Houses & Trends in the 1970s - Old House Journal Magazine (2024)
A decade of memorable extremes, some with a reprise.
Author:
Old House Journal
Publish Date:
Updated Jan 6, 2022
Some things leap to mind, whether you remember the Seventies or just watch TV reruns: velvet stools with fringe, shag carpeting, macrame, beanbag chairs, floating staircases, rattan, lava lamps. The decade saw competing trends: oversized graphics, psychedelic prints, and neon colors on one hand; naturalism, autumnal hues, and brown neutrals on the other. And there is a split, as 1965–1975 were the hippie years; after 1975 it’s Disco. Mainstays included rock-and-roll, Danish Modern, and granola.
Dubbed “The Me Decade” by novelist Tom Wolfe, in 1976, it was a period of strident individualism and freedom of expression. The self-help book I’m OK—You’re OK was published in 1967, The Joy of Sex in 1972. Everyone had long hair and bell-bottoms were a unisex fashion. Barriers were broken, or so it seemed, as people marched against the war, and for women’s and gay rights. The first Earth Day was celebrated in 1970.
Against a backdrop of social change were the now-infamous appliance colors introduced: avocado green, “Coppertone” (dark brown with copper edge highlights), and harvest gold. Shag carpeting laid wall to wall was often brilliant orange or emerald green. Rust, deep royal purple, and hot pink were in style. Walls were papered in groovy patterns: bold geometrics and swirling, nontraditional paisleys.
Preferred house styles were ranches and ramblers or split levels. The sunken living room, aka conversation pit, occasionally was rendered with finesse, but other times seemed a silly hazard. In those days, the bonus room was called a rec room, and it was in the basem*nt; its walls might be clad in faux wood paneling with outrageous grain patterns. Sprayed-on popcorn ceilings with sparkle rarely inspire nostalgia.
Kitchens went wild in the Seventies. The fridge and stove and wall-hung phone were anything but white. Countertop laminates came in a host of colors, including lemon yellow and the ubiquitous harvest gold and orange. Dark-stained wood cabinets, red tile, and patterned linoleum were trending.
Modern furnishings of the 1950s and ’60s were by now classics, but few iconic pieces were introduced in the 1970s. Semi-enclosed pod chairs—aka ball, egg, or globe chairs—are still interesting. The accents were of chrome and stainless steel; and ceramic, as for lamp bases.
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The worst of Seventies design is the stuff of parody, but some elements are enjoying a revival. Velvet-covered couches, shag rugs (the new ones are nice!), macrame, and cane or rattan furniture are easy to come by. Wallpaper designs of the era are back in production. And millennials love their houseplants as much as the boomers did!
The ‘Arco’ floor lamp was designed in 1962 by Castiglioni, and became wildly popular after appearing, in 1971, with Sean Connery’s James Bond, in “Diamonds Are Forever.” Today the authentic lamp is available from Design Within Reach: dwr.com(Inexpensive versions of varying quality are sold online.)
2. The Petite Groovy Swivel Chair, shown in Dark Horseradish upholstery, is from West Elm Kids. In a choice of three colors, it’s 35.5″ wide.westelm.com
3. A new generation of shag and partial-shag rugs is afoot, but if you need a long-loop, retro rug in Tiger Orange, Grass Green, or another eye-popping color, find all sizes at rugs.com.
4. Who didn’t have a hanging chair? Rattan is an obvious choice, but you can find canvas and macrame, too. This iconic example from Serena and Lily comes in white or natural. Cushion and pillows extra. serenaandlily.com
5. Bradbury’s “Mod Generation” wallpapers channel the years 1965–1975 or so. Shown are ‘Reverb’ in Green, ‘Daisy’ in Coral, and ‘Wonderwall’ in Marmalade; there’s lots more. bradbury.com
1970s: Homes continued to get bigger — an average of 1,500 square feet. With the household size shrinking to 3.14, each person luxuriated in 478 square feet of personal space. The average price was $160,338. Kitchen appliances achieved an iconic color balance: avocado and harvest gold.
Change your trim — Whether that means replacing it with something new or simply painting over it, choose a brighter stain or color for a modernizing effect. Replace your flooring — Replace any shag carpet or grungy laminate flooring with something fresh and clean, like hardwood.
Modern houses, often known as mid-century modern, are gaining popularity among homeowners. These residences were built between 1935 and 1975 and are divided into two types: ranch and split-level. Features: Connected garages and open kitchens.
Popular styles included bell bottom pants, frayed jeans, midi skirts, maxi dresses, tie-dye, peasant blouses, and ponchos. Some accessories that will help pull together your early '70s Hippie outfits are chokers, headbands, scarves, and jewelry made of wood, stones, feathers, and beads.
1970. The '70s showed an overall increase of nearly $50,000 from the beginning of the decade to the end, per FRED calculations. Between 1970 and 1975, the average cost of a home jumped from $27,000 to $40,900 — which would be $213,457.27 and $233,195.38 in 2024, respectively.
The 70s. In the 70s, America was hit with widespread “stagflation.” This refers to a state of simultaneous high inflation and high unemployment, which creates a stagnant economy. As a result, the median monthly rent price was $108, which is a whopping 65% higher than the 60s, the previous decade.
Catharina Björkman, style expert at Contura, calls it the 70s revival, rooted in nostalgia with earthy tones, patterned wallpaper, geometric shapes and the reintroduction of materials like velvet, bamboo and rattan.
While earthy tones formed the foundation of many 70s bedrooms, bold accent colors were used to add visual interest and energy. Bright oranges, electric blues, and vivid purples were popular choices for accent walls, textiles, and accessories.
The defining features of these homes are their multiple levels (most often three, but sometimes two), staggered floor plans that follow the land's natural slope and short flights of stairs. The design is simple and spacious.
Examples of Late Modernism (including Glass Skin architecture), Brutalism, New Formalism, and Late Expressionism—in some cases, designed in the 1960s and not completed until the following decade—were built well into the 1970s.
These are the dark ages of hardwood flooring. Unfortunately, hardwood was not a trend, and you will most likely not find hardwood under your carpet in these homes. It should be noted that cork flooring is found in houses of all ages and can be refinished just like wood.
Postmodernism is an eclectic, colourful style of architecture and the decorative arts that appeared from the late 1970s and continues in some form today. It emerged as a reaction to Modernism and the Modern Movement and the dogmas associated with it.
Another major aspect of 1970s furniture is the use of teak wood. The use of teak in fashionable furniture and panelling regained popularity in the 1960s and items became chunkier as it progressed into the 1970s.
From the oaty White 05 and mint Green 08 paint to the fiery Orange 02 and terracotta Red 03, 70s retro colors combine vibrant and playful tones synonymous with disco culture with the earthy, relaxed colors of bohemian living.
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Introduction: My name is Kieth Sipes, I am a zany, rich, courageous, powerful, faithful, jolly, excited person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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