'70s Decorating

Furniture

• Furniture in the 1970s was generally split among two categories, according to Goldberg: hi-tech and natural. Natural furniture often was cubed shaped -- think of a boxy couch or chair -- with wood accents. Colors were drawn from nature -- deep reds and oranges reminiscent of fall foliage mixed with browns and tans or dark yellows and greens. Furniture such as bookcases also kept with the boxy theme in natural-style '70s decor. Furniture that didn't fit the natural style fit into the hi-tech theme. Molded plastics and bright colors ruled, even for couches. Chrome replaced wood as the accent choice on upholstered furniture.

Carpeting and Flooring

• It's not just a myth -- shag carpeting was everywhere in the 1970s. The long fibers and thick lushness spread from room to room, often in glaring colors like pumpkin or forest green. "... [E]arly seventies Sears catalogs showed shags that mixed as many as four aggressively contrasting colors," author Thomas Hines writes. Rooms not outfitted in shag carpeting often were covered in brightly patterned vinyl flooring. Flower patterns on vinyl flooring were common, as was vinyl flooring printed to look like another material, such as brick.

Color Patterns

• Color palettes in the '70 depended largely on whether rooms followed the natural or hi-tech schemes. Natural decorations used earth-toned colors -- various muted, dark shades of brown, orange, yellow and red. Hi-tech decor was much brighter, with shiny neon colors and electric shades of orange, blue, purple and more. If there was one defining characteristic about '70s color patterns, it was an anything goes attitude. Contrasting was common, as was mixing many hues and patterns in one room. An avocado refrigerator in a kitchen with yellow-patterned vinyl floors, fake wood counter tops and orange cabinets wasn't unheard of in the 1970s.

Home Accents

• The earthiness of the '70s created one ubiquitous home accent: potted plants. Everywhere you looked in the 1970s, potted plants, especially nonflowering varieties, reigned. Natural households commonly had decorations inspired by animals, such as ceramic owls, or flowers. Yarn wall hangings also were a common decoration in many 1970s homes. Home accents, from clocks to side tables, often were covered in contact paper with a wood pattern. Hi-tech homes also drew some decor from nature but used brightly colored, plasticized decorations, like flowers, instead. Hi-tech accents usually were less severe, like a rounded, plasticized clock. Hi-tech style was more likely to include accents like lava lamps.