The hub of the home, the living room is where friends and families come together to relax, catch up and spend quality time together. Little wonder then that we attribute so much importance to its design and décor. From the bold Art Deco forms of the 1930s to the Scandi-obsession of the 1990s, these living rooms are a product of their decade, and we love them! Click or scroll for more…
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1930s Art Deco living room
Starting back in the golden era, this 1930s living room is still utterly chic. Streamline Moderne, a new take on Art Deco, did away with the glitz and glam in favour of more utilitarian designs with muted hues, smooth curves and simple geometric patterns. With its neutral colour scheme and graphic armchairs, this living room embodies the look beautifully.
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1940s green and yellow living room
The 1940s were all about coordinated colours and homely patterns. With housing in short supply, people looked for ways to maximise space through clever storage solutions and room dividers. This charming loft apartment features an ingenious floral screen that can be used to separate the kitchen from the living room. Deep forest green and daffodil yellow are a colour combo you don’t see much today; it’s certainly not for the fainthearted!
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1940s green and maroon living room
Green and burgundy may seem a little loud to a modern audience, but it was an incredibly popular colour scheme back in the 1940s. This cosy living room boasts matching wingback chairs with footstools and a folksy tree mural on the chimney breast. The marbled lino flooring was prevalent in many households as it was a relatively cheap and hardwearing option.
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Floral-themed 1950s living room
The 1950s was the decade of pastel hues, quirky florals and mid-century modern furniture. Taken from a 1955 edition of Ladies Home Journal, this living room is a trendy blend of sleek, low-profile couches and handcrafted ornaments. Many of these retro trends wouldn’t look out of place in a contemporary home!
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Mid-century beige living room
The wingback chair first appeared in the 17th century and has spawned numerous variations ever since. This chic living room puts a mid-century spin on it with an angled lounge set in black, red and mustard. The walls are hung with textured coverings in wood-effect and a large tan rug matches the second wall colour perfectly.
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Bold mid-century living room
The pinnacle of retro-cool, this colourful living room bears all the hallmarks of the classic mid-century modern home. We love the quirky brass uplighter and the matching sunburst clock. The cream shag rug and tufted floor cushions were two must-haves for any 1960s lounge worth its salt.
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IKEA mid-century living room
With mid-century back and bigger than ever, this 1962 living room wouldn’t look out of place in a contemporary home. The clean, white wood-burning stove, mini pendant lights and wall-mounted sideboard have all returned to the forefront of design in the past five years. What other trends would you like to see revived in 2021?
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1960s living room with corner sofa
Sleek profiles, geometric shapes and pops of colour (particularly orange) were all the rage in the 1960s. The decade also marked the advent of the infamous shag carpet. Check out this archetypal living room with its vibrant corner sofa and plush cut-and-loop rug.
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1960s living room with cut-and-loop carpet
We’re staying in the 1960s with this cosy beige and green living room. Following the 50s fixation with bright colours and plastic everything, this decade saw a return to more neutral hues and natural materials. We love the button-tufted velvet lounge set and the low wooden sideboard.
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Rustic 1960s living room
Another key 60s trend was the use of wood for… just about anything. From TV sets to wall panels, timber reigned supreme. This stylish living room features gorgeous bentwood dining chairs, timber-framed lounge furniture and Danish-style open shelving – amazing vintage homewares that are still popular with retro fans today. What’s not to love?
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1960s pastel living room
The democratisation of air travel in the 1960s saw an influx of new design trends inspired by trips abroad. This living room features a Japanese-inspired low table with stools, a Moroccan-style end table and a carved ornamental statue. Positioned within the bespoke two-tone cabinetry, a globe hints at the owners’ penchant for foreign travel.
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1960s green IKEA living room
Before the Billy bookcase hit the bigtime, IKEA was already shaping our homes with their iconic pieces of furniture. Taken from the Swedish company’s 1961 catalogue, this bold living room features green and brown wingback chairs, a frame-legged TV cabinet and a quirky fringed rug. This particularly warm shade of walnut wood was all the rage at the time – nearly everyone who grew up in the 60s will remember it!
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Cosy cream and brown living room
We’re back to one of the most ubiquitous trends of the 60s and 70s: the cut-and-loop carpet. Paired here with cream club chairs, a colourful Persian rug and a striking chrome pendant light, the shag-pile brings a warm and cosy feel to the lounge. Finished with wooden accents and panelling, this room is a real retro gem.
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Colourful geometric living room
Buoyed up on the success of the Pop Art movement, interior designers in the 1960s began to play around with graphic shapes and pops of colour. This was also the era of experimental seating with floor cushions and conversation pits an increasingly popular feature. So this mustard living room, with its semi-circular couch and frosted globe pendants, would have been the height of cool!
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1970s red living room
Fast-forward to the 1970s and everything was bigger, brasher and infinitely funkier. This deep red living room is not for everyone, but it certainly exemplifies the decade’s freethinking approach to design. Anyone for a black PVC stool or a white rattan pod chair?
