The rise of retro and mid-century modern furniture pieces is hard to ignore, and is only becoming more and more common both in real life and in life simulations. While The Sims 4 is offering a variety of furniture styles, CC creators are focusing on niches based on current trends; Simspancake, the custom content creator behind The Sims 4 Retail Essentials CC Set, has now released a Sims 4 Retro Revival CC Kit, bringing in some old styles with a shiny polish and fresh coat of paint!
Table of Contents
Installation Instructions
Since this is a custom content set that is mainly focused around Build and Buy Mode items, it is fairly straight forward to install. Make sure to take a peek at our Beginner guide to Mods & CC, but a short run down is…
To add the items to your game on Windows, follow this folder path:
C:\Users\[USERNAME]\Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 4\Mods
To add the items to your game on MacOS, follow this folder path:
Macintosh HD/Users/User/Documents/Electronic Arts/The Sims 4/Mods
Once you’ve downloaded the files, make sure you have an extraction program installed. These can include 7Zip, Winrar, etc. After that, highlight one or multiple zipped/compressed files and select “Extract Here”. Drag the extracted contents to your Mods folder. You can also sort them into their own folders within your Mods folder, but it is recommended to not nest them too many levels deep as it can cause longer loading times, and some CC items stop working when too deep within folders.
Tip: While many creators provide additional files, like .txt/ReadMe, .jpg/.png files, and more, it is best practice to not put those into your Mods folder as they can also lead to longer load times and excessive clutter. Creators will often specify any files that need to be put into the folder, along with where, so primarily focus on .package and .ts4script files!
The Sims 4 Retro Revival CC Kit by Simspancake
Pulling inspiration from real-world mid-century modern and Myshunosun’s official Sims 4 Kit, the Cozy Kitsch Kit, Simspancake wanted to expand on these furniture ideas and sets, both while matching to the kit and the base game. Most of the wood tones are made to match a majority of base game woods, and other popular or common item colors in the game from packs or other items.
This set includes 41 total assets, each asset having 13 swatches between wood and solid color variants. The items are primarily in buy mode with a couple build mode items, and the general goal of this Sims 4 Retro Revival CC Kit is to provide more options for living rooms and dining rooms, but most of the furniture has multiple uses and goes well with other items in the game!
The Creator: Simspancake CC
With how many amazing pieces Simspancake has released so far, we wanted to reach out and get some backstory and more info on his inspirations and plans.
I’ve been playing The Sims since the release of The Sims 3 Into The Future and never stopped. My journey in the CC Creation process started in 2020 during Covid. I always dreamed about it but never tried. I’m also the creator of the CC Pack that allows players to sell furniture in their Small Business, and I’m planning to release more content in the near future.
– Simspancake
Be sure to take a look at our article of Simspancake’s previous custom content kit, The Sims 4 Retail Essentials, reviewed earlier this year in June! It’s a beautiful set with similar themes to this one that also includes overrides and mods for the sale of large furniture pieces! Now, on to the Sims 4 Retro Revival CC Kit overview!
What’s Included?
Build Mode
Going Retro Wallpaper
Building in the Sims 4 can feel repetitive at certain points, but having a new wallpaper has really brought some new inspiration to my builds! I especially love matching it up to existing paint colors in the game to create an accent wall!
Fine Wood Floor
I love the wood tones in this set, especially in the hardwood, because they all match allowing for one swatch throughout, or complementary swatches mixed together to give off a mixed-wood look instead!
Buy Mode
Lighting & Structural Pieces
No to Privacy! Room Divider
The room dividers fit so well to me, more specifically to break up open concept spaces and studio or one bedroom apartments. It especially helps with Tiny Homes from Tiny Living Stuff to separate the living areas!
Golden Years Pendant Lamp (Short, Medium, and Tall) & Retro Floor Lamp
The Golden Years Pendant Lamps, no matter height you choose, provide great lighting for the room and a sweet pop of color matching with whatever color scheme you’re furnishing with, or for a room full of neutrals that needs an accent piece!
Matching well with the ceiling light and other colorful furniture pieces in this set, the Retro Floor Lamps wiggly silhouette is a conversation starter with that can add a bit of mood lighting with its strong downward beam of light.
Dining Area
Dining Table “Simplistic Beauty”
The glass insert in the center of this dining table breaks up the smooth wood grain, providing a contrast that sparks interest and accentuates any centerpieces or table settings.
Dining Chair “Simplistic Beauty”
Retro and sleek, this dining chair is primarily colorful and matches well with the provided dining table, making a comfy but understated seat for your sims to study, do homework, or eat their meals at (if they don’t just autonomously stand next to it…)!
Living Area & Office
Cozy Days Living Set (Couch, Loveseat, Chair)
This couch, loveseat, and chair all match down to the color schemes and decorative accent pillows, but they vary so slightly to make them look more lived in and natural. The cozy blanket on the loveseat looks so perfectly placed and makes it look ready for a family movie night!
Cheap & Old Retro TV
I loved having this little television, and I can already foresee it replacing almost all of the start televisions in the game when I’m building a simple living room or a bedroom. The color swatches and simplistic style make it flexible enough to work with most things, but it is still overall a conversation starter.
Stuck in Retrozone Radio
A nice accent to any study or living room corner, the Stuck in Retrozone Radio has the same swatches as the Cheap & Old Retro TV, and adds a nice pop of color while being a functional little radio for your sims to use.
Living Tables
Wood TV Stand
Perfect for the retro boxy television provided in the pack, a standing flatscreen, or your Rags to Riches PenguinVision Children’s Television Set, this TV stand works seamlessly with the other pieces in this collection and has a little cubby cutout for your Sim’s gaming console, plants, or really anything that you could fit in it!
