50 Design Pics From The ’70s And ’80s That Show How Different Those Eras Were

Whether you were alive during the 70s and 80s or not, there’s a pretty good chance that you’re familiar with the decades’ signature styles. Warm patterns full of yellows, oranges, reds and browns, as well as florals and bold wallpapers were trademarks of the 1970s. Meanwhile, the 1980s preferred pastels, Memphis Design, glass blocks and chubby furniture.

And while most of us choose not to decorate our homes exactly like our parents or grandparents did 40-50 years ago, plenty of us want to make sure that the style of those generations doesn’t completely die out either. The 70s Design and 80s Design subreddits are dedicated to preserving the art and overall vibes of those time periods. They share gorgeous photos of these old school designs and allow members to reminisce on those days that are long behind us now.        

To learn more about the 70s Design subreddit and why it’s important to keep these photos from the past alive, we reached out to the page. New moderator u/David-Ox was kind enough to have a chat with Bored Panda and shared that he’s only recently taken the reins of the community, to prevent it from being closed. 

But despite not being in charge of it for long, David says he appreciates how large the subreddit is. Since its creation in 2015, r/70sdesign has amassed nearly 26k members. “In general we can learn so much from history,” he noted. “And 70s design is no exception. Not to look at things too literally, but a good example is the earthy color tones that were used in the time. Nowadays, we see so much less of that.” 

David also shared that, despite being too young to have lived through the 1970s, he misses the “natural look and feel of stuff” from that time period. “I can see its beauty,” he told Bored Panda. “Not just in the items we used everyday but also the people. The look of regular people was more diverse, and they weren't afraid to wear whatever they wanted. I hear that a lot from people who lived through it. Of course, you had fashion, but still people wore what they wanted, and repairing or modifying clothing pieces was not as rare as it is today.”

“The 70s are known for its hippie culture, and it shows in so many things in their day to day lives,” David continued. “The acceptance of everything and everyone. I hear stories about how people would do more for each other just to be good, not because they had to.”

We were also curious about how much David embraces 70s style in the way he dresses and decorates his home. “I am a big fan of mid century modern furniture, this is of course more 50-60s, but early 70s design is still very good,” he shared. “I am, however, a bigger fan of the clothes of the 70s. The feel of the outfits really resonates with me.” 

“It’s hard or expensive to find good [70s clothing] pieces these days, but sometimes I see people wear original stuff and I just feel happy,” David continued. “It's hard to describe the feel and look and the feeling I get when seeing them. But I think it's a combination between earthy tones and natural colors. I think we are meant to look at those types of colors more than the standard black and white stuff we have nowadays.”

David also emphasized the importance of continuing to share photos from the past. "It's all about learning from history,” he noted. “And I feel like we were really close to harmony with clothes and colors back in that time. Some furniture is really over the top with details and that's not my thing, but I can at least learn from it or take certain elements. Because the 70s was the last decade of natural materials and colors.”

Are these photos taking you back to the home you grew up in or your grandparents’ home, pandas? We hope you're enjoying this virtual trip through a time capsule, and please remember to keep upvoting the pics you love the most. Let us know in the comments what your favorite elements of 70s and 80s designs are, and then if you're interested in checking out even more retro designs, look no further than right here!