When you take a look in the fashion shop now than you will see the first items for winter arriving and yes, the 70s are back. Some will look back on those years with some nostalgic, others will think this can't be back in trend. So lets see what was typical in the 70s.
Bold prints in wallpaper, fabrics, rugs. Bright color combinations. Flowers, geometric motifs, tie & dye, psychedelic print.
A/W 2015 Anna Sui - vintage wallpaper and fabrics Vintage Wallpaper - A/W 2015 Burberry Prorsum
Are you brave enough to make a bold statement in your home? You can find some vintage wallpapers when you start looking on-line, but it can be easier to find some great designs in modern wallpaper collections. You will see ethnic print, the 70s was a period of peace and love and they got inspired by India.
The Patricia Anne wallpaper has a large Oriental floral print. The Tree of Life style are inspired by Chinoiserie, motifs which take inspiration from the Orient with lots of details and all over pattern.
Patricia Anne wallpaper - Liberty
Patara wallpaper: an ornate Paisley motif named after ancient coastal city.
Patara wallpaper - Osborne & Little
Osborne and Little is offering in the same theme some amazing embroidered fabrics, if wallpaper would be to much for you than curtains can give a nice accent to your plain painted walls.
Nizam fabric - Osborne & Little
The geometric Hick's hexagon wallpaper is a classical, Cole & Son has been printing it now also at a bold large-scale.
Hick's Grand wallpaper - Cole & Son
The 70s was a time of relaxed living, having friends over, parties, the living area got a re-look. They were more and more designing with the idea of comfort, natural materials.
A/W 2015 Burberry Prorsum - archive image Ligne Roset - A/W 2015 Erdem
The Togo line of seating is the most recognisable collection of Ligne Roset, it was designed by Michel Ducaroy in 1973. It features ergonomic designs to make the frame and makes each piece both visually attractive and very comfortable.
Togo Ligne Roset
Another classic: the UP5 chair of B&B. In 1969 Gaetano Pesce designed the UP serie, the UP5 chair is the most known and is still in production after 40 years. Funny when you know that Gaetano Pesce had no interest in appealing to the "Establishment" or had any desire for commercial success.
UP5 chair of B&B
The walls and ceilings were often covered with wood. Green, orange, brown, mustard yellow made the colour harmony. And in every house you could find a collection of pottery: vases, plates, bowls...... and not to forget some crochet pieces.
Found on Pinterest - A/W 2015 Burberry Prorsum - found on Designsponge
Wallhangings were very fashionable, artist Sheila Hicks has her work now exhibited in several museums and got a retrospective in 2014 after 50 years of work. Sheila Hicks, who graduated as a painter, developed an interest in working with fibres after she spend some time in South America. She continues working in her studios in Paris and NY.
Ecailles of Sheila Hicks 1976 - the artist in her studio
Recent work of Sheila Hicks
recent work of Sheila Hicks
recent work of Sheila Hicks
And if you take another look on some archive pictures form interior architecture in the 70s than you will see that macrame was a big trend. Macrame was one of the technics used for wallhangings and it inspired a lot of women to DIY for decorating the house.
Vintage macrame wall hanging found on Pinterest - A/W 2015 Ralph Lauren
Macrame was out of fashion for quite some years but it is making a strong come back. When I was visiting the Fuori Salone this year in Milano I could see that a lot of young designers from different countries were working around weaving , macrame. So take a look on a more modern approach which can easily be used in our homes right now without looking vintage.
found on Remodelista: wallhanging by Sally England - potholders Modern Macrame - Emily Katz at work in her studio
The 70s was a time of change, a time to make statements, to stand for what you believed. If we think of pottery, macrame, tie & dye: it was all quite DIY but suddenly it gets back in fashion and it can look great in a modern approach.
Hope you got inspired by 70s. You don't have to change your whole home, just add some accents to get the mood.
- one wall with a bold wallpaper and it will look as you redid the whole room
- tie & dye cushions will look great on each sofa
- put some vases together, one can look a bit strange but once you put them as a collection you will see it will take a center point in the room
- wallhangings instead of a painting, put them tone on tone on the wall and it will look very sophisticated
Soon I will show you how to decorate a room in the 70s style with some modern pieces , just watch out for my next blog post.