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In the 70's I lived in a ranch with shag carpet. I don't remember anyone having a ranch with hard wood floors. Everyone had wall-to-wall carpet, and if it was shag, we had big plastic rakes to make it all go in the same direction!! Good times!
Oh, and speaking of shag carpets and plastic rakes, remember those shag haircuts? And big plastic combs in the back pocket?
We have recently purchased a lovely brick ranch built in 1973. The home itself has great bones and is exactly what my husband and I were looking for when we began our home search. The big drawback is that it suffered a poor update in the early 2000's.
Dark laminate, painted white kitchen cabinets, cheap beige carpet, builder grade lighting fixtures....
We knew going into our home purchase that we would be changing quite a bit. What I didn't expect was how strongly we would feel about bringing original elements back.
Due to a "funk" in my daughters bedroom that we have traced to the carpet, we have put replacing the carpet with hardwood at the top of the to-do list. We will be taking the hardwood throughout the entire main floor, minus the entryway which has beautiful old slate that somehow escaped the renovation.
My question to those more knowledgeable than I am:
When you think of hardwood in an early 70's ranch, what do you picture?
I do not want parquet or color extremes (very light or dark). After 20 years of moves as a military family, we have perfected the neutral furniture palette, so our furniture color does not really need to factor in. We have chosen paint colors that fall in the light to mid range warm shades. (Golds, yellow, greens - can provide the exact ones if anyone wants)
Thank you for any advice.
Have you taken out, or at least looked under, any of the carpet? I wouldn't be terribly surprised to find the original hardwood floors under there. At least here in NJ, a huge number of those '70s ranches had nice wood floors that immediately got covered by ugly carpets. And because they have been covered by that terrible carpet for a few decades, it's entirely possible they are in great shape and just need a refinishing.
In the 70's I lived in a ranch with shag carpet. I don't remember anyone having a ranch with hard wood floors. Everyone had wall-to-wall carpet, and if it was shag, we had big plastic rakes to make it all go in the same direction!! Good times!
Oh, and speaking of shag carpets and plastic rakes, remember those shag haircuts? And big plastic combs in the back pocket?
LOL The actual "period" decor in the 70s is hideous, IMO...but people forget. I have a rancher, and there was oak hardwood under my carpet. I had it refinished and It looks nice. My flooring is typical, but I think wider plank flooring may actually look nicer in this type of house. You know...simple and more "modern."
My basement is finished and has wall-to-carpet. Normally I'd hate carpet, but I don't have pets and it is berber. I am part of the "if it is not hardwood...it is crap" generation but the carpet is really comfy. I don't wear shoes at home, and I like walking/sitting on it. Who knew? Too bad I can't have all wool carpet...but chaChing! If I had money that's what I'd get...soft, pretty...fire retardant.
Sadly, I priced wool berber once and the price singed my nosehairs.
The area we checked under the carpet did not have hardwood. Sad face. Our basement is finished with wood paneling and brick, the floor is some really funkadelic sheet vinyl. It even has the required full bar.
I married in 1970, and began furnishing our living space. I always despaired of avocado green, which was everywhere, and it seemed, forever.
Not everything was in horrible taste, kinkytoes. There was better taste then, just as you have it now. I bought Drexel furniture, and I used some of it until last year. The bedroom set never really looked out of style, except for the arched rattan headboard. When I replaced our bedroom set, I bought good stuff, but it isn't as great as the old stuff, and the old stuff was veneered.
I think the white pedestal table, the Parsons table, the ginger jar lamps (I still have two killer versions of those from 1970) the Chinoiserie and lattice that was big in the seventies is still in pretty good taste. The lattice work goes in and out of style, I guess, but every thing else can still be used and appreciated if it was originally good quality.
Shag carpets are actually back in style, but I would never buy the dark green. I don't know why someone couldn't buy a newer shag carpet though for the bedroom of a 1970s era house. Very appropriate.
I do admit that I don't ever want to decorate in orange, "earth tones" or dark green or brown. Been there, done that.
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The actual "period" decor in the 70s is hideous, IMO...but people forget. I have a rancher, and there was oak hardwood under my carpet. I had it refinished and It looks nice. My flooring is typical, but I think wider plank flooring may actually look nicer in this type of house. You know...simple and more "modern." 
