A Designer Took This 70’s Living Room From Gloomy to Groovy (No Reno Necessary!)

It seems like everyone is looking for a house with “character” these days, but character alone isn’t enough to make a home truly stylish. A clear design vision, careful curation, and sound spatial planning are also essential when updating a historic home for the modern era. When designer Kara Hobbs‘ clients asked her to help update their 1970s home, she was up to the challenge — especially when it came to rethinking the living room. 

Her clients loved the overall style of the house, and this room had great bones with its soaring A-frame ceiling and wood beams, so there was no need for a full-on structural renovation. Instead, they enlisted Hobbs to cosmetically refresh the room by focusing on a furniture and decor makeover that felt authentic to both the house’s origins and their own tastes. 

“The main goal was to bring a whole new vibe into this space that [still] felt like a little nod to the ’70s,” Hobbs explains. Her inspiration for the space came from her clients’ “edgy, cool-kids vibe and mid-century style” and “a desire to add overall warmth and richness that makes you want to sink in and stay awhile.” 

As frequent hosts, her clients needed their living room to be equal parts functional and fashionable. Hobbs described the current setup as “on the verge of cool, but somehow missing the mark,” and to be honest, the before wasn’t bad at all — just a little bland. The designer envisioned more of a “lounge-y” living space that would better suit her clients’ style and improve flow and function. 

Hobbs knew some standout vintage pieces would be key to achieving the authentic ’70s “pizzazz” they were after. So when she found a pair of atomic orange and chrome swivel chairs, she snatched them up. With those statement chairs as a jumping-off point, the rest of the design scheme flowed naturally. “From there,” she says, “we just played with a tonal palette, bringing in deep reds and maroons accented with black and white, calling back to the high contrast of the bold black fireplace and white walls.”

In addition to more comfortable seating and authentic vintage furnishings — those chairs ticked both boxes! — the clients had a few other non-negotiables. “Better lighting, statement artwork, rich color, and a more balanced layout” topped their list, says Hobbs. 

The artwork came first: two Western-inspired paintings, hung together on the far wall, helped inspire more “moments of movement” throughout the rest of the space. That energy is echoed in the new furnishings Hobbs brought in, from the marble coffee table and armchair with “wiggly” upholstery to the gorgeous wavy chandelier from Lumens. Styled together, all of these funky pieces created “a fun mix of linear and dynamic elements that made the space feel engaging and balanced,” the designer explains. 

Last but certainly not least on the list was a stylish new sofa. “We saved money by keeping their current sofa and simply recovering it,” says Hobbs. “The couch was comfortable, and my clients loved [it], so we just did some reimagining there.” This piece is proof that makeovers don’t have to mean everything must go. The group chose a bold red velvet for both the couch and the rug, which tied the entire space together with warm hues. 

In the end, the whole project took around six months to complete. “Don’t rush the process!” Hobbs says. “Waiting for the right vintage and custom elements to come together is so worth it in the end.” And it certainly was worth it; Hobbs’ clients say their new living room makes them want to welcome friends and family into their space — now that it feels like “a true reflection of who they are.”

When asked to describe the space in just a few words, Hobbs says “engaging, bold, and personal” come to mind. “There’s nothing I don’t like about the way this space turned out,” she adds. “But my favorite part is the fearless use of saturated, warm tones in a way that feels perfectly cool.”