Vintage living room designs from decades past




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.


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.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.


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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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?




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.


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.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.


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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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.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.


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?




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.


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.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.


31/31 SLIDES