Decorating
Let ‘Stranger Things’ Influence Your Interiors Style
Yes, we’re bleary-eyed from binge-watching all nine episodes, but we’ve still managed to pick out the décor we love
Season 2 of Stranger Things did not disappoint (nope, we’re not listening to anyone who thinks it didn’t live up to the hype). If you haven’t seen it yet, don’t worry – there are no spoilers here. We’re sidestepping any character or plot analysis and concentrating on the fabulously full-on retro interiors – and how you can adapt them for 21st century living.
Don’t think you can commit to wraparound wood? A feature wall is a stylish alternative, or try another trend – deep brown paint. Cover every wall for a room that oozes pure luxury.
Say hello to yellow
We almost lost count of how many times this colour popped up in each episode. It’s all over the Byers’s house (Joyce – aka Winona Ryder – must love it), Dustin’s hallway has bright yellow walls, and the kitchen-diner of Dustin’s friend Lucas is practically head-to-toe yellow (and not just any yellow, but a glowing orangey citron).
If you think this shade needs to remain in the 1980s, this hallway might change your mind. The mustard yellow on the walls is sophisticated, especially teamed with the charcoal grey on the skirting board and door frame. And just look how the stone flooring elevates this hue to a modern-country must-have.
We almost lost count of how many times this colour popped up in each episode. It’s all over the Byers’s house (Joyce – aka Winona Ryder – must love it), Dustin’s hallway has bright yellow walls, and the kitchen-diner of Dustin’s friend Lucas is practically head-to-toe yellow (and not just any yellow, but a glowing orangey citron).
If you think this shade needs to remain in the 1980s, this hallway might change your mind. The mustard yellow on the walls is sophisticated, especially teamed with the charcoal grey on the skirting board and door frame. And just look how the stone flooring elevates this hue to a modern-country must-have.
If you can only handle a dash of yellow, this gorgeous space, which features so many design elements on show in Stranger Things, knows how to do it. The fretwork screen manages to look modern (because that La La Land shade is so popular right now) and it works well as an accent in an all-white scheme.
This smart yet retro-influenced room also feels contemporary thanks to the Moroccan Berber rug, which graces many a chic home on Houzz.
10 other rooms that will make you like yellow
This smart yet retro-influenced room also feels contemporary thanks to the Moroccan Berber rug, which graces many a chic home on Houzz.
10 other rooms that will make you like yellow
Embrace the green and the stripes
In Season 1, the Byers’s open-plan living area had a super-chintzy, 1980s floral paper on the walls. Now there’s a mix of chintz and striped papers in a green that can only be described as ‘tinned peas’. Stripes also appear in cool girl Nancy’s room, although in pink, and green also shows up in one of the most LOL scenes in Series 2 – Mrs Wheeler (Nancy’s mum) in the bathroom reading a romance novel and listening to Barbra Streisand’s Memories against a backdrop of green tiling.
Green is definitely having a revival. At the beginning of 2017, Pantone anointed ‘Greenery’ as its colour of the year. A fresh green similar to the one above, the company described it as ‘a zesty yellow-green that evokes the first days of spring’. Teaming a shade like this with white furniture and accessories is a surefire way to make it thoroughly contemporary.
How do you keep stripes modern? As a rule of thumb, thicker stripes will have a more contemporary feel (thinner will give a classic look) and using fresh colours, such as the green above, or even opting for black and white will do the job, too. Vertical or horizontal? Vertical is the norm and will create a sense of height, but horizontal stripes can make a real statement and have the added benefit of visually widening a room.
In Season 1, the Byers’s open-plan living area had a super-chintzy, 1980s floral paper on the walls. Now there’s a mix of chintz and striped papers in a green that can only be described as ‘tinned peas’. Stripes also appear in cool girl Nancy’s room, although in pink, and green also shows up in one of the most LOL scenes in Series 2 – Mrs Wheeler (Nancy’s mum) in the bathroom reading a romance novel and listening to Barbra Streisand’s Memories against a backdrop of green tiling.
