Don't call it a comeback: Five retro design trends that deserve to return
At the recent Milan Design Week, it was all about the new. The biggest design fair in the world offered up inflatable LED lamps, bondage inspired foam and rubber seats and anything a 3D printer could spit out.
But for every recycled glass mirror-trestle table hybrid, there is a design trend that sits ignored in the dustbin of the 20th century. Property Observer looks at the five forgotten interior trends that deserve a comeback – and those that should never return.
FIVE DESIGN TRENDS WE WANT TO SEE AGAIN
- SUNKEN LOUNGES
Hanazono House. Source: Sekkastyle
With home owners and investors obsessed with flexibility, there’s a good reason that conversation pits are out of fashion. What if you decide that space would be better off as a dining area? Filling in a sunken lounge is a good deal more difficult than pushing the sofa to the other corner of the room. But living rooms are for living, and why should Don Draper get all the fun? - WALLPAPER
Source: NLXL
A casualty of the minimalist movement, wallpaper that is too busy can make a small space look smaller, a dark space look darker, and is much more polarising than a “tasteful” wash of dove grey paint. What if your best friend’s cousin’s mother-in-law doesn’t like it?
Grow a design spine and slap some wallpaper on your wall. Keep it to a single wall of the room as a feature to avoid swamping the space. European design studio Studio Job’s Archive collection for NLXL (pictured above) shows just how far the medium has come since the mustard yellow and amber days of the 1970s.
For a lesson in how not to use wallpaper, see Adam and Lisa’s house on Channel 7’s House Rules. Our property contrarians Jonathan Chancellor and Margie Blok recently examined the house rules that should be in place for decorating with wallpaper. - PARQUET FLOORING
Source: Roman and Williams
The polished concrete floors seen in every warehouse conversion of the last two years are great, and easy to clean. But what if you want to add some textural intrigue and warmth to your flooring, without buying a dozen rugs? Enter parquetry. While the glossy floorboards in juxtaposing tones of the past might be a bit much, a tasteful herringbone or chevron design in a single dark colour can bring interest without overwhelming a space. - CHANDELIERS
Source: Atelier Alain Ellouz
Forget grandiose crystal chandeliers – difficult to pull off, even more difficult to clean. Today’s chandeliers and pendant lights prove that lighting can be used to make a statement without making a fuss, and come in a variety of materials. A chandelier in the garage? That might be a little too far. - MOOD LIGHTING
Source: Roman and Williams
Good lighting can go a long way, adding warmth and intimacy to your home. On the other hand, bad lighting can be sterile and unflattering. Ambient light has come a long way from the “after 5” feel of the 60s den. Think about ditching the down lights, or at the very least, installing a dimmer.
While we're firm believers in second chances, we do hope that some interior design trends never get their shot at redemption. See the five interior features of the 20th century that should never come back on the next page.
The five designs we don't want to see again on the next page.
FIVE DESIGN TRENDS WE NEVER WANT TO SEE AGAIN
- MOUNTED TAXIDERMY
For people who want their home to look like a hunting lodge. Great if you enjoy colonialism and cruelty.
Photo courtesy of Orin Zebest/Flickr/Creative Commons. - WHITE PAPER LANTERNS
Flimsy, difficult to clean and easy to break.
Photo courtesy of Flickr/Creative Commons. - BEADED CURTAINS
Faux crystal beads that get in your face = instant glamour (or so we thought)
Photo courtesy of Flickr/Creative Commons. - LAVA LAMPS
Don't.
Photo courtesy of Flickr/Creative Commons. - INFLATABLE FURNITURE
Who can forget the noise that a plastic inflatable couch would make against sweaty knees?
Photo courtesy of Flickr/Creative Commons.
