin”.
So, we’ve gathered a few visual references to help you get a sense of what you could bring into a modernized space infused with Retro home vibes.
Retro HDB/Condo Living Room
A living room with concrete wall carvings derived from Singapore’s HDB void decks.
The feature wall may be the first thing guests notice when they walk into the living room.
Retro interior design: Singapore designers take inspiration from their country’s heritage and landscapes while planning the Retro interior. Feature walls and platform carvings reminiscent of HDB void decks instantly recall Singapore’s retro period.
Retro HDB/Condo Kitchen
The retro-themed HDB kitchen comes with a white kitchen with polka-dotted flooring.
The polka-dotted mosaic floor brings out the Retro feel instantly in an all-white kitchen 60s vibe. The cabinetry inset on its doors trimmed in wooden reveals reclaims the mouldings of the 60’s kitchen. Sometimes, the wall is dressed up to look like polished concrete to provide a realistic way of the 70s homes.
The result is a lightened white space filled with timeless Retro stylings.
Retro HDB/Condo Bedroom
Dark wood furniture flaunts its retro accents in an HDB bedroom.
For the modern bedroom, designers opt for a pared-back overall design. The wall and flooring designs are simple. Accent furniture is skillfully placed across the Space to bring out the Retro feel.
Dining chairs can also serve as accent chairs in the room. In a neutral-toned backdrop, potted plants and books rest atop the Klismos chair.
Retro HDB/Condo Bathroom
A modern Retro bathroom with a playful mixture of mustard yellow and midnight green tiles
In a space-challenged bathroom, designers inject Retro vibes with colours. Mustard yellow and midnight green tint subway tiles elevate retro notes throughout the bath space.
Wood is a dominant furniture product in a Retro interior. A wooden cabinet with a counter-wash basin adds vintage elegance.
Retro House Living Room
A retro-styled lounge that explores an eclectic mix of floats.
A classic Retro look is characterized by bold colours and intricate patterns.
Individualistic design patterns on cushion covers throws, and curtains reflect the Retro decades. The Retro vibe is accentuated by the pair and the contrast of their accents in the Living Space.
Retro House Kitchen
A vast open kitchen inspired by all things Retro.
The open-kitchen trend is ubiquitous in modern homes. Designers are careful to balance Retro with breathy Space. It’s a finely tuned balance between minimalism and playfulness.
The distinctive Terrazzo floor tiles are made to resemble speckled confetti. It is very much 70s style and trumpets. Designers use a collection of colours on the Terrazzo to match the entire Space’s colour concept, to produce a modernized effect of the Space.
Retro House Bedroom
Retro 70s Bubble chair and pop art decor
60s hippie culture injects the room with a sense of free-spirited living. Retro pieces like the pop art Beatles images and the acrylic hanging chair immediately harken back to yesteryear influences in a snappy modern package.
Retro House Bathroom
Modern Retro Terrazzo bathroom with bright coral pink painted walls.
Even in larger perimeters, homeowners demand a clean and spacious bath.
In modern bathrooms today, fixtures and furnishings are minimal and sleek. Instead, creators crack up the wall and flooring designs to emphasize a traditional Retro vibe.
While the Terrazzo floor tiles adopt the style of home interiors common of the 70s, the coral pink wall infuses a calming atmosphere into the enclosed habitat.
Fusion Tips
Retro is an eclectic style that allows homeowners a bit of leeway in its execution.
Retro can be paired with many more modern styles in your home.
Retro Meets Scandinavian
An easy shortcut to marrying Retro with Scandinavian is through colour.
Neutrals are also dyed according to the trend and should be mixed with warm, muted Retro colours. So, mustard works with neutrals and taupe. Alternatively, use green to create a contrast with plants from the Scandinavian style.
On the other hand, a Scandinavian home can be brightened up with Retro elements. Bright colours, wonky geometric prints or graphic patterns can all bring a Retro feel to the house.
Bold prints on geometric cushion covers give a retro touch of glamour to a Scandinavian interior.
Retro is about having fun with various lines, and Scandinavian is all about (clean) lines that serve a purpose.
Fusion disaster, you might say? Not really. A philosophy of comfort unites both designs. And sleek, curved silhouettes are becoming more common in modern Scandinavian furniture.
The Retro and Scandinavian woman is a playful home to return to after a long work day.
Also, read our Definitive guide on Scandinavian interior design style.
Retro Meets Industrial
Retro and Industrial is an odd mix, but you’ll be amazed at the reaction when they get fused.
Industrial-themed lounge areas are cosied up with retro-inspired wall art and armchairs.
For example, the Industrial style is raw and rustic, breathtakingly beautiful, while retro is vibrant and lively. When combined, design styles from either camp form a marriage of comfort and aesthetic pleasure through their contrasting nature.
The result is a nostalgic home nestled in natural raw elements.
The industrial-themed wheeled coffee table is paired with retro wall art and a floor rug.
The synergy of Retro mixed with Industrial is novel. Ceiling track lights from the Industrial style, for example, can light up playful and vibrant Retro artworks that might be hung as decorations on the walls.
Again, the wood elements used in industrial designs can infuse a traditional vibe that mirrors the nostalgia that retro decor brings.
Visit Our Definitive Guide to Industrial Interior Design Style.
Summary
Retro style interior design combines nostalgia with modern styles for a vibrant take on vintage design. It finds inspiration in everything from the 1950s to the 1980s and pulls together the bold color palettes, geometric patterns, and iconic furniture pieces that defined each era. This design direction is more than a nostalgic throwback — it’s a style of playfulness, personality, and self-expression. The bold colors, such as mustard yellow, avocado green and burnt orange; curved furniture; abstract art; and eye-catching textures make for a welcoming yet vibrant setting. In this case, retro interiors celebrate maximalism, elegantly combining eclectic decor with modern finishes for an ideal 50/50 balance of old and new. From a mid-century modern armchair to a vintage record player and a terrazzo coffee table, each of these elements adds character and coziness to a retro-inspired space. Using new materials and smart home technology within the settings of yore, home dwellers can have the best of both worlds.
For more insights and expert advice, keep an eye on Homify Magazine. Stay inspired, stay informed!