Green is definitely having a revival. At the beginning of 2017, Pantone anointed ‘Greenery’ as its colour of the year. A fresh green similar to the one above, the company described it as ‘a zesty yellow-green that evokes the first days of spring’. Teaming a shade like this with white furniture and accessories is a surefire way to make it thoroughly contemporary.
How do you keep stripes modern? As a rule of thumb, thicker stripes will have a more contemporary feel (thinner will give a classic look) and using fresh colours, such as the green above, or even opting for black and white will do the job, too. Vertical or horizontal? Vertical is the norm and will create a sense of height, but horizontal stripes can make a real statement and have the added benefit of visually widening a room.
Throw in a geometric pattern
In the Stranger Things world, any standout pattern worth its salt will be in a look-at-me orange/brown or brown/yellow colourway, but for today’s world, you probably should go a bit neutral. Yes, Dustin’s mum (whose living room has a fantastic orange and brown geometric wallpaper) would never go neutral (and that’s one reason we have a secret crush on her), but picking, say, a white and grey combo like this one will make your geometric paper very versatile. Because it’s neutral, you can accessorise it with any colour you like.
Again, if you prefer, you can choose to go small, using a geometric pattern only on accessories, like the lamp shades here or on cushions or curtains.
In the Stranger Things world, any standout pattern worth its salt will be in a look-at-me orange/brown or brown/yellow colourway, but for today’s world, you probably should go a bit neutral. Yes, Dustin’s mum (whose living room has a fantastic orange and brown geometric wallpaper) would never go neutral (and that’s one reason we have a secret crush on her), but picking, say, a white and grey combo like this one will make your geometric paper very versatile. Because it’s neutral, you can accessorise it with any colour you like.
Again, if you prefer, you can choose to go small, using a geometric pattern only on accessories, like the lamp shades here or on cushions or curtains.
Don’t chuck out the chintz
As mentioned earlier, in Season 1, Joyce Byers had a thing for floral wallpaper and in Season 2 the Wheeler family still have a fantastically chintzy paper (yellow, of course) in their dining room.
This space shows you how to do chintz right now – make it slightly graphic (no whimsical blooms please) and bold (think OTT colours instead of wishy-washy ones). We also like the combo of classic wood table and Tulip-style chairs; like the modern-chintz paper, it marries modern and trad well.
Find floral wallpapers in the Houzz Shop
As mentioned earlier, in Season 1, Joyce Byers had a thing for floral wallpaper and in Season 2 the Wheeler family still have a fantastically chintzy paper (yellow, of course) in their dining room.
This space shows you how to do chintz right now – make it slightly graphic (no whimsical blooms please) and bold (think OTT colours instead of wishy-washy ones). We also like the combo of classic wood table and Tulip-style chairs; like the modern-chintz paper, it marries modern and trad well.
Find floral wallpapers in the Houzz Shop
Kit out the kitchen in rich wood…
…more specifically, walnut units or similar. Not only do the boys in Stranger Things (Will, Mike, Dustin and Lucas) have fighting supernatural forces in common, they also all have kitchens with dark-brown wood units.
Their cabinetry has a twee, rustic feel, but for 2017/18, you want to go for a more sophisticated choice. Think sleek, flat-fronted units with inset or minimalist handles. And choose walnut, iroko, zebrano or even dark-stained oak as the finish.
…more specifically, walnut units or similar. Not only do the boys in Stranger Things (Will, Mike, Dustin and Lucas) have fighting supernatural forces in common, they also all have kitchens with dark-brown wood units.
Their cabinetry has a twee, rustic feel, but for 2017/18, you want to go for a more sophisticated choice. Think sleek, flat-fronted units with inset or minimalist handles. And choose walnut, iroko, zebrano or even dark-stained oak as the finish.
Return to the stone age
Back to two of our favourite characters – Dustin and his mum. Another feature in their home that you can’t miss is all the stone cladding. Their stone is laid out in a brick-like fashion, brickwork being hugely popular in the 1980s.
Nowadays, if you’re lucky enough to live in a country cottage, for example, exposing a stone wall is one route to instant style kudos. If you don’t, take inspiration from the above home that has a beautiful stone-clad chimney breast. There are many companies that can give advice on stone cladding, so explore all your options.
