'80s Style in the Waiting Room

Teal waiting room furnishings from DistroFurniture

There are some amazing things happening in the world of waiting room design! In fact, some waiting rooms are leaping into the future with innovative furnishings, diverse materials and edgy motifs. Others are a bit stuck in the past. And we’re totally OK with that! You know that wonderful feeling you get when you visit your dentist’s office, and you realize his ’80s Southwestern art and furniture are now back in style? Yeah, we love that feeling too! Today’s post celebrates the beauty of slightly out-of-date waiting areas.

Like the space above… This waiting room furniture set from Distro Furniture isn’t particularly ’80s. But its teal upholstery and the glass block window in the background can’t help but give the whole vignette a distinct 1980s feel.

Modular waiting room furniture from ATD-American

We’re also loving this modular furniture from ATD American (shown left), especially when upholstered in burgundy. The modular loveseats can be arranged in a variety of configurations, including “S” and “U” shapes! And what’s up with that splotchy marble tile? It’s fabulous! Throw in a tree in a metallic planter, and we’ve reached ’80s design heaven.

But that’s not all… What about the glass block room divider, and the textured wallpaper? Or that painting featuring blended shades such as blue, gray and bits of purple? OK, so maybe we could do without the large pottery receptacle holding tall dried branches, but some would say that’s part of the ’80s-awesome fun.

Waiting room decor in pastel shades

Pastels reign in this waiting room pic from Omada Idachaba MD (shown right). The chair are slightly reminiscent of 1920s-designed pieces by Marcel Breuer, which rose to popularity again in the ’80s. The peachy salmon tone, combined with periwinkle blue, can’t help but evoke a popular color combo featured in 1980s films such as Tootsie and The Muppets Take Manhattan. Too bad the photo is too small to see the details of that black sculpture along the desk wall. We imagine in to be a dolphin…

We can’t take our eyes off the furniture below, which comes from IDDS Custom Upholstery. Not only are the pieces modular, but they boast a blurry pattern that found its way to nearly every surface in the ’80s, especially laminate ones. Note how the seating brilliantly clashes with the wallpaper. But it’s the textured carpet that seals the deal and elevates this room to the level of art:

Textures and patterns combine in a soft-hued waiting room

We end with a room that knows exactly what it’s doing. In fact, this waiting area designed by Thoughtspace resides in the Worldwide Office of the BBC. It revels in the ’80s wonder of boxy seating, cylinder coffee tables and checkerboard motifs… Cheeky and fun, don’t you think?! [photo from Be Interior Decorator]