10 home decor essentials from the '70s that are considered bold today

The 1970s brought us some pretty incredible – and sometimes questionable – trends in pop culture and fashion. Men and women adorned themselves with bell-bottoms, tie-dye pants, high-waisted trousers and platform shoes. Meanwhile, roller skating and big blockbusters like “Jaws,” “Star Wars” and “The One and Only Cher” became national pastimes.

Another arena where the disco era made a big splash? Home decor – which has become bolder, brighter and bolder than ever before. This was, after all, a time of anti-conformity and questioning of convention, carrying forward much of the rebellion and resistance to tradition that had been a hallmark of the previous hippie era of the 1960s. Today, many of the trends that became commonplace in the 1970s seem like bold, adventurous design moves. So if you're looking for interior design that makes a big statement, these 70s classics are for you.

Millennials may be known for their love of avocado toast, but it's baby boomers and their parents who are putting “avocado green” in the interior design spotlight. This bright color may seem like a bold and unusual choice for interior design today, but in the 1970s it was all the rage and was used on everything from walls to carpets to furniture.

Orange – particularly burnt orange – was found everywhere in homes in the 1970s, from carpets to paint to furniture to wallpaper. Even though orange is trending in some home design circles today, incorporating it into your living room or kitchen is still considered a bold move that is certainly a departure from the norm.

Nothing evokes the groovy days of the 1970s like a shag rug. Made from long, shaggy fibers, these thick rugs were comfortable and exuded the bohemian touch that was so sought after in the '70s, especially when styled in bright, bold colors. These days they are a less conventional choice, and their use in living rooms or bedrooms makes a big statement in the 21st century. However, many people find it difficult to clean and maintain them in the long term.

Do wood-paneled walls remind you of the basement meeting point in “That '70s Show”? Wooden interiors were definitely a staple in the '70s, but while they might now be viewed as a relic from the disco era, the once-ubiquitous wooden walls could be coming back into style. This time, however, wood-paneled walls have a bolder, unique look that can be customized to suit the homeowner's personality—including using different colors and textures to make the wood really stand out.

Plastic-covered sofas weren't just a design choice in the 1970s; They were a way of life. American families of seemingly all backgrounds had a penchant for covering their furniture with plastic to protect it from the wear and tear of everyday use—even at the expense of comfort and style. This is less common these days, but if you choose plastic covers for your furniture, they are now BPA free and less sticky than their predecessors.

Conversation pits, also called sunken living rooms, were a unique trend that emerged in the 1960s and by the late '70s could be found not only in private homes but also in public spaces such as airports and hotel lounges. However, homeowners quickly discovered that having a giant hole in the living room literally came with some drawbacks – namely, that it posed a major fall hazard. The trend saw somewhat of a resurgence in the 2020s, but is now considered a daring (and even courageous, given the risk of bodily harm) design choice.

Today, lava lamps are considered home decoration as a cool home accessory that stands out from the usual traditional mood lighting. But in the late 1960s and 1970s, lava lamps weren't just for hippies or avant-garde decorators. They were a popular and fairly common lighting solution – according to Smithsonian Magazine, an “Executive” lava lamp model was even advertised in a 1968 issue of the American Bar Association Journal.

They wobble; they rock; They make you feel like you're floating. And in the 1970s you couldn't get enough of it. We are of course talking about waterbeds. Invented in 1968 by 24-year-old graduate student Charles Hall, the waterbed was a staple of the 1970s, not only considered comfortable and cool, but also becoming a symbol of the counterculture movement. By 1991, about one in five mattresses sold was a waterbed, but the lovefest wouldn't last. Leaks and the emergence of easier-to-use mattress alternatives made waterbeds a less popular choice – today a waterbed would certainly be a bold decision.

Just as bold colors were popular in the 1970s, so were bold patterns on wallpaper and upholstery. Geometric patterns and psychedelic shapes were not considered trendy design choices, but rather the fashion of the decade. These days, however, opting for something bold that deviates from neutral colors is generally considered a bold choice for wallpaper or other home decor.

While “big cat” animal patterns like leopard and cheetah have long been in fashion, the 1970s brought other patterns like snakeskin and zebra stripes to the carpets and upholstery of homes around the world. You might still see some jungle-inspired prints adorning sofas and walls in living spaces today, but in 2025 they would certainly be considered a bold design choice.