It Was A Bizarre Trend In The '60s, Now It's The Vintage Living Room Decor We'd Be Thrilled To Find

Life in the '60s gave way for many memorable moments. In the interior design world, inflatable furniture was definitely one of them. This funky trend ballooned to popularity during the 1960s with blow-up armchairs. However, one of the most peculiar permutations of the inflatable furniture fad were inflatable terrarium footstools. Scoring one of these rare oddities at Goodwill would be a "holy grail" of thrift store finds.

Funny thing, they actually look more bizarre than they sound. With clear(ish) plastic sides and an opaque top, the "terrarium" holds a collection of faux flowers and greenery that is either tacky or awesome, depending on your perspective. You'll usually see these curiosities with tapered mid-century legs, but occasionally one will be legless. We call the plastic "clear(ish)", since it had the tendency to yellow over time.

There isn't a lot of official information out there about these strange foot rests, but there's plenty of chatter on the interwebs around people's personal experiences with these air-filled furnishings. It's something that pretty much every boomer remembers, and there's a bit of love and a bit more loathing in the reminiscences. If you're on team "love," it looks like curated vintage shops or online sellers will be your best bet to score one of your own. On Ebay and Etsy, expect to shell out from around $70 to over $300.

Anyone who loves adding whimsical touches to their home appreciates how these pieces can be an extension of our personalities. If you're one of us, you might be looking for eclectic-inspired home furniture to make your space less vanilla, or maybe you just love a good conversation piece. Wherever you stand, let the hunt for an inflatable terrarium stool begin!

Kitsch home decor is on trend, and a picture of a plastic bubble full of flowers to rest your feet on could practically accompany a dictionary definition of kitsch. But a purposefully tacky room isn't the only appropriate space for such a furnishing. While an inflatable stool filled with faux flowers would be tough to imagine in a sleek minimalist or cabin-style scheme, there's a place for this offbeat item in plenty of decor styles.

Both maximalist and eclectic-inspired homes, or a room that's fully steeped in '60s nostalgia, are obvious choices for an inflatable terrarium footrest. But consider tucking one into a floral-saturated cottagecore room where the quirkiness of yellowed plastic and fake flowers might not dull the stool's appeal on the whole. Other possible styles to accommodate an inflatable stool are shabby chic, tropical, and even Hollywood Regency. Done right, the plastic-encased flowers could provide a welcome pop of contrast to a modern or industrial space. Despite its slightly ridiculous appearance, an inflatable terrarium stool can be more versatile than you'd think.