The Sixties: La Bonne Vive of Style and Design

The 1960s was a huge decade for design. From the Swiss grid of Muller Brockman to the amazing furniture of Herman Miller in the first half to the ‘out of sight’, rule bending responses of Moscoso, Conran and Murdock, in the second half. The influence of that time is still with us in either the form of its original pieces, found in many a second hand store or in the design inspiration of contemporary design. These particular examples of mid 60s interior design, in the form of ceramic lamp bases, are all to be found in those groovy second hand stores one finds along Regent Street, in Redfern, Sydney. Good design never ages…does not have a used by date. 

Time in the sun

Just up the road from the Queen Victoria Markets on Elizabeth Street in inner city Melbourne, there lives a place known as  The Junk Company.  It does not have a wildly impressive exterior, blink and you might miss it as you zoom past. I think it might actually be a Tardis, because when you enter through its portal you are transported to many other times and places.  The chaos of the design universe awaits you.  Go see for yourselves.

What’s in the attic?

Another example of how old junk or tied old furniture can be turned into objects that MUST be in your life.  FURNITURE FROM THE ATTIC is such a place where you can give a rescued object a new home.  On the corner of Glenmore Road and New South Head Road, in between the eastern suburds of Edgecliff and Rushcutters Bay, one can find the most delightful pieces that will just re-enforce the upcycle philosophy of shiftazine.

Tea towel upholstery

Tea towels are a necessity of domestic life. Exciting to buy new ones, all bright and crisp. Often they serve as reminders of a great holiday or outing.  They wipe and dry benches and hands. Get hung over kitchen cupboard knobs, oven handles or backs of kitchen doors. And then there is the possibility of covering an arm chair with them.

A chair

There is something magical about a comfortable lounge chair.  It calls out to you to take a load off.  To just relax, even if it’s for only a moment.  
But lounge chairs do not have to be big, and beige, and ‘cutting edge modern’ to be the star of the room.  These two examples illustrates the fun that can be had with an old chair that has been recovered with funky tea towels found at the Paddington Antique Centre (Brisbane) or a fabulous fabric from the ‘Pearl & Jack’ collection from Seasonal Concepts (Sydney). Make your own new soft place to land.

A different kind of canvas

A canvas is not necessarily a flat, almost 2 D object found hanging on a wall. A chair, a table top, a fire screen, even a wardrobe lends it’s surfaces to the artist to fill and stroke and create images that can and will enliven your life, every day. The idea of painting furniture is not a new idea. The Bloomsbury group of the early part of the 20th century turned their all ready creative and productive minds and eyes to the endeavour.

Pearl & Jack

A new range of fabrics called Pearl’n’Jack, just launched this week in Sydney Australia, has taken its inspiration from imagery of the past. 

EVOCATIVE: Trigger a feeling or sense of something; Bringing strong images to mind; Call up spirits, feelings, memories, energies to mind; REMINISCENT; SUGGESTIVE; EXPRESSIVE; VIVID; GRAPHIC; POWERFUL; HAUNTING; MOVING; POIGNANT.   DELIGHTFUL: Causing delight; Charming; PLEASURABLE; ENJOYABLE; LOVELY; PLEASANT; ENTERTAINING; SATISFYING; WONDERFUL; FABULOUS; GRAND; BRILLIANT. AMUSING; Causing laughter or providing entertainment; Provide interesting and enjoyable occupation for someone; FUNNY; WITTY; LIGHTHEARTED; ENGAGE. 

Piggy goes to market

Still life photography of a wonderful find from a local neighbourhood market in Sydney inspired a typographic exercise for an magazine article.

Peasant, Brisbane, Australia

 

Orange: The Colour de Jour

A ubiquitous colour in interior design and homewares of the 1960s and 70s, orange is a colour that divides the world, ironically as it is the symbolic colour of unity and harmony. Invite orange into your every day.

Opportunities

Just love the look of the mixed textures, elements, objects and colours, that have no business being seen together, that are often partnered up in ‘op’ shops and second hand stores. They should be all wrong together and yet they frequently make beautiful aesthetic music. The advantage of this kind of accidental styling is that with a fresh or non-contrived eye one can create a beautiful and surprising environment.

Also you can save money and the planet while you are being brave and creative. Do it!       

Mitchell Road now on Bourke Street, Alexandria, Sydney

A large glass flagon, or an industrial light shade can be all a room needs to have an exciting focus. As mentioned a few months ago, there are many replicas being produced by interior design companies, but I am of the belief that why go for imitation, when the real thing is waiting to be rescued in some unlike places.  You just need to have a scratch around some second hand stores and recycle centres. Go get’em.

 

Clever

Nook, Melbourne, Australia

Reflecting on a good idea

Found

Baggage

Quirky

A jar

An idea

It’s a mural

Stuff

Delightful

 

‘

Op-shop’ options

Light is found in all the corners

This was such a wonderful space, full of furniture and linen, and glass flagons and light and joy and on Sundays, The HotClub happened. This weekly event brought music and dancing and fellowship of having a good time together. It was a unique place. A unique experience. Now all gone to become an innercity gym. Go figure…anyway.

From the Thieves Market to you

Home spun

Feeling a little scrappy

‘Junk’ is a very subject word

Bradley’s home through Harry’s eyes

A thing has always more than one purpose

Flaws, and wear and tear, and age

Beautiful things

Bakelite

A compact apartment

Inner city one room apartment, furnished with street finds, a good eye and clever thinking.

Things I dug up on Bourke Street

Sadly this wonderful trove of old and special and rediscoveried treasures is no longer there. The building was sold to build yet more apartments in an already on congested inner city area. The inner city is losing its soul and being replaced with the slums of the future, but that is another subject to discuss. Just keep your eye peeled for these types of Aladin Cave…they are still out there. Doug Up on Bourke, 901A Bourke Street, Waterloo, Sydney, Australia

Colour and spice

The simple life

The hardest thing to do, is not to over do.

A rosie touch

Tarlo and Graham, now gone, but oh it was a grand place to go in Melbourne, Australia.