"Experimental, Futuristic, and Other-Worldly" — There's a Good Reason Space Age Interiors Are at the Fore of Design Right Now

Some of the most beloved interior designs are influenced by the styles of the 1960s and 1970s. Culture at this time was going through a period of revolution and reform, and in home design, this led to a fusion of innovation and visionary aesthetics. Bold colors, materials, and shapes were the ethos of interior design at the time (much like what we see coming back today). However, there was no influence so cosmic as the world's launch into space exploration. Known in interior design as the birth of Space Age interiors.

Like its namesake hints, the Space Age interior design style spawned from the excitement around the space race and the cultural development happening as countries raced to land on the moon. That sense of futuristic technology and experimentation bled into how designers imagined interiors. If your mind is taking you to sleek, white egg chairs and chrome dining tables, then you are in the right place.

It's seemed, for the longest time, a bit of a retro throwback, so why (I wonder) are designers starting to turn to this irreverent, sci-fi-esque source of inspiration. "Right now, things in the world seem to be regressing — in politics, culture, and society in general, there's a sense that those futuristic ideals many people have always dreamed of are being stripped away," Hugh Metcalf, editor of Livingetc says. "I think the rise in Space Age interiors is a reaction to this — it's this sort of archetypal Utopian aesthetic which once would have felt a little cliché, but now feels like an antidote to the world outside."

To help get to grips with the re-emerging trend for Space Age interiors a little bit better, I've taken a deep dive into everything you need to know and how to get the look in contemporary design.

What Is Space Age Design?

Given that both interior design styles were born in the middle of the century, Space Age design is closely related to mid-century modern design. The two aesthetics share common color palettes, materials, and silhouettes. Yet Space Age interiors have a futuristic and sleeker edge to them, that mid-century modern furniture sometimes lacks.

Kerry Offsey, director at New York and LA-based interior design studio, Hines Collective, explains, "Mid-century is rooted in practicality and organic materials with a more timeless and effortless design. It is a refined simplicity of the present. Space Age is more experimental, futuristic, and other-worldly. It evokes an excitement of what is to come, or could be." With Space Age interiors, there is a bit more room to experiment with your more outlandish design ideas, and embrace the unexpected.

At its core, Space Age design is often characterized by sleek, curved forms, glossy and reflective surfaces, and innovative materials. "There is a sense of weightlessness, movement, and forward-thinking creativity," says Kerry.

What Are the Characteristics of Space Age Design?

So what characteristics should you look for? Space Age design often incorporates smooth, glossy, reflective surfaces and innovative materials like fiberglass, acrylic, molded plastics, and chrome metallic finishes. Each of these materials leans into that an avant-garde quality and a high-tech aesthetic.

As mentioned earlier, the motifs take cues from the vision of space travel and science fiction, which are just as fantastical as you would imagine. "Think pod and egg-like shapes, spherical cut-outs, floating furniture, and fluid continuous lines," says Kerry. She adds "The backdrop is often stark whites, silvers, and deep blacks, with bold accents layered at the forefront."

A good example of this would be a monochromatic color scheme for the backdrop of a room, with bold pops of color and tactile materials featured throughout the furniture and wall art.

However, "It’s not just about futuristic objects — it’s about designing environments that transport you elsewhere, that spark the imagination," says Maria Vittora, interior designer at Milan-based interior design studio, Casa Ornella Studio.

Maria Vittoria

Maria is an Italian designer based in Milan. Her Project, Casaornella, debuted at Milan Design Week in 2023; a project she conceived and lead. Maria explores new forms of hospitality and living experiences, weaving together design, art, food, and fashion. "A constantly evolving laboratory that welcomes cross-pollination and fosters connections," says Maria.

How to Adapt Space Age Interiors for the Contemporary Home

Though traditional space age interiors scream of '60s and '70s influence, a refined and slightly subdued iterations has cultivated itself in today's interior design trends. "Today's interpretations layer in more sophistication and influence from the design eras that succeeded the Space Age design period. The exaggerated curves and playfulness of the Space Age era are more streamlined and softened today," says Kerry.

Technology that was once a future vision is now heavily integrated into the aesthetic, making it less fantasy and more function this time around. Like most styles that come back in fashion, embracing modern retro décor is all about a balance of what is old with what in fashion today.

"Space Age interiors today are no longer just a nostalgic tribute to the futuristic curves and glossy materials of the ‘60s. It’s a language that evolves, blending past and future with contemporary irreverence," says Maria. Today, we see it in organic volumes, high-gloss plastics mixed with raw materials, and chrome surfaces interacting with soft textures. "It’s an aesthetic that is both bold and sophisticated, full of dynamic lines, saturated colors, and a constant sense of movement," says Maria.

Starting to get the picture? My obsession with modern Space Age interiors started when I saw Residence Supply's floor-to-ceiling lamp (and I haven't stopped thinking about it since). I've shown it below, along with a few other décor ideas to get your futuristic furniture shopping started.

Shop Space Age Décor

How to Style Modern Space Age Interiors

As intimidating as space age interiors may sound, all you need to succeed at the look is to embrace a little fun in your home. "It’s a game! Space Age design shouldn’t be rigid; it should be an experience. A space age piece — whether it’s an egg chair or a chrome mushroom lamp — always has an exaggerated, almost theatrical personality," says Maria.

Incorporating unexpected pieces — like the wrong shoe theory for interiors or my personal favorite, the jolie-laide trend — have become increasingly popular in contemporary design. Space Age interiors feel perfectly on-brand when it comes to playful moments and embracing a home with personality.

A rather pared-back living room can call to the cosmos by simply adding a futuristic floor lamp or a 'strategic neon' accent piece. Maria says, "Placing space age in a more neutral environment is like flipping a visual switch, creating a vibrant contrast full of irony."

You don't have to completely remodel your home to add a nod to the space age era. "It’s that one detail that makes all the difference, that turns a room into a visual manifesto of energy and dynamism," says Maria.