Do you remember that sofa? You know what I mean. It’s the one your parents put in the basement for you because your mom thought it was old-fashioned. Well, I just saw a picture in a home decor magazine. At least I thought it was the same, until I saw the price. If I had known that people would pay so much money for an old sofa, I would have kept that avocado green monster! As I flipped through that magazine, I realized that all the old furniture Mom got rid of is back in style. The only difference is that the price of retro-looking furniture is about five times what it was when my parents first bought it. So how can you get that great retro style at a reasonable price?
The cheapest way to decorate your retro-style pad is to buy second-hand items. Thrift stores, flea markets, and resale stores have a wide variety of retro furniture at a fraction of the cost of new. Estate auctions can also be a great place to look. That funky funky couch or those 360 chairs can sometimes be bought for as little as $10 instead of $500 to $1000. At these prices, you can even afford to get them back and still save money.
If you’re going to go retro, there are other things to think about. You’ll probably want to change the color of your room and possibly even the lighting. The newer color tones tend to be muted compared to the retro hues, almost as if the shade is a vague memory of the past. Go through your old picture book and find a picture of you in your favorite outfit from back then. Make sure this is the outfit that brings back memories of better days. You know which one: every time you see it in a photo you say, “I wish I could still wear that!” Now take the photo to a paint store and have them color match it. Most big box paint stores or home improvement stores will do this for free. If the image is too faded to match, choose the color closest to the color it used to be.
The lighting should also be changed. Good lighting fixtures can be found through thrift stores. However, when purchasing a used accessory, you should always check the wiring for worn areas. If there is a worn area, take the light to a home improvement store. It’s very inexpensive to buy a wiring kit, and most stores have experienced employees who can show you how to rewire your fixture.
The finishing touches in a room are the most important part. I went retro in my living room, so I found old family photos, scanned them into my computer, retouched the color and enlarged them. After mounting them in frames, I spread them around the room. I also found some wonderful cushions. Different shapes are important when decorating in a retro style and both picture frames and pillows are an easy way to add shape and color.
Another important element of retro decoration is the floor. The wonderful plush rugs that were popular in this time period are very important to complete your retro look. But all new carpet can be very expensive! A good solution to this problem is to purchase an area rug instead. Large plush rugs can give your room the same look for a fraction of the cost. While you can get by with a lot of used purchases in a retro room, you should buy a new rug. It’s difficult at best to check the quality of a used rug and you may come home to find there’s a problem. It is much better to buy new carpet from a reputable dealer. You will find that this final purchase is well worth the extra money.
This should complete your retro room makeover. Take some time to enjoy your new space as you look through photo albums and compare your new look to the style of her mother’s rooms in years past. You may even get some creative ideas for accessories from other pieces to add to your room over time.
