1970s

The late 1960s and 70s were all about experimentation and breaking with tradition – and the realm of interior decoration was no exception. The previous decades had been fairly conservative, but by 1965 loud colors and unconventional furniture started to make an appearance. Here’s a look at some particularly creative and mind-blowing creations from this time period. Now we’re talkin’. Somehow, when you add a groovy party to these psychedelic interiors, they don’t seem so bad. When you get a look at these rooms in use, the stark surrealism becomes understandable – these weren’t meant for quiet alone-time with your TV or PS4 . These were meant for getting down. Retro Hound Again, you can call me old-fashioned, but I’d find it a tad difficult to have a conversation in this living room. I can’t imagine it would be fun for fellow acid-trippers either – that car is definitely going to emerge from that wall at some point. Retro Hound A bit more conservative – I wouldn’t mind living here. Yes, it’s like the Easter Bunny exploded in your living room, but at least sofa isn’t made of transparent plastic and there are no Peter Max cartoons lurking around. Retro Hound It apparently wasn’t enough to take a psychedelic trip on recreational occasions; true hipsters had to have mind-bending surroundings 24-7. This bedroom is the opposite of “cozy”. Retro Hound Call me old-fashioned, but I’d find it extremely difficult to use the bathroom amid an explosion of psychedelic cartoons. Retro Hound I presume this TV was functional and didn’t just display psychedelic patterns to trip with. Then again, that would have been a worthy function in the 1960s. Retro Hound Back before waterbeds were considered tacky. I actually had one, and to this day it is the best bed I’ve ever owned. The 1970s variety didn’t have the internal matrix of padding to stabilize – it was just a big bag of water. Swingin’ studs of the 1970s didn’t seem to mind. Retro Hound You may recall the Kotter’s living room/kitchen area (on Welcome Back, Kotter) had a similar stripe pattern (with lettering if I remember right). That apparently was a “thing” back then. Retro Hound A bedroom worthy of Ron Burgundy. Stay classy. Retro Hound The caption for this design reads: “The circle provides a basic motif for this room… in the form of wall disks, bull’s eyes, and spherical cushions. Here we have a room designed for both art and comfort. Foam cushions in brown covers are arranged into a sort of daybed, below a ledge for books. The television set is recessed into the wall, and spherical motifs echo the shape of the circular fireplace. White walls and the natural brown of the tile floor emphasize primary colors scattered throughout the room. Everything works together here because a variety in color is balanced by a classic repetition in shapes.” Retro Hound I actually dig this room. It doesn’t cross the line into over-the-top, and I think it might even work in a home of 2015. Unlike the next entry… Retro Hound Here’s another school… Mount Healthy School, Columbus, Indiana Retro Hound This is St. Paul’s School in St. Paul, Minnesota. I include it demonstrate just how far-reaching these trippy bold designs were. I’ll wager the teacher’s meetings held here after school hours smelled distinctly of the herb. Retro Hound Probably not the best place to do homework or curl up with a book. But then, I don’t think that’s the intention. Retro Hound It’s easy to mock these designs, but you’ve got to give them credit for pushing the envelope. It’s easy to be conservative – there’s nothing to really point the finger at and make fun. When you push the limits, you open yourself up for ridicule, especially decades later when tastes have changed. So, as gaudy and insane as these may first appear, I have to give them respect for not being boring. Retro Hound Monroe C. Gutman Library, Harvard University. A really nice blend of the “new” with the conservative. A notice to you youngsters: that structure in the background is something called a “card catalog”. Retro Hound From the book: “The rooms here are a perfect example of industrial thinking at home. Inventiveness plus resourceful use of materials has transformed ordinary spaces into far-out visual trips.” Retro Hound Those poor kids. Retro Hound Retro Hound And we’ll end on my favorite. Smoke ’em if you got ’em. Retro Hound Credits: flashbak.com Share this story on Facebook with your friends.