Strictly speaking, Retro Decor can be a return to any design style of the past. However, it most often refers to design classics from the 20th Century, and in popular culture it refers to design and culture of the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. Bold color, pop art, unexpected forms and unusual pairings are some of its distinguishing features. One of the hottest looks today is mid-Century modern, and it is retro to its core. Dining rooms and whole houses, especially those homes that date to the era, are hot properties today. But even if your home is newer, you can’t go wrong with a Retro dining room.
Here’s how to pull it off in high style:
The beauty of Retro design is that you have a reference point. Mix authentic examples of mid-century decor — and they are easy to spot — with modern reproductions. Embrace funky diner-style “kitsch” and add in some Art Deco shapes. It’s perfectly acceptable. Search out retro dinnerware, art and accessories at secondhand shops and online auctions. If you carry your dining room decor through to your kitchen, you’ll find treasures to choose from and you can be as outrageous as you dare! For a secondary dining space, bring in a diner set with chrome legs and classic vinyl, make yourself a burger and a milkshake and think of simpler times.
Retro design has made a comeback. It’s not for everyone, but it has a wide appeal. Scandinavian design can be subdued and classy, but a lot of furniture from the era is funky, bold and still sought after for its contemporary good looks. So are the colors. The spirit of the world in the middle of the last century was upbeat; just recovering from the world wars and soon to be looking toward the stars, it may have been an uncertain time, but it was full of hope. The economy was booming, science was a new adventure, and families were moving into new homes with great expectations. Cars were big and powerful, laden with chrome and filled with gizmos and gadgets. Furniture lost the heaviness and stability of the past, and became lighter, playful and movable. Shapes and forms grew simpler, smaller and more functional, while colors and patterns reflected the exuberance and hope that characterized the times. Those years were heady times, and the decor was audacious and unapologetically cheerful.
To mimic the look today, you have to follow you own whims, and toss all rules aside.
Pick from several options:
- Lose the Legs. Danish designer Eero Saarinen introduced a table in 1958 that is today a design icon. The classic pedestal tulip table and complementary chairs eliminated what the designer called the “ugly, confusing, unrestful world” of legs in a traditional dining room. The table is still produced by Knoll, its original manufacturer, if you won’t settle for other than authentic. The original had a marble top, and was elegant. But you can replicate the look on a budget, and it can be full of fun, rather than “stately.”  Pair the classic table with four-legged chairs for an eclectic expression of your good taste as well as your personality.
- Polish the Wood. The grain and color of wood is an important part of retro design. Look for smooth, unfussy lines that emphasize linear form and are functionally sleek and simple. Beautiful woods are particularly suitable for dining rooms, and pair well with older accents as well as with some high-tech accessories. Rosewood, teak, birch and maple are popular in their natural tones, but you can also achieve dramatic results with dark espresso stains or with white enamel paints. Try a simple wall-hung shelf rather than a sideboard or serving console. But, if you must have a buffet, keep its lines straight and simple, and its legs short and slim.
- Bring on the Color. Black and white is a classic combo. Checkerboard tile floors, ebony-stained wood, white tile — there are a lot of options, and the high contrast of black and white is a natural backdrop for the cacophony of color that you can add to a retro dining room setting. Paint the walls red, if you wish. The color is said to stimulate conversation as well as gastric juices. Hot pink would also be appropriate; or lemon yellow, bright orange or brilliant turquoise. Just don’t give in to beige. Add graphic pattern in black and white or add more brilliant colors in drapes, artwork, and table settings.
- Embrace Whimsy. Keep the forms of dinnerware and cutlery simple but true to the times. Buy full sets of vintage dinnerware from classic china companies of the times, including Fiesta, Franciscan and Rosenthal. You’ll find reasonable prices if you search Etsy, e-bay, and other online sources; or look for pretty shapes and simple profiles at yard sales and thrift shops.
- Please yourself. The fun of Retro design is that it becomes exactly what you make of it. Go in any direction you please, but remain true to the “break all the rules, have fun and ignore tradition” tradition of the times. Use family hand-me-downs, refinished furniture, vintage fabrics and mix it all up with modern art or vintage posters, with pieces from your travels or heirlooms from your grandma.
Retro design is all about fun. Have fun with it!
2 Point Highlight
Checkerboard tile floors, ebony-stained wood, white tile — there are a lot of options, and the high contrast of black and white is a natural backdrop for the cacophony of color that you can add to a retro dining room setting.
Scandinavian design can be subdued and classy, but a lot of furniture from the era is funky, bold and still sought after for its contemporary good looks.
