Gen Z's yearning for a world before tech ruined everything fuels retro design boom: 'Nostalgia-driven design choices become comforts that help us cope' | Fortune

"Welcome to the retro reset, where '70s, '80s and '90s aesthetics are getting a second life. It's not just in fashion and film but in home décor and tech. Whether you actually lived through it or long for a past you never experienced, nostalgia is fueling a surge of interest from Gen X to Gen Z in throwback styles that blend vintage charm with modern convenience."

"A big part of the trend is tech that looks analog but functions digitally. Think portable CD players in the kind of candy colors popular at Radio Shack in the 1970s, AM/FM radios equipped with USB outputs, or turntables with Bluetooth amplification to wireless speakers. Compact radios styled after 1970s transistor models now double as smart speakers. There's even a growing market for clunky-but-charming mini cathode-ray-style TVs - and boomboxes with streaming capability."

"What draws us? Some of it is the tactile appeal of dials and buttons - of interacting with something that feels solid, more "real." In a room, these elements aren't just nods to the past. They're also aesthetic statements that add way more character than a giant, flat, black screen, or a "smart" sound system you can't even see. Stereo consoles in a woodgrain finish or a pastel-colored lacquer offer not only music but a nice furniture addition to a space."

A retro revival is reshaping home design with mushroom-shaped lamps, walnut stereo consoles, daisy dishware, and neon Polaroid cameras returning to interiors. '70s, '80s and '90s aesthetics appeal across generations, from Gen X to Gen Z, as nostalgia fuels interest in throwback styles. Tech often adopts analog looks while delivering digital performance, including candy-colored CD players, USB-equipped AM/FM radios, Bluetooth turntables, transistor-styled smart radios, mini cathode-ray-style TVs, and streaming boomboxes. The tactile feel of dials and buttons attracts users seeking tangible interaction, and retro-styled consoles add both function and furniture-like character to rooms.

Read at Fortune