“For now, we live in the mall, but I think it’s closing soon.”
― Grafton Tanner
Unlike most aesthetics, vaporwave actually derives from a musical genre. With the other most notable of the sort being grunge. But vaporwave has very unique and recognizable visuals, worthy of praise on their own. So, we can completely understand why someone would want to introduce some vaporwave decor to their home. And that is what today’s post is all about.
Vaporwave as an aesthetic stems from the electronic Chillwave music genre. It’s also recognized as a movement, one that censors modern consumerism and capitalism. But it’s very much grounded in retro imagery, particularly that of the 80s up to the early 2000s.
Music, of course, is a very central theme to the aesthetic. But many other nostalgic items such as videogame consoles, old anime, and neon lights are commonly associated with vaporwave.
Vaporwave decor is obviously very reminiscent of recent past decades. It strongly nods to old technology and the musical imagery of the ’80s, ’90s, and 2000s. And primitive videogame consoles, with Nintendo reigning superior, are the ultimate mementos in this nostalgic aesthetic.
When it comes to color schemes, holographic textures and silver are widely used in vaporwave. Neon lights, especially pink, blue, and purple, are also quite appreciated. And to achieve this distinct vibe, LEDs might be the safest bet.
Old-school graphics (with their grids, lines, and shapes) are often represented in a vaporwave aesthetic bedroom. Be it through posters or textiles, anything that is remotely reminiscent of retro machinery is well celebrated. And so is ’90s anime, which birthed some of the most iconic characters to this day: Sailor Moon, Dragonball Z’s Goku, and Pokemon’s Ash, to name a few.
There are also a few other recurrent motifs. For example, there is a big appreciation for Korean, Chinese, and mainly Japanese letters. Marble statues are also commonly featured. But the cherry on the cake has got to be the unironic taste for lava lamps and heavily edited photographs.
