Actress Katie Holmes was a perennial fixture on our TV screens in the 1990s and early 2000s, so it is nice that her living room looks pleasantly stuck in a time capsule of my favorite decade – the 1990s.
In Holmes's living room, a brown leather sofa, vinyl record player, colored glass vase, and white and natural timber furniture sing out amongst the favorite minimalist pure white walls that were popular in this decade.
Yes, the '90s are back, but it has been reinvented for 2024, and the new interpretations have impressed even me. This retro living room takes us on a trip down memory lane.
Nostalgia has been creeping back into interior design trends recently and I welcome the nod to the past. Creating the perfect modern retro living room is all about uniting two worlds: the beauty of the past and the practicality of the present day. A vital step to achieving the look is realizing that vintage style is about longevity, soul, and patience to see things evolving.
Decorating with vintage elements has seen a resurgence in recent years, not only for its charming aesthetic but also as a highly sustainable way to furnish your home. An increased backlash against mass production has fuelled this trend and while people often come to vintage from an environmental standpoint, they stay for the character that antique and reclaimed furniture and accessories bring into their home.
‘You want to create the impression that a living room has evolved over time by mixing and matching fabrics, furnishings, and accessories. This gives the sense of a collection built up over time rather than being instantly created,’ says Rachel Rose, head of interior design at Susie Watson Designs. Also take into consideration the chosen colors – white walls are a great backdrop to complement the highly-saturated, vibrant colors of this decade, as seen in a few accessories.
If you do have your furniture and accessories from this decade, or any previous decades, I implore you to upcycle, recycle and reupholster. It is sustainable and like most trends, they all come back round in a cycle.
Shop the look
A vinyl record player is a must-have if you wish to replicate the '90s aesthetic. Through some Nirvana, Pulp, Lauryn Hill, and U2 for a truly nostalgic experience.
Decorative and timeless, green is a fantastic way to introduce a hint of biophilic color to a simple living room scheme. This modern interpretation of the classic glass vase is my favorite yet.
The return of the nineties brown couch has been influencing interior trends for 2024. This time, we are decorating with softer, paler browns such as taupe, caramel and toffee hues. Leather is also easier to clean than upholstery – win-win!
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