The retro revival is real, it’s having a renaissance.

But nobody wants to find themselves trapped inside an Austin Powers Goldmember film set staring at geometric wallpaper patterns, drunk on clashing colour pops. In truth, it’s these faux pas which have caused the era to be lampooned for its overuse of lava lamps, amongst other questionable design choices.

But Modern Retro is in. And it’s all about celebrating the surge of fifties, sixties and seventies interiors trends and juxtaposing them against modern microtrends. Think monochrome backdrops paired with vibrant vintage retro pendants. The result is a welcome blast from the past, giving shops, bars, restaurants, homes and hotels a design edge. Below, our experts take a look at ways to cherry pick the best of the era’s lighting trends, curating considered interiors that transcend design fads.

Bring on the mushroom lamps! Embracing the highlights of the era is key, with abstract shape and texture playing a role in bringing the retro look and feel to life.

Decorative Czech glassware is a great example of this in practice; the sixties and seventies saw an emergence of spotted, dotted and other creative geometric patterns moulded into hand-crafted glass globes. Even with the lights switched off, the effect draws the eye, creating a focal point in a room. And with the lights on, texture creates depth through shadowing.

Shop retro globes just like these with our Retro Czechoslovakian pendants, perfect as solos in living rooms, or in multiples in hotel lounges.

We’ve touched on texture. But the fun doesn’t stop at geometric patterns. Bubbling within hand-blown glass globes is another era specific trend that nods to 1960s and 1970s Czech manufacturing. And these golden globes are exactly that, their yellow tinted glass shades contrasting against a soft paint palette, drawing the eye as feature pendants in their own right.

Shop restored Czech golden globes in our newly launched Retro Collection.

Bohemian glassware is renowned for dominating the landscape of 1960s and 1970s lighting designs. At skinflint we keep our eyes peeled for original vintage cut glass pendants, just like the ones below. Their silhouettes are small, but their style is sophisticated, bringing an effortless luxe feel to all sorts of interiors.

Explore cut glass pendants just like these in our newly launched Retro Collection.

Abstract shapes are typical of retro 1960s and 1970s designs too; soft silhouettes in the form of moulded glass opalines bring warmth and an evenly diffused glow to homes, restaurants, bars and hotels. Surface-mounted space savers, just like below, are conspicuously inconspicuous, able to flex in eclectic spaces that combine elements of design across the decades. Look out for vibrant wall and ceiling lights in our new Retro edit.

Lean into the retro resurgence by choosing feature lights to contrast against more minimal modern day trends. Bold and beautiful retro designs are often the missing piece of the puzzle needed to make a Modern Retro statement.