Everything Old is "Newtro" Again

A pink 1980s Ultrasuede “Cloud” sofa by influential American designer Vladimir Kagan would make a striking Newtro anchor piece in a living room. This sold for $6,500 in 2024. Image courtesy of Billings by LiveAuctioneers.

It may be the 21st century, but a major retro renaissance is giving styles from past decades a second life through the design concept called “Newtro.”

A fusion of the words “new” plus “retro,” Newtro is an aesthetic that blends antique or vintage pieces with modern functionality.

The main foundations of Newtro design—furniture, lighting, and retro color palettes—are giving things like antique armoires, oversized lounge chairs from the ‘90s, and bold ‘80s hues like neon pink (in small doses) the spotlight again.
Another component of Newtro is mixing retro-inspired electronics with modern technology, such as vintage-style radios with USB outputs and throwback turntables with Bluetooth

The Retro Revival

If you like the mid-century style of chairs designed by Ray and Charles Eames but not the thousands-of-dollars price tag that original pieces carry, some companies are offering modern versions at more affordable prices. This Eames-style chair and matching ottoman in black leather sold for $375 in May 2025. Image courtesy of Magnusson Art Group by LiveAuctioneers.

The Newtro design concept, which originated in South Korea, celebrates and reinterprets vintage styles from the ‘70s to ‘90s (mid-century is also still big), with modern tastes. The surge of interest in throwback styles is being fueled mostly by Millennials and Gen Zs, who pine for a past they haven’t experienced.

The key to Newtro is mixing a few vintage or vintage-inspired furniture pieces with lighting and retro colors to achieve a cohesive, balanced look by strategically blending different eras and ensuring spaces remain functional for a contemporary lifestyle. These anchors are accented with vintage-inspired decorative objects, such as smart tech electronics, vintage housewares, and throwback wall decor.

To incorporate Newtro, many have to look no further than the antique and vintage pieces already in their collections. Others can scour online marketplaces or thrift stores for vintage furniture and accessories, or explore modern brands that reinterpret retro designs.

Here’s how to incorporate the central foundations of Newtro:

Furniture As Anchor Pieces

Vintage furniture carries significant visual weight in the Newtro concept, and this original Hans J. Wegner “Papa Bear” lounge chair not only has visual appeal but also history: it’s considered a titan of Danish Modern design. This sold for $10,750 in July 2025. Image courtesy of Ararity Auctions by LiveAuctioneers.

Vintage or retro-inspired furniture is the most essential anchor of the Newtro concept and carries the most visual weight, whether an antique dresser, a mid-century sideboard, a ‘70s chrome coffee table with a smoked-glass top, shabby-chic wicker ‘90s nightstands, or a modular sectional that encourages lounging.

Vintage pieces have history and craftsmanship that modern furniture sometimes lacks, while modern designs introduce sleekness and functionality. By blending these two styles, you create a space that feels personal and timeless.

Pair curved vintage armchairs with a sleek, modern sofa or a vintage chaise lounge with a contemporary table. A modern ergonomic office chair paired with a vintage work desk balances comfort with style. A metal or wood clean-lined bed frame is a great fit with antique dressers and nightstands. A rustic wooden vintage credenza looks great next to a contemporary leather sofa and has modern functionality as a media console or stylish stand for a smart TV.

Mid-century modern furniture particularly fits in with Newtro. It bridges vintage and contemporary styles, making timeless pieces like Eames recliners, Knoll sofas, and teakwood sideboards feel at home in vintage-modern settings.

While antique and vintage pieces create a distinctive focal point and add character to a room, pieces don’t need to be authentic to achieve the look. Many modern furniture companies are producing items inspired by vintage designs, like dining tables with pedestal bases and sofas with sleek retro silhouettes.

Illuminating with Lighting

The Italian company Kartell recently revived a timeless lighting design it first produced in 1967: Joe Colombo’s KD28, a hallmark of Italian design. The reissued KD28 stays true to Colombo’s original vision and design but features modern updates, including recycled materials, a shade with a satin finish that produces a warmer, more even light, and a fabric-wrapped cord. These are not only great at bringing a retro vibe that pairs nicely with items old and new, but also for injecting a pop of color. The lamp retails for $295 at kartell.com/us. Image courtesy of Kartell.

Whether it’s an authentic 1970s mushroom lamp or a modern version updated with LED bulbs and touch-activated controls, lighting plays a key role in creating the desired Newtro ambiance. It’s also an effective way to connect vintage and modern styles.

Contemporary minimalist pendant lamps, such as the IKEA Färgstark model, can provide a clean, modern contrast to vintage furniture in a dining room or home bar. It was sold in October 2025 for $17. Image courtesy of eBay seller sweetheart_357 Store.

