Avocado green bathrooms, groovy lava lamps and pattern on well… everything! While some ’70s staples may remind you of your grandma’s house, it’s swinging back into vogue with a 2023 twist; translating into warm earth toned palettes, low slung comfort, splashes of colour and sculptural designs.
With relaxation as the priority, retro interiors this year have eliminated the kitsch, and focused on creating a warm and welcoming environment with added panache of pattern and colour to reflect them in their home. Dive into cherry picked trends from the century that are making a resurgence and how to add some ’70s flares to your interior…(pun intended).
Ahead of the curve
The decade of the seventies has been one of the most influential for interior and furniture design. Last year saw a tsunami of resurgence for one sofa in particular that engulfed our instagram feeds: the Camaleonda sofa. If the name doesn’t resonate then low, voluptuous, sculptural and for lack of a better word…blobby, may help you picture it. The Camaleonda sofa was originally created in 1970, yet in 2022 it made a comeback and now stands as the inspiration behind many furniture designs we’re seeing this year.
Following the groove of peace and self expression at the time, the use of curves in furniture encapsulated a softer, more tranquil environment to unwind in, erasing sharp lines and replacing them with more playful shapes. Our Ernest and Louis armchairs are prime examples of the sublime silhouettes seen at the time with curves to cocoon you into comfort. Taking inspiration from the simple, sculptural and low-slung seating of the time, our Seattle fuses sculptural minimalism and casual lounging, with the wooden wedge that unites it nodding to the prevalence of natural materials and warm tones synonymous with the era.
Alternatively, the trend can be replicated through soft furnishings with bolster cushions, bulbous footstools and objects d’art.
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A warm (toned) welcome
The era is renowned for its vibrant music culture, with the birth of much loved band Earth, Wind & Fire, the name of which conveniently sums up the colour palette of the decade. With more minimalist furniture forms, interiors of the ’70s were visually stimulated with pattern and colour. While it came in plenty, the most admired colours of the time habitually moved within warm earth tones; most notably echoed in decadent ginger velvet, mustard walls, chocolate brown rugs and of course avocado green bathrooms. While there may be a thin line between kitsch and cool, a warm scheme sets a tone of balance, calmness and grounding, and is a colour palette we continue to set in our interior sanctuaries in 2023 after a few rather calamitous years.
Following the softer edges of furniture, textures were soft and sumptuous to maximise comfort, so sheepskin and shaggy high pile rugs styled with rich velvet sofas was the crème de la crème of the time. Plush, patterned and playful, our Bubble Velvet – new for SS23 – was inspired by the ’70s era and, of course, features in two earth tone colourways: Cappuccino, a warm caramel shade, and Peppermint, a turquoise tone. For those looking for a more subtle nod to the era, accessories that are interchageable over time such as patterned wall art and rugs are the perfect way to introduce the ’70s trend into your home.
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Bring the outside in
The first ever Earth Day took place on April 22nd 1970, where 20 million people took to the streets across the US to protest against environmental destruction. With The Blue Marble image being released detailing the earth from space a couple years later, passion for the environment and it’s natural beauty grew, following people home and flourishing in their interiors.
Bringing the outside in translated into colours, textures and the use of leafy indoor plants to create a bohemian vibe. With the popularity of open living rising, use of greenery built alongside it an essence of invigoration. In the same way it does now, biophilic interiors promoted the marvel of nature as well as established a grounded, calm and relaxing atmosphere. Taking into consideration not everyone has the time (nor inclination) to tend to plants on a daily basis, a great alternative is a vase packed full of foliage, and leafy flowers can add a sprinkle of mother nature to your home minus the upkeep.
Despite the boom of plastic in the ’60s, when it first started being used for domestic furniture, the ’70s stayed in theme with use of earth tones and creating a grounding environment with natural materials being used. The perfect way to incorporate this into your interior is through warm wood coffee tables like our Pandora and oak dining sets like our Kingsley table and bench, as well as rattan home accessories.
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