6 ways retro-style tiles bring the 70s to your home

Definitely a blast from the past, the 70s style is back in a big way—and one way we’re seeing it is through 70s tiles. We’ve compiled a collection of our favourite 70s-inspired tile designs that will help you easily recreate the look.

1. Golden tones

Warm rusts and oranges instantly evoke the 70s tile trend and this impactful bathroom, featuring our Bergen Rust Décor Matt Stone Effect Porcelain, elicits a joyful mood. Although 70s tiles tended to be a square format, we’ve given a modern twist to these retro tiles with a brick design, while still retaining the traditional terracotta hues that were popular back then.

There’s a nod to the retro ethos of the decade with an authentic look, while random fluting details inject innate tactility that is sure to enliven any surface. Team with a terracotta-toned basin for your very own Mediterranean holiday vibe at home.

2. Beautiful browns

Heighten the nostalgia with brown tiles. Rather than creating a solid expanse of retro tiles in the same colour, however, try mixing it up. Introduce varying complementary shades for an edgier feel that brings a touch of nouveau chic to neutrals.

Our Prairie Matt Porcelain elongated brick tiles in Earth, Ivory and Sand are showcased in a random pattern in this standout bathroom, bringing a decorative interest that’s easy on the eye. Combine with a chequerboard-effect vanity unit and the retro, bold-patterned design of our Prairie Earth Décor Matt tiles on the floor for a playful and eclectic scheme.

3. Avocado greens

Avocado bathrooms are a hot trend, but if that’s one 70s tile trend too far, opt for a punchy colour choice with deepest green tiles. Our timeless Soho Green Gloss Porcelain brick tiles, with their utilitarian edge, have an unusual stippled sheen effect that provides subtle surface detail and can be teamed with a light grout to conjure up a slick and sophisticated backdrop.

This verdant shade is the perfect colour for bringing the natural palette of the outdoors in. Tile the whole room in saturated colour to create an indulgent and cocooning space, and weave in materials such as stone and wood to enhance the back-to-nature aesthetic.

4. Big, bold motifs

Dial up the mood and inject 70s personality with ornate, oversized motifs that err towards the maximalist, ensuring they take centre stage. The bold boho chic design in warm earthy tones on our Safi Lupita Porcelain oozes retro tile charm. Its large-scale intricate pattern delivers extra depth, creating a statement feature on any wall or floor.

If you feel that less is more, counterbalance them with artisanal tiles—our rustic Safi Terra Base Porcelain tiles have an innate charm with their tonal variation and textural surface. Blend both beautifully in a kitchen with reclaimed wooden cabinets and a contemporary sink for a quirky look with a modern twist.

5. Chequerboard

Ever popular, chequerboard floors are a timeless classic that came into their own in the 70s. We’ve given the aesthetic a totally new spin with a 70s tile colour palette that strikes a clever balance between contemporary and nostalgic. Our Fitz Claret Honed Marble tiles in a rich and alluring blend of deep reds and burgundies make the perfect partner to Fitz White Honed Marble. This creates an eye-catching scheme that’s warmer and more welcoming than traditional black and white tiles. Choose evocative paint colours on the walls to up the eclectic feel.

6. Colour combinations

Unusual colour combos were a key 70s tile trend and a great way of evoking a quirky look. Dare to be different and create a distinctive bathroom splashback with a selection of retro-style tiles using rich shades, from earthy browns, warm clays and deep greens to soothing sand shades.

Our Soho Porcelain Brick tiles in Dark Brown, Cotto, Green, Marron and Light Brown are showcased in a random pattern. This creates a dramatic yet warm aesthetic, and we’ve combined matt and gloss finishes for additional interest. Add a sculptural blue pedestal basin into the mix for a cool contrast.

Unusual colour combinations were a key 70s tile trend and a great way of evoking a quirky scheme. Dare to be different and put on a floor show with a selection of retro-style tiles using rich shades, ranging from earthy browns, warm clays and deep greens to soothing sand shades.

Our Soho Porcelain square matt tiles in Green, Light Brown, Cotto, Marron and Dark Brown are showcased in a random pattern, creating a dramatic yet warm aesthetic. Partner with a wall of Soho Green Gloss Porcelain brick tiles for an edgy, stylish look.

The 70s influence in modern interiors

Having first strutted its stuff on the catwalk, the influence of this most eclectic of decades can be seen throughout the interior design world.

“Bright, colourful, unapologetic and fun,” is how 1970s interiors expert Estelle Bilson, broadcaster and author of 70s House: A Bold Homage to the Most Daring Decade in Design, describes the era’s interiors. “There were so many cultural reference points then, it was a melting pot of a decade.”

Today, there’s a sense of nostalgia for the layered, maximalist schemes of the 70s, which evoke a warm and comfortable aesthetic. Iconic 70s furniture, including richly hued teak sideboards, relaxed low slung seating (such as Ligne Roset’s Togo chairs and slouchy beanbags), and statement hanging chairs, are all the rage. Textures were a major feature, and shag pile carpets, tweed, herringbone and slubby wool upholstery fabrics, as well as grasscloth-wrapped walls, are all making a comeback. The patterns of the 70s were big, bold and playful – think eye-catching geometrics and stylised florals.

The role of colour in 70s interiors

Certain colours are instantly evocative of the 70s, such as the natural, earthy hues of brown, ochre, chartreuse and avocado green, plus bold statement oranges, reds and deep purples. “The colours coming in now are very 70s,” says interior designer Sean Symington of Sean Symington Design.

“We’re seeing a lot of ochres, mustards, golds and chocolate browns, as well as oranges. The 70s involved interesting colour combinations and shades you wouldn’t necessarily be drawn to—there’s something really cool about them. We’re doing a scheme now incorporating chartreuse and chocolate brown, for instance.”

Colour played a huge role in 70s bathrooms. Avocado bathrooms are synonymous with the era, and coloured bathroom tiles were increasingly on trend. Central heating, a new addition to 70s homes, meant bathrooms were no longer the cold rooms you visited for as little time as possible. Instead, they transformed into spaces for luxuriating. The rise in central heating also saw the popularity of open plan layouts now that homes were warm throughout.

The rise of 70s-style tiles

This was an era when the spotlight shone on tiles, whether in the bathroom or the kitchen. “It’s a decade when there was so much going on tile-wise with big, bold, abstract patterns. Some tiles had almost a three-dimensional textural quality to them, a little like a majolica,” explains Estelle. “Many of the tiles came in saturated colours.” Geometrics and stylised floral tiles were popular patterns, and the classic chequerboard design saw a boom due to the rise of ska music.

For more ideas, browse our extensive tile range or be inspired by real-life My #mandarinstone projects. You can order online or at one of our tile showrooms around the UK. See our brochure or contact us on +44 (0)1600 715444 to learn more.