Vintage Taste with Modern Decor: Choosing the Perfect Retro Rugs
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Choosing retro rugs for your home is not as hard as it may sound. By using the right decor elements, you can give your home the perfect blend of quality and style. Browse this blog for inspiration for choosing the perfect rug for your own space, and see how popular interior designers incorporate them into their designs.
For starters, what does “retro” mean?
The term “retro” is commonly used to describe things that imitate or evoke the style, fashion, or design of the past. It refers to a nostalgic or vintage aesthetic that draws inspiration from previous decades, typically the 20th century. The prefix “retro-” is derived from the Latin word “retro,” meaning “backwards” or “behind.”
When something is described as retro, it often means that it embodies the characteristics, trends, or cultural elements of an earlier time period. This can apply to various aspects such as fashion, music, art, interior design, technology, or even societal attitudes. Retro items or styles are intentionally designed or created to evoke a sense of nostalgia, celebrating the past and evoking a sentimental or whimsical feeling.
Choosing the Perfect Retro Rugs
For example, a retro-style dress may feature elements such as high waists, A-line skirts, or bold patterns reminiscent of the 1950’s or 1960’s. Similarly, retro music refers to a genre that replicates the sounds and styles of a particular era, often associated with specific instruments, production techniques, or musical influences from the past.
As a side note, specific time period or style associated with the term “retro” can vary depending on context, individual preferences, and cultural influences. What is considered retro today may differ from what was considered retro in the past.
What is retro home decor and interior design?
Before choosing retro rugs, lets talk about the retro approach to interior design. Retro home decor and interior design refer to the use of styles, colors, and elements from past decades to create a nostalgic and vintage-inspired atmosphere within a home. It involves incorporating design elements and aesthetics from the mid-20th century, particularly the 1950’s, 1960’s, and 1970’s.
Here are some common characteristics and features of retro home decor and interior design:
- Color palette: Retro designs often feature bold and vibrant colors. Popular choices include bright oranges, yellows, blues, greens, and pinks. These colors are frequently used on walls, furniture, and decor items to create a lively and energetic ambiance.
- Patterns: Geometric patterns, abstract designs, and bold prints are prevalent in retro decor. Popular patterns include mod-inspired shapes, chevron, polka dots, and floral motifs. These patterns can be found on wallpapers, upholstery fabrics, rugs, and curtains.
- Furniture: Retro furniture designs are often characterized by sleek lines, smooth curves, and organic shapes. Common furniture pieces include low-slung sofas, armchairs with tapered legs, Eames-style chairs, and tulip tables. Materials such as molded plastic, vinyl, chrome, and Formica are frequently used.
- Accessories: Retro decor embraces a variety of accessories to enhance the vintage vibe. Examples include lava lamps, shag rugs, rotary dial telephones, record players, vintage radios, and mid-century lighting fixtures like sputnik chandeliers. Framed vintage posters, pop art, and abstract art can also be incorporated.
- Retro-inspired appliances: Some homeowners may opt for retro-style appliances in their kitchens to enhance the vintage aesthetic. These appliances often feature rounded edges, pastel colors, and nostalgic details while incorporating modern functionality.
- Retro wallpapers and wall treatments: Wallpaper was popular during the retro era, so incorporating retro-inspired wallpaper with bold, colorful patterns can be an effective way to achieve the desired look. Wood paneling, textured walls, or accent walls with geometric patterns are also common in retro design.
Retro Rugs and Decor
Remember, retro decor is about evoking a sense of nostalgia and celebrating the styles and aesthetics of the past. However, you can blend retro elements with contemporary touches to create a balanced and personalized interior that suits your tastes and preference
Decorating Your Home With Retro Area Rugs
It can be very challenging to choose the right furniture pieces for the style of your interior design, and it can often be just as hard buying the perfect vintage rug for your home.
Some tend to fall in love with retro rugs based on their history and others love their unique characteristics and design, which are both great conversation starters. Not only are vintage, retro rugs popular choices among rug collectors and general consumers, but they are also a favorite of many respected interior designers.
Five Modern Designers Who Love Mid Century Vintage Retro Rugs
The mid-century revival is in full swing, with mid century modern area rugs and mod trappings popping up in chic interiors everywhere. Going all-in is one approach to the trend, but others have different approaches, like incorporating a tasteful, representative piece from the past in an interior that’s modern and all about today. If you’ve been eyeing vintage mid century modern retro rugs in magazines, these are some of the designers that you have to thank.
NYC Interior Designers Jayne and Joan Michaels Use Retro Rugs
Jayne and Joan Michaels, twin sisters and models turned interior designers, know a thing or two about style. The New York City based team behind 2Michaels Design scored Design Center of the Americas’ “Stars on the Rise” award in 2012. The duo’s chic interiors hit a resounding chord with the decorating community. Sleek Swedish rugs / kilims with retro colors appear regularly in the team’s modernist interiors.
Jayne and Joan Michaels frequently incorporate retro rugs in their designs.
Retro Rugs are a Favorite of Ryan Korban
Fresh-faced Ryan Korban has made a splash with his exotic-luxe designs. New York’s boyish king of design effortlessly incorporates furs, zebra prints and animal skins in his Rockstar-worthy interiors. Mid-century rugs and striped kilims are often found in the designer’s eclectic spaces, which showcase his ability to give the mid-century a modern makeover.
Ryan Korban’s sleek interiors often incorporate flat weave rugs.
Designer Nina Garcia & Her Beautiful Retro Rugs
Being the creative director of Marie Claire should say something about Nina Garcia’s talents for design. When it comes to decorating, everyone wants to know what trendsetters do with their own spaces. The fashion maven’s impeccably decorated Manhattan abode is a trove of fluffy Moroccan rugs, Swedish shag rya rugs, Scandinavian carpets and kilims paired with elegant Hollywood regency furnishings that light up the pages of Architectural Digest.
Retro Rugs Styled by Palmer Weiss
West Coast decorating queen Palmer Weiss has made mid-century modern rugs her own. Her unique style combines California casual and Southern elegance. Some of her best work pairs chic Beni Ourain rugs with posh cottage-style furnishings. The result is pure perfection. Take a page from Palmer’s workbook, and enjoy this winning combination.
A Moroccan retro rug styled by Palmer Weiss.
Retro Moroccan Rug in a Nate Berkus Interior
Perennial crowd-pleaser Nate Berkus has a knack for incorporating mid-century features in his timeless, totally livable spaces. His personal and professional designs frequently feature Beni Ourain rugs, Moroccan kilims and flat-weave Dhurries. This blend of elegance and earthiness is reinforced by Ikat textiles and Moroccan-influenced latticework pillows that show the immense versatility of mid-century creations from points around the globe.
Nate Berkus incorporates retro Moroccan rugs in his designs.
This home decor post about choosing the perfect retro rugs for your interior design was published by Nazmiyal Rugs
