Before you read another word, spend a moment inside these spaces.
Ignore whether you would personally choose the orange carpet or wood paneling. Ask a more important question: How do they make you feel?
These retro interiors worked because every element reinforced their warmth. Folks were actually using orange shag carpet (ok you don’t have to go this far). Wood paneling (again you gotta do it right), and warm paint color palettes on the walls. It’s really that simple. It goes back to humans discovering fire. Warm tones signal our brains we are safe. We are protected. Think about it who doesn’t love sitting around the campfire.
Compare that with the modern formula: white walls, gray floors, hard surfaces and bright overhead lighting. Every corner is lit up like a car showroom. That formula is unsettling at best. This is operating room/hospital aesthetic. Why would we ever want to bring that home?
We did not outgrow our love for warmth and you can’t convince me otherwise. Society slowly persuaded us to phase it out of our homes.
Reversing that does not require an orange shag carpet remodel or even the retro vibes of those interiors above. For our own interiors a few changes to color, material and lighting can alter the entire emotional temperature of a space.
Below are some of my favorite personal touches for adding warm lighting options through light bulbs and lamps.
Before buying another lamp or repainting a wall, change the light itself. Color temperature, brightness and bulb finish can completely alter how textures and tones look inside a room. These five bulb types create warmth for different moments of the day. I collected shoppable examples of each in my warm lighting collection.
Everyday lighting: Start around 2700K for a warm but functional glow.
Evening lighting: Incandescent and halogen bulbs become warmer as they dim.
Amber accents: Use 2000K to 2200K bulbs for shelves, art and corners.
Exposed bulbs: Stay between 150 and 400 lumens to prevent harsh glare.
Nighttime lighting: Keep red bulbs dim, indirect and below eye level.
(Quick tip: Incandescent and halogen bulbs use more energy and produce real heat. Check the fixture’s maximum wattage and keep them away from fabric)
Remember bulb controls the color temperature of the light. The lamp controls how that light is diffused throughout your space. I’ve also added my favorite table and floor lamps to my warm lighting collection that keep illumination low and diffuse beautifully. Those two factors are the beginning of the recipe that made the 1970s interiors above feel so intimate.
You can begin changing the emotional aura of your home tonight. Turn off the overhead lights. Replace those cool bulbs with something warmer. These are small decisions, but I promise your space will feel more welcoming almost immediately.
-Christian Gideon/Lusso Archive