Mid-Century Modernity (MCM) is an interior design, product, graphic design, architecture, and urban development movement that was popular in the United States and Europe from approximately 1945 to 1969, during the period after World War II in the United States. Retro style often comes down to a personal choice. It can be appealing on its own or inspire feelings of nostalgia. When designers, manufacturers, and customers talk about retro furniture, they're often referring to a style of furniture that pays homage to styles that were popular years ago.
That is, retro furniture was popular in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. Recently, the industry has added the 80s to the list. You can find newly manufactured furniture that was produced to have a retro look. While those styles definitely had a strong presence during the decade, there were a lot of decorating styles that co-existed side by side, often even in the same room.
Retro tends to refer to something that is culturally outdated or aged in a style that has since come back into fashion. Cape Cod-style homes, equipped with gnarled pine chairs and spindle-backed chairs, were one of the new styles that post-war families were quick to move to in the early 1950s. In a nutshell, even though these styles of furniture and interior decoration were diverse, they all fall under the umbrella of being a retro style. Vintage furniture is considered to be less than 100 years old and refers to furniture manufactured in the 20th century.