Lighting ideas follow the same concept as choosing the furniture: juxtapose old with new to keep the look grounded. A vintage lamp may rest on a modern side table to add variation, or antique sconces may be hung in a minimalist space. Vintage geometric pendant lamps set the mood with a signature glow and create visual interest. Likewise, a streamlined contemporary floor lamp equipped with a voice-activated device or one that can be controlled through a smartphone app can provide contrast to vintage furniture.

That ubiquitous ’70s icon, the mushroom lamp, is making a significant comeback and appealing to a modern audience. Many new versions include modern conveniences such as LED bulbs, touch-activated controls, and cordless, rechargeable options. These two, however, are good old-fashioned vintage versions designed by Billy Curry for the Laurel Lamp Co. They were sold for $700. Image courtesy of Bartons Auction by LiveAuctioneers.

Mixing lighting pieces made of different metals can also bring sophistication and balance to a room. Consider a vintage brass chandelier paired with contemporary furniture with chrome frames.

Complimenting with Color

Retro color palettes also have a starring role in the Newtro look and can tie everything together, whether you’re daring enough to color-drench the walls and ceilings or want to add more conservative pops of color using smaller accent pieces like rugs, pillows, and throw blankets.

Adding retro colors is one of the easiest ways to unify vintage and modern furniture with the Newtro style and can help contrasting pieces blend harmoniously. This pair of mid-century Scandinavian Modern throw pillows with a vibrant orange and yellow palette would add some colorful energy to a contemporary leather sofa. The pair sold for $590 in September 2025. Image courtesy of eBay seller mrgreatjones.

Vintage color schemes leave a lot of shades to choose from besides the neutral tones of beige and gray, and include:

• Mid-century: pastels like pink, turquoise, or soft yellow, along with a brighter Scandinavian-influenced palette featuring brighter, more saturated hues like electric blue and orange.
• The 1970s: avocado green, harvest gold, burnt orange, rich browns, and other earth tones.
• The 1980s: Bold and energetic colors like electric blue and neon pink, along with deep jewel tones like emerald green and rich plum.
• The 1990s: The diverse palette from this decade ranges from neon colors carried over from the ‘80s and ‘50s-inspired pastels to muted, earthy tones influenced by the grunge scene and vivid shades inspired by techno futurism. Think electric green, hot pink, deep red, blue, green, and purple jewel tones, as well as warmer colors like terracotta.

While neutral tones are a great backdrop for vintage furniture, allowing the textures and details to shine, if bold hues are more to your taste, choose a single statement color to unite pieces.

An accent wall in a rich ‘90s emerald green or navy blue can highlight a retro velvet lounge chair or a wooden dresser, avocado green can complement a low-slung modular sectional and burl wood accents, a rainbow of mid-century pastel pillows look cheerful on a contemporary leather sofa, and bold ‘80s colors like kelly green or mauve pair well with vintage or modern rattan pieces.

Adding retro colors is one of the easiest ways to unify vintage and modern furniture with the Newtro style and can help contrasting pieces blend harmoniously.

Decorative “New Oldies”

Retro-styled radios are popular Newtro design accents and available with modern features like enhanced sound quality, digital tuning, and, in the case of this Crosley Radio’s modern Cathedral radio, a CD player and LED display. Crosley first produced radios from the 1920s through the 1950s and now makes modern versions after the brand was revived in the 1990s. This example is based on Crosley’s original Cathedral design from the 1930s. It retails for $169 at crosleyradio.com.
Image courtesy of Crosley Radio.

Once the foundational pieces are in place, it’s time to add in some fun decorative elements. Because it’s the younger generations driving Newtro, a big part of the trend is electronics that look analog but function digitally. Whether it’s cassette players or turntables, there’s a fascination among younger demographics with analog technology and how things worked before the digital age.

These retro-styled electronics recall vintage kitchens filled with radio chatter and nights spent flipping vinyl, but are tricked out with the latest technology. Retro-styled boomboxes and AM/FM radios are available with modern features like enhanced sound quality and digital tuning. Smart speakers are styled after mid-century transistor models, antique phonographs, and turntables, and look like they were transported from a ‘70s living room. But they have built-in speakers, USB outputs for digitizing vinyl collections, and Bluetooth connectivity.

With vinyl records back in a big way, so are vintage-inspired turntables. Among the companies making new models is Retrolife. Its all-in-one players have a similar aesthetic to 1970s’ classic turntables, but with modern technology like built-in speakers (eliminating the need for separate components and tangled wires) and Bluetooth input. This R517 model retails for $299.99 at retrolifeplayer.com. Image courtesy of Retrolife.

Newtro is less like a trend and more like a cultural shift in how people want to thoughtfully blend modern practicality with the history and character of vintage designs and other elements of the past. These pieces are not only nods to styles from previous eras, but their retro aesthetics also add significant character to a room, alongside comfort and charm.

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Kris Manty Newtro

Kris MantyAuthor