Original article featured in Cambridgeshire Agenda November 2008. Photography courtesy of The Rug Company, Graham and Green and Habitat

In recent years, introducing a retro look into the contemporary home has become a popular way of creating stylish and trendy interiors. For the enthusiasts, or the purists amongst us, embracing the mid century modern style is a passion and a pleasure.

Cate Burren of Angel and Blume Interior Design looks at what it takes to create a stylish retro look for your home.

Retro interiors are all about celebrating the Modernist period. This is the style that followed Art Deco and peaked during the 50s that is still the most popular decade to emulate when retro interiors are created.

The mid century Modernist interiors were all about functionalism and embracing less formal ways of living but were also influenced by the new materials such as Formica and vinyl, the use of bright bold colours and the challenging of shapes and styles all of pieces in the home.

Home influences

After World War II, there was a huge need for new homes to be built and the architecture of the time lent towards practical smaller, open plan houses Need for new homes after many bombed. The change in the style of housing meant furniture manufacturers catered for mass market buyers with lighter weight, moveable and sometimes stackable furniture. The TV became a feature in the home and the shape and look of living room furniture changed accordingly. American and Scandinavian designers and manufacturers led the way and imported furniture was highly desirable in the new British home.

Real or Repro?

As with any historic interior style, there is the dilemma about whether to stick to original investment antiques or to look at good modern pieces in the style of the period. Personally I think a clever mix of the two is always the way to go and fortunately there are plenty of good original pieces available from the 40s, 50s and 60s that are in great condition, capture the spirit of the period and are very affordable.

There are also some exquisite investment pieces from the key designers of the age that will hurt your bank balance but that will give you pleasure every day and ultimately, I predict, hold their value in years to come.

Lighting

The way that light was used within the home, both artificial and natural, changed in the mid century interior. Electricity became widely available at an affordable price at the end of the 1920s and this led not only to explosion of available electric goods but also to the new, inventive use of artificial lights within the home. Distinctive designs came particularly from Sweden, Italy and the United States. The PH5 Pendant lamp designed by Poul Henningsen for is one of the most iconic lights of the modernist period and still looks fantastic today. In the last few years there have been good copies available in the high street of Achille Castiglione’s Arco lamp which has the dramatic arch shape extending way into the room and giving an instant retro feel to any interior.

Textiles and rugs

Appreciation of textile design exploded during the modernist period. Designers introduced strong colour and geometric shapes and textile design was seen as innovative and individual. The 50s were a particularly rich time for fabrics and the styles introduced then have enjoyed a revival in recent years with new collections echoing the colours and geometric shapes of the period and with old fabrics becoming collectors’ items. One of the most important modernist textiles designers was Lucienne Day who produced extraordinarily beautiful designs for Heals as well as under her own name that still look fresh and modern today. At the start of the 50s, the Finnish company Marimekko started produced strikingly different textile designs for both clothing and interiors from a number of up and coming designers. Many of these designs are still produced by the company today and are often used stretched over canvas as artwork in addition to curtains, furniture upholstery and home accessories.

Furniture

Retro interiors are really defined by the classic furniture of the modernist period. The beautiful designs have lasted the test of time because of their simple elegance and their clever leaning to inclusion in everyday life and I personally think that there is nothing better than a careful mix of truly modernist pieces and good contemporary modern furniture. The greatest designers of the period, including Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Charles and Ray Eames, Florence Knoll, Arne Jacobsen, Vernon Panton, George Nelson are as well known today amongst interiors enthusiasts as they were in their heyday.

Ceramics and tableware

The whole look and approach to manufacturing ceramics changed during the modernist period and many of the designers of the period remain very collectable today. In England in the 1950s, Roy Midwinter began to produce ranges of tableware by young designers of the time including Jessie Tait and Terence Conran that were highly acclaimed at the time of production and have become classic retro pieces today. As with so much of modernism interiors, it was the Scandinavians that led the way in ceramic and tableware design. Stig Lindberg, one of Sweden’s most important post war designers, created some of the most elegant and enduring ceramics.

As with any interior style, the best approach is to create a look that you like and feel comfortable with and to have fun with it. Retro interiors are all about enjoyment and celebration of your home but be warned, they are addictive!