The ’70s living room was a wild, unique space, caught between a time of big change and then even bigger change — technologically speaking — heading into the ’80s.
While there was a distinct color scheme (harvest gold, avocado green, and burnt orange ruled the day) and a bohemian vibe running through the macramé, beads, and natural materials, technology was starting to creep into a space that had traditionally been meant just for gathering.
’70s Technology Doubled as Furniture — and Sometimes as a TV Stand for Another TV
There was a real push to bring both audio and visual tech into the living room, and many a ’70s family found themselves with a honking big console TV that would just stay put — with a smaller, newer TV sitting right on top of it, sometimes both running at the same time, like below.
MORE ’70s: 34 Things You’d See in a Typical 1970s Kitchen
But beyond the tech, entertaining came into the mix too — and we’re not just talking about a bowl of keys by the door (you know the one). Between neighborhood get-togethers and the occasional Tupperware party, Mom made sure the living room was always guest-ready, which came with its own unspoken rules: some things in the room were fair game to touch, and others — looking at you, crystal ashtray — were strictly hands-off. Special coasters, ashtrays, and inventive ways to display plants turned the ’70s living room into part playroom, part art gallery.
Our list below hits on all of these points, and if you were lucky enough to grow up in a ’70s living room, we guarantee some good memories are about to come flooding back.
See 21 Things That Made ’70s Living Rooms Iconic
Gather ’round the TV console, admire the wood paneling, and marvel at everything that made ’70s living rooms the place to be.
Gallery Credit: Stephen Lenz
PHOTOS: Step Inside a 1970s Kitchen — 34 Things You’ll Recognize
From Tupperware jugs (you know the ones) to those ever-present knife sharpeners, let’s take a nostalgic trip back to the quintessential ’70s kitchen.
Gallery Credit: Stephen Lenz
