INTERIORS
Swinging T www.divinesavages.com
here will be those among you that sigh at the thought of the emergence of regurgitated schemes from decades past, but with the current mindset being to reuse and recycle it’s likely that many of us will have a cherished, nostalgic piece or two linking us back to those times. Such pieces could no doubt benefit from being integrated into a modern interpretation of bygone designs. From flat pack furniture to space age materials, ‘60s interiors were filled with reflective surfaces, organic shapes and modular elements. Pop artists such as Andy Warhol and fashion designers like Mary Quant heavily influenced design trends throughout the era. Metal, glass, wood and PVC all became popular with furniture designers, and fabrics featured eye-popping colours in paisley swirls and psychedelic prints.
The cultural revolution of the ‘60s inspired individuals to move away from the softer aesthetic of the 1950s and become braver by embracing individuality. Where the 1950s had a ‘one size fits all approach’, the 1960s was all about self-expression through art, music, fashion and interior design. Typical paint colours of the 1960s were green, yellow, pink and orange, in hues ranging from muted pastels to bright pop art statement tones. Mostly, it’s the eye-popping lime greens, magenta and tangerine that are remembered from the period.
Rosie Kinsella Interior Designer 01604 751262 www.millsandkinsella.com 38
60’s www.divinesavages.com
The best place to access current day versions is Little Greene’s ‘1960s Paint’ range. Little Greene describes their selection of colours as a reaction against the austerity of the period following World War II, when modern methods of pigmentation led to a revolution in what colours were available. From Dorchester Pink to the iconic Hicks Blue, Little Greene’s collection accurately reflects the pop revolution of the time.
As a self-confessed wallpaper fanatic, the ‘60s as a design period has been highly motivating and inspirational to me. Wallpaper was used on almost every surface, from walls to ceilings to furniture. It was everywhere, and though the decades in between have seen a reaction against its use, wallpaper is now well and truly back. With almost unlimited choice in terms of pattern and colour, vinyl-based papers are bathroom and kitchen friendly, ‘paste the wall’ papers enable much easier hanging and self-adhesive papers are cleaner and quicker to install and remove; no wood chip challenges here! Carpets were another key element of the ‘60s decade. Homeowners were keen to have a luxury feel under foot with many choosing shag pile rugs and sumptuous and heavily patterned carpets. Until the early 1960s, wall to wall carpets were considered a high-priced, luxury item, solely in reach of the more well-to-do. However,
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June 2022 | NN Pulse Magazine | 22,000 Copies delivered every month door to door across Northamptonshire
