RETRO REVIVAL
March 19, 2011The '50s (and a bit beyond) Are The New Fabulous!
A new trend in current interior design styles is bringing back “retro” to dwellings everywhere. This iconic style – nostalgic, straightforward and individualistic – is winding its way back from the fringes of time. Remember the avocado and gold paint colors from the kitchen of the popular ’50s-themed TV series Happy Days? The dark wood paneling and comfortably worn upholstered wooden furniture in the living room of Archie Bunker on All in the Family? They’re back, along with originals and reproductions of mid-century designer furniture classics for those who want to up the ante a bit, style- (and cost-) wise.
Furniture pieces and color schemes from this era are showing up in resource libraries of professional designers everywhere lately. It seems that our current overstuffed, over-stylized and overpriced furniture is being enthusiastically replaced by one of the simplest of all design styles – retro.
The recycling of venerable wood-grain furniture pieces in our society could be considered the new version of “green,” since these retro pieces were made from durable, quality materials that have stood the test of time and have been handed down from generation to generation. This is definitely easier on today’s environment, because buying used eliminates the need for the dangerous chemicals needed to produce some new furniture.
Whether you prefer the elegance of Mies van der Rohe or the bold designs of Charles Eames, you will not have any problem finding a brand-new reproduction or restored original these days – depending on the authenticity of your design style. Aficionados from coast-to coast have been fervently buying and selling these on the open market for decades. You can witness die-hard, design-savvy bargain-seekers vying for their latest finds on the most infamous mega online superstore – eBay, which boasts over 8,000 pieces alone. One of my favorite sites to visit, Metroretro.com, which takes pride in being the leader in the industry for retro furniture, carries over 3500 items in both the new and previously owned categories.
My professional advice to the design savvy public is that now is the time to snap up those online treasures or scour resale shops and Goodwill centers everywhere to pick up your new/old furniture pieces at bargain-basement prices – because “It’s vintage, darling!”
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