Chic Designs in the 70s

Bright Colors

• Color infused every room of a 1970s home. From brightly-colored upholstery and carpet to bold wallpaper and paint, splashes of color added fun and life to each room. You can infuse 1970s chic design into your home by adding decor in colors such as bright orange, lime green and sunny yellow. If buying a new sofa or bed isn't in your budget, use blankets and throw pillows to add retro 70s color. Use brightly colored area rugs to add color to your floor. Bathroom rugs often come in bright colors and have shag pile. These can be substituted as regular area rugs for the front of the door or couch and the kitchen.

Sleek-Looking Furniture

• While the colors in the 1970s were bright, the lines and shapes of furniture were more sleek and streamlined. Glass, chrome and plastic furniture were popular choices for the living room, dining room and kitchen. Incorporate a bit of 70s design in your dining room with a glasstop chrome dining room table complemented by chairs upholstered with a bright 70s color. Choose wooden furniture with clean lines and without bulky, overstuffed upholstery. An inexpensive addition for 1970s chic living room furniture includes one or two brightly colored plastic or bean bag chairs.

Funky Accents

• You don't have to overhaul your home decor to give it a 70s chic design. The addition of retro 70s accents can add a little funk for less money and effort. Lava lamps were popular in the 1970s. If you can't find an authentic lava lamps from that era, replica lamps are available at many home decor stores. Turn back time with a vintage star-burst wall clock. Instead of ordering over-priced replica 70s decor online, you can often find the real deal at secondhand stores or garage sales. The addition of a few funky accents can give you the retro 70s chic look you're after without making you feel as if you've stepped out of a time machine.

Patterns

• Decor from the 1970s was full of bright colors and funky patterns. Tie-dye shirts were popular and, today, are an effective way to introduce a bit of chic 70s funk into your home decor. If you're crafty, you can use old tie-dye shirts to make your own throw pillow covers, pillowcases or patchwork quilts. Stripes and zig zags in multi-color patterns harken back to the 70s and can be incorporated into rugs, wall hangings or dinnerware. Stick to mixing only two patterns together, along with some bright solid colors. Too many patterns going on in one room at a time can give the room a busy feeling, however.