Styles from the 1940s-1980s By Lorna Sixsmith
T
he vintage and retro look isn’t just popular within the fashion scene, it has been making a large comeback within interiors too for some time now. If you want to get in on the act or relive some memories, do read on ….
VINTAGE What era is ‘vintage’ from?
Vintage refers to the 1940s and 1950s and evokes the traditional classic styling of that time, it is designed to create a relaxed informal atmosphere, to evoke an almost country feel where people tended their vegetable gardens, grew herbs on the kitchen windowsill, hens clucked in the yard and people felt safe leaving their back door unlocked while they nipped out to the shops.
Why is ‘vintage’ so popular now?
Because it creates the memories of childhood, of a comfortable and safe family home. The 1940s and 1950s may not necessarily have been the good old days for many but they are remembered as a time when people came together, where there was an ethos of mend and make do hence creativity was to the fore explaining why patchwork quilts and crochet are so popular within this look. We have been going through global turbulence economically and just as people are going back to ‘growing their own’ as they did during and after the war, this is also affecting how we decorate our homes.
Is it easy to create a ‘vintage’ look on a budget?
Yes! The ‘Vintage’ style is not a strict, perfect style. Mix and mend with preloved items is the central theme so feel free to find old furniture and ‘upcycle’ - repair and repaint it, mix different styles of furniture sourced at auctions and antique shops. If you aren’t up to making a patchwork quilt or crocheting a rug, you can buy them from online stores such as “Etsy” and “Not on the High Street” which have many sellers who sell homemade items. Alternatively, the Greengate brand has fabulous quilts and throws in floral designs that would perfect the look. You can paint items of furniture - old chests of drawers, chairs and coffee tables are items that can be picked up cheaply. If you wish to give it a distressed look, rub a wax candle over the corners and edges before you paint it and when dry, rub with fine sandpaper or wire wool over the waxed areas, so a little of the wood will show through and create that worn look. Celine Gittens of Eclectic Interiors in Castlecomer Estate yard has a lovely selection of handpainted furniture. Dressers or glass fronted display cases are ideal for displaying all your unique finds. Pretty floral plates or teacups, or jugs and bowls filled with garden flowers create that country cottage garden feel too - it is all about creating a relaxed informal atmosphere. Floral loose covers or throws over chairs will give them a new lease of life and will create a relaxed ambience. The key with vintage is to include all your favourite bits and pieces. Woodland creatures are making a comeback within the retro look. Mini Moderns Pet Sounds wallpaper and Owl Rug are available exclusively at www.garrendennylane.ie. Never before have rabbits, squirrels and badgers made such a cacophany of sound! 10
RETRO
Where can I source furniture to create this retro style?
What era is ‘retro’ from?
‘Retro’ refers to design styles from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s and some would argue the 1980s are starting to creep in there too. According to Danielle Mac Innes of ‘Fuse Finds’, modernism has experienced a revival since the early 1990s when designers began to discover the paired down elegance of the period.
How can I create a ‘retro’ look in my home?
Decorating in a retro style does not mean placing your home in a 1970s timewarp. Retro style tends to be a little more over the top, it takes the styles from that era and pushes them that little bit further whether it is with bolder designs such as the Pet Sounds wallpaper from Mini Moderns or being extra bold with colour. Retro design style really is a throwback to the mid-twentieth century when streamlined, bright and bold furnishings were introduced. Furniture lines are usually rounded or curved, sofas in unique kidney or bubble shapes.
Items such as Smeg fridges are perfect for helping to create a retro look in a kitchen - available in a host of colours such as sunshine yellow, ice pink and duck egg blue and with its rounded edges it is perfect. Coupled with a checkerboard floor and chrome kitchen accessories and you are well on your way to a retro kitchen. ‘Skinflint Design’ - www.skinflintdesign.co.uk - ships their retro and vintage lighting all over the world. They ‘rescue’ lights from hospitals, derelict buildings and renovated houses and bring wonderful lights lovingly back to life. Check out their website for some wonderful inspiration. ‘Fuse Finds’ - www.fusefinds.ie - will be opening their online furniture store soon but in the meantime, their shop in Dublin has a wonderful selection of Eames chairs, sideboards, formica tables, Jacobsen chairs, angle poise lamps and much more. As Danielle from Fuse Finds states, ‘Furniture from this period has held its value because of its perfect balance between functionality and beauty”. You can have wonderful fun collecting retro pieces for your home from furniture to funky clocks to elegant angle poise lamps.
Greengate’s throws and quilts are perfect for creating the vintage look. Available online at www.garrendennylane.ie
Lorna Sixsmith stocks home accessories and gifts at her online store www.garrendennylane.ie Younger Teak Sideboard 1966 with tapered legs and recessed handles from Fuse Finds www.fusefinds.ie
Retro lamps are a wonderful way to bring the theme into a room as well as adding a functional lamp to a space. Lighting from 1920-1960 is available online from www.skinflintdesign.co.uk
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