Other ways to use stone in your scheme
Back to two of our favourite characters – Dustin and his mum. Another feature in their home that you can’t miss is all the stone cladding. Their stone is laid out in a brick-like fashion, brickwork being hugely popular in the 1980s.
Nowadays, if you’re lucky enough to live in a country cottage, for example, exposing a stone wall is one route to instant style kudos. If you don’t, take inspiration from the above home that has a beautiful stone-clad chimney breast. There are many companies that can give advice on stone cladding, so explore all your options.
Other ways to use stone in your scheme
Venture into the woods
The woods surrounding Hawkins is a major player in Seasons 1 and 2 of Stranger Things. Two main characters are living there (Eleven is one of them and we can’t believe we’re only mentioning her now). Although scary in the show, the woods could inspire a new scheme in your home.
Take a look at this Scandi-style bedroom with Cole & Son’s Woods wallpaper. This space just makes you want to get into bed with a good book and never get out.
The woods surrounding Hawkins is a major player in Seasons 1 and 2 of Stranger Things. Two main characters are living there (Eleven is one of them and we can’t believe we’re only mentioning her now). Although scary in the show, the woods could inspire a new scheme in your home.
Take a look at this Scandi-style bedroom with Cole & Son’s Woods wallpaper. This space just makes you want to get into bed with a good book and never get out.
Take it back to black
Another pivotal ‘character’ in the show is the Upside Down – basically, an alternative dimension existing parallel to the human world. Crazy, right? It’s very dark down there, which sounds scary, but if you’re after a super-snug living space, it’s the perfect place to pick up some decorating tips.
If going for a full-on black wall worries you, go for a charcoal grey or blue-black hue for a softer take on the trend.
Another pivotal ‘character’ in the show is the Upside Down – basically, an alternative dimension existing parallel to the human world. Crazy, right? It’s very dark down there, which sounds scary, but if you’re after a super-snug living space, it’s the perfect place to pick up some decorating tips.
If going for a full-on black wall worries you, go for a charcoal grey or blue-black hue for a softer take on the trend.
You’ll also find the notorious ‘vines’ in the Upside Down and even these dastardly things can trigger some décor ideas. This modern kitchen also has the Stranger Things yellow down to a tee. Bravo.
Get in on the game
Diehard fans will get this one. Where do Will, Mike, Dustin, Lucas and new girl Max like to hang out? That’s right – the arcade. We love how Max has beaten Dustin’s high score on Dig Dug with an impossible 750,200 points.
So, if you feel all nostalgic about retro arcade games, or if you have a teen who is, check out this space. Pretty cool, eh? Maybe not for the main bathroom, but perhaps for a second bathroom or en suite…
Are you a Stranger Things fan? Did you notice all the brilliant interiors in the show? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
Diehard fans will get this one. Where do Will, Mike, Dustin, Lucas and new girl Max like to hang out? That’s right – the arcade. We love how Max has beaten Dustin’s high score on Dig Dug with an impossible 750,200 points.
So, if you feel all nostalgic about retro arcade games, or if you have a teen who is, check out this space. Pretty cool, eh? Maybe not for the main bathroom, but perhaps for a second bathroom or en suite…
Are you a Stranger Things fan? Did you notice all the brilliant interiors in the show? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
In Season 2, Dustin (the adorable, baseball-cap-wearing kid who just might be our favourite character) and his wood-panelled living room get a lot of screen time. Stranger Things is set in the fictional rural town of Hawkins, Indiana, during the early 1980s, but the said living room has a very 1970s feel (probably because Dustin’s mum hasn’t had time to redecorate).
Bringing this look up to date won’t take much work, as dark wood – even if it’s on the ceiling and floor as well as the walls, as here – is big news right now.
Keep it relevant by teaming the panelling with pared-back furnishings – there can’t be a single crazy pattern in sight (that would be too 1970s-tastic). The sofa in this space, with its button-back upholstery, also balances out the rusticity of the wood for a smart vibe.