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1970s IKEA living room
This cosy IKEA lounge is proof that the 1970s wasn’t all about psychedelic wallpaper and shades of brown. With its chic navy-and-beige palette and collection of trailing houseplants, this living room wouldn’t look out of place in a modern-day home. Note the cantilevered Poäng chair – one of the company’s most iconic and timeless pieces of furniture.
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1970s green boho living room
From the mandala cushion covers to the macramé potholders, this living room is a clear homage to the hippie movement. The palette is pure 1970s, with a bold colour combination of browns and greens taking centre stage. A bright yellow ashtray and bright Pop Art-style print add the perfect finishing touches to this boho lounge.
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1970s brown and orange living room
If it’s brown, patterned and replete with potted plants, chances are it’s a 1970s living room. Up until recent years, this was the decade that style forgot but now there’s a huge renaissance of key trends from the epoch of disco and flares. From the brass, bamboo-style floor lamp to the edgy geometric prints, this room has some furnishings we wouldn’t mind stealing for our own homes – including the cool arrow wall mural!
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1970s open-plan living room
With its open-plan living space and patterned L-shaped sofa, this double-height lounge screams of the 1970s. There’s even an indoor garden complete with an orange tree! The décor uses an eclectic mix of organic elements and psychedelic prints, all underpinned by that statement shag carpet.
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1970s floral living room
Taken from Habitat’s archive, floral prints rear their head again in this muted, more formal scheme, alongside rich red and brown hues. Bold botanical-inspired motifs draw the outside in, a trend that’s since come full circle. A bowl of potpourri makes an appearance on the table here too – the perfume market exploded in the 70s and these scented dried petals and spices became an increasingly popular way to keep the home fragrant.
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1980s Habitat rattan living room
From rattan to wicker to bamboo, cane furniture was one of the biggest trends of the 1980s. This zen-style living room takes the natural theme even further with potted ferns, a large palm and a vase of fresh flowers. The artist’s wooden hand model on the coffee table is a retro homeware that’s already made a comeback.
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1980s geometric living room
The influences of the post-modernist Memphis Group can be seen in this geometric 1980s living room. Bold shapes, contrasting textures and experimental ceramics converge, creating a confident and eye-catching look. The muted grey and brown tones help soften the space and make it more liveable.
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Luxury 1980s living room
The 1980s was a decade where designers were torn between embracing the booming technology industry and yearning for simpler times. Whilst the tuxedo sofa and glass and chrome coffee table are resolutely modern, the pastoral-themed rug is more country than contemporary. In true 1980s style, there’s also an unexpected element in the form of a large china duck.
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1980s IKEA living room
If you didn’t have one of these IKEA sofa beds, were you even around in the 80s? This living room embraces the graphic shapes and colours popularised by the postmodern design movement, a direct backlash against the Laura Ashley-style chintz and frills that were taking over in many homes. The décor has a minimal quality to it aimed at a younger audience, with a sleek chrome shelving unit and an industrial-style floor lamp in a bold red that matches the accents on the lino-tiled floor.
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1980s tiki-style living room
This tropical living room highlights the 1980s’ appetite for pastel pinks and bamboo furniture. The leafy fronds, beach-style loungers and palm-shaped screens lend the space an appealing tiki bar vibe. Now who’s for a piña colada?
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1980s rainbow living room
Another hit from Habitat’s historic back catalogue, this bold living room is a riot of primary hues. These nifty sectional sofas were sold as single units that could be mixed and matched to create a kaleidoscopic scheme, from L-shaped rainbow sofas to snug two-tone loveseats. A bold geometric rug anchors the sitting area, while those minimalist white tables are a silhouette we still see in furniture stores today.
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1980s monochrome living room
In stark contrast, this greyscale scheme, also from the Habitat archives, shows an altogether more sombre side to the 1980s lounge. Pinstripe couches frame a dramatic chequerboard rug, while black glass-fronted storage units against crisp white walls drive home the bold, monochrome aesthetic. A popular fixture in the 80s, this metal, streamlined table lamp has a futuristic feel that permeated many living rooms of the era.
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1990s IKEA floral living room
Following the flamboyant (and sometimes questionable) design of the 1980s, the 90s were all about taking it back to basics. Gone are the futuristic greys and blacks of the 1980s, while homely country-style decor, pretty Laura Ashley prints and wooden Shaker furniture were all in vogue. This 1992 IKEA living room is a prime example of the decade’s main trends – a million miles from today’s colour-coordinated Instagram-styled homes!
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1990s pastel living room
This pastel-toned living room would have been the height of sophistication back in the 1990s. Blond wood, arched windows and quirky southwestern-style prints were all on-trend, often set against a backdrop of beige, sage or pale pink. With the current appetite for ‘millennial pink’ and a huge trend for arches, this scheme still has a lot going for it!
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1990s Habitat wicker living room
Do you remember your living room looking like this? Wicker is back in full force, incorporated into everything from sofa sets to coffee tables – a trend that’s enjoyed a recent resurgence. Paired with hand-knotted rugs and cosy throws, this calming space from Habitat’s catalogue signifies a fresh focus on textures and layering, inspired by the Scandi craze that swept 1990s homes.