Wood End Table
With its rounded and smoothed edges, this table goes perfectly when paired in a living room with the Ovoid Beauty Coffee Table, both with the matching swatches and complimentary shapes.
Coffee Table “Ovoid Beauty”
This somewhat egg-shaped coffee table fits lovely with the other wooden pieces, but especially meshes well with the provided end tables and other sleek and smooth furniture pieces.
Wood Hallway Table
Decorating a hallway or entryway can always be hard, but I loved the hallway table to add small pieces of clutter, a plant, a lamp, and to frame it with wall hangings like paintings or family photos.
Shelves
Empty Bookcase
This shelf fits so well with the added decorations and looks great in a study, bedroom, or the corner of living room. I personally love adding in clutter from the base game and packs to customize it for individual sims’ tastes.
Simple Shaped Wood Etagere
The etagere was such a nice piece to fill those empty corners I tend to find in rooms, especially when I don’t want to add a plant to every corner of every room. Using clutter, tiny decor, or just leaving empty space for a bit of realism, it fills space and warms up an area!
Simple Shelf
Super simplistic and modern, the Simple Shelf is perfect for decorative and functional purposes. Needing a place to put your sims extensive snow globe collection, or somewhere to put laundry clutter for your teeny tiny laundry room? Works perfectly either way!
Decorations
Vibrant Retro Curtains (Short, Medium, and Tall)
Having more curtains is something I’m always looking for, especially with the wide variety of windows and doors added along with every DLC dropped for The Sims 4. With both neutrals and vibrant deep colors, Simspancake has created a great accent for any room!
Living Large Rug
While the color palettes for this rug are quite varied, they still work well with almost any combination of items from this set! A nice modern but not busy pattern that pulls a room together, especially when using lots of wood tones.
Window to the Soul Mirror
This mirror is so beautiful – I actually really wanted to add it with some curtains over it to imitate a window, because I love the framing and the mesh overall.
Vintage Clock
Inspired by the super popular starburst clocks of the Midcentury Modern Era, I used this clock in just about every room or area I decorated for this set because I just thought it worked so well; Not too big and not too small, looks good next to posters and photos, and just fills wall space which is all too important in The Sims 4.
Grandma’s Tea Set
A cutesy little accent for your breakfast nook or the corner of your kitchen, this kettle and teacups look modern but also, per the name, like it could be your grandma’s well-seasoned kettle that she’s had for decades.
Bowl with Fruits
A classic bowl of table fruits, with a pottery or ceramic-like bowl to match any of your nearby furniture. The meshes are smooth and the fruits look fresh and juicy, and it adds a great pop of freshness to any room!
Collection of Books “The Avid Reader”
To be paired with the empty bookshelf or even just set up on a desk, I thought these were such a nice piece to add to any room, especially with the little doodle on the end of the smaller book.
Stack of Books “The Pages Lover”
The less organized stack gives off a busy academic vibe, and works well in just about any spot. I liked the idea of them sitting on a dining table next to a group of teens working on their homework, just chipping away before the big exam.
Little Potted Plant, The Cozy Stem Potted Plant, and the Monsteras Arrangement Potted Plant
Having three different plant sizes and varieties makes for a nice hint of nature in each room, pairing well with base game plants and the newer plants added by recent packs for a centerpiece or a corner to a room.
Paintings
Frame A & Frame B, The Art of Nature, and The Awakening of a Flower
Paired with the paintings below for either a formal framed art look or an informal poster look, these frames match both the wood and vibrant color swatches, making for tons of possible combinations.
The Art of Nature, and The Awakening of a Flower
These pieces, while consistent and similar, stand out when you change the swatches and can work for just about any room and color scheme. I’m a big fan of the sheer amount of green in this pack!
Build Inspiration
Example 1: Retro Revival CC Kit + Base Game
This set works together with the base game super easily, and allows for a retro but modern take on a cozy dining room, fit for coffee and gossip between friends. I personally was overjoyed by the wood tones that made everything so easy to match and compare!
Example 2: Retro Revival CC Kit + Cozy Kitsch Kit by Myshunosun
Myshunosun’s Cozy Kitsch Creator Kit and Simspancake’s Retro Revival CC Kit are a match made in heaven. Simspancake specified he was inspired by that kit and wanted to create this set as somewhat of an add-on, but they pair so beautifully together for a sleek and cutesy living room.
Example 3: Retro Revival CC Kit + Businesses and Hobbies
After speaking with Simspancake, he recommended that I look at the swatches and how they work with the recent Business and Hobbies release, and I enjoyed decorating a tiny little Tattoo Studio with the pack and the Retro Revival CC Kit! The colors, even when they didn’t match, were all rich and super complementary, and it made decorating super easy.
Example 4: Retro Revival CC Kit + Tiny Living Stuff
While this combination was a tad harder since Tiny Living actually added less furniture than you would think to the game, the Simspancake assets and combination of other additions created to make tiny spaces more sustainable in the game works so well to design a modern and quirky tiny home for your sims!
The Download!
Simspancake has obviously worked incredibly hard on this set, and it is truly an amazing addition to the game to spruce up your living and dining areas. This CC Set is currently in Early Access up until September 8th, and the link to the Patreon post where it will be available to download is linked below!
What are your thoughts on Simspancake’s Sims 4 Retro Revival CC Kit? Have you taken a look at his Retail Essentials CC Set?
Give Simspancake a follow on Instagram (@simspancake_cc) and on X (@SimspancakeCC) to keep up with his amazing creations! Also, make sure to follow the Sims Community on all platforms to keep up with custom content recommendations and guides!
