Nostalgic bedroom
Forget the latest interior design fads – there is no better way to personalise your bedroom than with everything you loved growing up.
Whether that’s SNES games, Pokémon cards, Sylvania Families, or vinyl records, who’s to say you can’t make these the star of your bedroom?
The choice is yours, although making vintage nostalgia work requires some finesse to ensure your bedroom doesn’t look too tacky.
Mind the balance
Balancing your retro and vintage pieces is the key to designing a bedroom that isn’t overwhelming. You want to dedicate a maximum of 30% of your space to retro goodies – a ratio that keeps everything grown up.
You can also balance colourful retro items with subdued greys, blues, and beiges, perhaps on your bedding, curtains, or a feature wall.
Get a quality bed frame.
All your retro efforts will be for nothing without a bed frame worthy of the cause.
Sleigh beds are a brilliant choice for mid-century and traditional bedrooms, while low bed frames like the Shed Beds Tokyo suit modern spaces.
If your bedroom lacks storage, an ottoman bed can help you free up space if you don’t have an airing cupboard or somewhere to put your bedding.
Quality over quantity
Another good rule of thumb for vintage nostalgia is quality over quantity. For instance, one rare vinyl record instead of multiple singles on the wall or one shelf of collectibles instead of an entire cabinet dedicated to them.
If you buy new collectibles for your bedroom, consider buying one showpiece to satisfy your retro cravings.
Look at your walls
The best place for all your retro stuff is your walls. Shelves are your friends here. Tiered shelves are fantastic for creating a display, and glass-fronted cabinets (which also keep dust off your items and can have neat lighting) are also good.
Depending on what retro gear you’re adding to your bedroom, conventions, trade shows, and festivals are fantastic places to find high-quality items.
Another option is framing – you can frame trading cards, posters, vinyl records, stamps, or anything else flat. Some galleries can even frame games and other thick items with custom framing, although it can be expensive.
Light it all up
Once you’ve settled on a place for all your vintage items, use LED lighting strips (the self-adhesive ones) to backlight them. You can get these with a remote or app control to easily change the colour and brightness.
Downlights are another fantastic choice for feature lighting. Install them above your shelves to highlight all your precious items.
Throw in some grown-up stuff.
Grown-up décor is best even if you adore retro and vintage items because throwing too many of them into your bedroom can create a chaotic sleep environment.
We’re talking knitted throws, chunky curtains, brass light fixtures, a wooden bed frame, stately bedroom furniture – things that ooze adult life.
You can find décor at places like The Range and Dunelm Mill, although Etsy is also great for handmade items by small, independent shops.
Stick to one or two themes.
Whatever you do, don’t overload the retro vibe. One or two themes are better than three or four unless they are connected (e.g., Nintendo stuff).
Although sticking to a few retro themes might cramp your style, preventing your bedroom from becoming a mess is crucial.
Summing up
Retro nostalgia can transform your bedroom into a unique sanctuary, but it’s easy to go overboard and create a childish mess.
Keep your retro efforts simple and instill balance to ensure your bedroom has retro charm without going overkill.