80s Style is Back! 8 Trends We Love

Mauve was to the 1980s what avocado green was to the 1970s. Home interiors in the Reagan Era featured pastel colors, especially this dusty pink-purple, on carpets, wallpaper and upholstery. The key to using mauve so it looks retro instead of dated is to accent a room with this quintessential hue of 80s style, not bathe it in mauve. Do that with a single dramatic piece of furniture, like this mauve velvet couch. Or incorporate mauve via small accessories ranging from throw pillows to lamps. Pale pink also brings 80s style to an interior, so sprinkle accessories and furniture in that hue about a room for instant retro cool.

Memphis Design was a style born in 1981 and it combined atypical shapes, squiggles and bold colors into an aesthetic that defied the norms of good taste in the era. It had a powerful impact on 80s style. This movement influenced MTV’s original logo and the set design of the 1980s TV show Pee-wee’s Playhouse. Bring this ebullient 80s style into your life with bold, graphic wallpaper or via boldly shaped furniture and accessories in primary colors.

Neon colors were like, totally tubular in the 1980s and remain a key element in getting 80s style in your home. These hues showed up in 80s fashion more than the era's interior décor, but the smartest retro looks put a spin on the original style instead of just repeating it. Give a nod to neon colors in your décor with these neon green dining chairs. They’re the hue of highlighter markers, a scrunchie circa 1984 or a pair of leg warmers. Put two around a bistro table in a small kitchen or four around a larger kitchen table.

Lucite — a clear acrylic plastic — was a material of choice in the 1980s for furniture and accessories. Revive that 80s style with clear plastic acrylic furniture and lamps. They bring a sleek, contemporary look to a room and work well in spots where you don’t want visual clutter. Try a clear plastic chair, Lucite accessories or other acrylic furniture to bring a touch of 80s style to a space.

Brass was the metal finish of choice for 80s furniture and accessories. The era's décor was bold and loud, and brass was warmer and blingier than the restrained chrome and black metals favored now. Brass has been having a moment again for a while, so you’ll be on trend if you bring a little of that maximalism into your life with brass furniture. Look for side tables with brass legs and frames, brass bookshelves brass and glass coffee tables and bookshelves. Bar carts are a good way to bring 80s interior design into your life, too.

Inspired by Magnum P.I.’s Hawaiian setting and the South Florida backdrop of the Golden Girls, tropical prints were a big deal in the 80s. Wallpaper and upholstery featured botanical prints incorporating leaves from ferns, palm trees and banana plants. Bring 80s style to your décor with this peel-and-stick wallpaper. Another way to bring 80s-style tropical prints into a room with less commitment is by putting throw pillows on the sofa, placing a tropical print area rug or using tropical house plants as accessories.

The 1980s were a hodgepodge of styles, ranging from pastels to preppy. While some were incorporating futuristic neon hues and geometric shapes, others were looking backward to classics that evoked a prep school vibe: stripes, plaids, checks and monogrammed everything in classic tones like blue, white, forest green, and red. Bring preppy style into your home with this comforter from Izod, maker of those iconic 80s-style shirts. Striped throw pillows or striped arm chairs with traditional styling are another way to bring preppy style to your decor. Toss a throw on the furniture that's as cuddly as an 80s-style preppy sweater to warm up a room.

Curvy sofas were a big deal in the 80s, swooping and undulating in rounded shapes. Tables and arm chairs brought the curves, too. Many of these pieces were influenced by the art deco revival that hit in the 1980s thanks to Miami Vice. Lean into those retro curves with an 80s-style curved couch, curved accent chair or a dramatically curved console table. Look for glamorous finishes to push the art deco vibe that's a key part of 80s interior design. Choose mirrored furniture, velvet upholstery or pieces with chrome accents to get the more-is-more look that's quintessentially 80s style.