Living room makeover: Go retro!

If listening to music of the 80s, sipping on your favourite cocktail at an old fashioned bistro is your idea of relaxation, then here's something you'll love. Makeover your living room with a dash of retro magic!

Here are a couple of ideas that will help you get started.

Mix and match

The retro look is all about mixing and matching. Yes, mixing the stuff from the 50s, 60s or even the 80s with the contemporary... and doing it with flair!

Choose an element of the past and complement it with something modern. For instance, an old painted wooden bench would look really snazzy with bold striped, polka dotted, chequered or even floral printed upholstery. The trick is to keep it vibrant with colours.

Get that edge

Furniture in sleeper wood inlayed with bronze or silver leaves is just the thing you need to give your living room that edge.

You could even go with leather furniture. Just drape a colourful throw along the backrest. A pair of easy chairs with funky upholstery will complete the look.

Play up the walls

Opt for bright coloured walls to go with the theme. At present, colours like purple, lime green and shocking pink are a rage.

Use vacant wall space to create an interesting focus wall. Frame photos of your mom wearing bell-bottoms or your dad with Elvis style side locks in funky coloured plastic frames.

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You could also frame posters of famous celebs like Marilyn Monroe or Elvis Presley or even an old time movie like Casablanca. Or if you happen to be a Bollywood buff, go with pictures of actors like Shekar Kapoor or even Amitabh Bachchan.

Floor 'em

If your living room is large enough, experiment with darker coloured flooring. You could try Mandsour, which is a dark purple marble from Madhya Pradesh. Include relief work in each slab in the form of inlayed mother of pearl leaves.

For smaller spaces, Australian white marble inlayed with silver foil or artificial pink marble leaves would work just fine.

Keep it funky

Multi-coloured beaded curtains are a must-have window dressing. You could also have plastic rings in bright colours like orange, yellow or red. Add to the retro look with frilly curtains.

Glam up a straight lined wooden coffee table with a top embedded with colourful mosaic chips. An interesting wooden bowl would make a great table decoration. If you already have a conventional centre table, just place a metallic platter on it and fill it with colourful pebbles or beads.

If you can get your hands on an old gramophone at an art gallery or even a rugged jukebox, nothing like it.

Lastly, use accent lighting. Coloured or stained glass lamps, also known as Tiffany lamps, would suit the retro theme perfectly.

Now go ahead, funk up your living room with pizzazz!

(With inputs from Shilpa Daga, Shilp Design Studio, Mumbai)

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