Rachel Toy Welcome to the second post in my new regular blog feature where I showcase my lovely customer’s vintage homes! I love it when you show me your vintage finds from my website in situ, so have decided to feature the best homes on my blog monthly. This month’s vintage home is Laura Carr, 57, who has painstakingly set about recreating a 60s 70s vintage home. The results are fabulous!
Recreating a 60s / 70s Vintage Home
It was 5 years ago that Laura moved into her 2 bedroom home in Leeds where she works from home as a Reborn Baby Artist. She decided to go for a 60s / 70s interior design scheme as this era holds so many fond memories for her growing up. Laura says, “It was a very happy and magical time for me, so I wanted to re-create those happy years and surround myself with as many wonderful iconic retro items as possible.”
Laura also loves the colours from these particular decades; mustard, avocado green, brown, aqua, turquoise and orange, which she sees as the ultimate comfort blanket. These shades were typical of the optimism in post war interior and product design. New, bright and bold was the theme of the day, as opposed to the drabness of war. Nothing was off limits; designers experimented with new techniques, colours, and shapes and the result is a wonderful array of iconic pieces, that you can still find around today.
Laura embarked on her new interiors project in 2021 after seeing a classic peacock rattan chair for sale online. This was initially going to be the centrepiece of a 1970s style living room, but Laura has now continued the theme into her kitchen, hallway and bedroom, even the garden! She says. “I wanted a flow, a little uninterrupted journey throughout my house, so anything modern was quickly replaced with wonderful memories”. Some of the classic vintage items on display are glass fish, kitsch ornaments, glass paperweights, wooden stags, pineapple ice buckets, gorgeous lamps and iconic wall art. They all fit together in perfect harmony to create a cosy, nostalgic feel where you can shut out the demands of modern life.
In terms of imagining items to include in her 60s 70s interiors theme, this wasn’t hard for Laura. Images of her childhood home and her Nana’s house were already imprinted in her mind. Her vivid memories of this included flower power wallpaper in pinks, purples, oranges and yellows, as well as floors covered in heavily patterned mis-matched carpets. Her desire to recreate life from these days in fine detail, even included a set of glass marbles in an old margarine tub, and an old biscuit tin full of buttons in all shapes, colours and sizes. She says, ” the happiness the simple things brought me were so joyous… I think most people’s Nanas had the magical button tin didn’t they?”
With this in mind, Laura found it easy to find vintage items for her 60s 70s vintage interiors theme, and she has lots of fun whilst doing so! The internet is her go to place for gorgeous new treats and she has found some great online sellers such as yours truly 😉 Laura bought a stunning Langley coffee pot from me which now graces her tulip style table in the space age kitchen diner! She also sources items on ebay, markets, vintage fairs and shops. Other favourite places to shop are charity shops and car boot sales, where she is always amazed at what can be found.
Old or damaged items are never off limits to Laura as she loves revamping them into 1970s style. Laura says, “My latest project was an old frame I found for pennies which I covered in shells and hung in my bedroom to give it a more retro look!”. This was also inspired by her Nana’s house where she remembers everything seemed to be covered in shells! This indeed was a trend during this time as people began to travel again for their summer holidays after the war years. It was popular to bring back trinkets from souvenir shops and give them as gifts. Shells were popular as they were a good reminder of the seaside.
Laura lives with her 24 year old daughter, Jennie (plus 4 year old rescue doggie, Stanley). Jennie shares her Mum’s love of the 1970s and doesn’t mind getting stuck in with any home renovation projects. The pair also regularly go out on charity shop hunts together and enjoy a well deserved hot chocolate after finding the perfect retro pieces. Laura says, “its always so wonderful finding 60s and 70s treasures”.
This is Laura’s first home decorated in a retro style and at 57 she now feels more confident to allow her quirky personality to show. She no longer feels tied to trends or other people’s opinions as she did as a younger woman, “I feel quite free, and ready to embrace the future! I’m loving just being ‘me’ and doing the simple things that make ‘me’ happy”.
Laura’s future plans for her 60s 70s home include a new kitchen, as well as adding a slabbed over front garden. She has already started to collect large stone pots in various sizes and plans to hand paint them in flower power designs, ready to plant up in the Spring.
Another project is an old caravan recently purchased which she has named ‘Ivy’. This will be an exciting project for Laura as she plans to give the caravan a ‘boho’ makeover.
Laura’s top tips for decorating in a 60s / 70s vintage style
- Don’t hold back, and enjoy it! The 60s/70s were probably the most diverse, eclectic, exciting, daring, colourful, happy and free thinking decades ever when it came to home decor. You can do the same!
- Don’t be afraid of colour; mixing bold colours and patterns on carpets, rugs, fabrics, wall coverings and sticky back vinyls were considered incredibly cool and groovy!
- Let your imagination lead you and don’t overthink it!
- If you are new to 60s and 70s interior style and want to break yourself in gently (ie not paint your walls orange just yet), you can keep walls to a more neutral shade and add your gorgeous pops of colour using groovy fabrics via things like scatter cushions or even make a canvas for your wall!
- You can also add retro vibes and colour with vases and stunning pieces of coloured glass, bottles and paperweights!
- Storage units and shelving are a wonderful addition too! They can act as wonderful show case for some of your favorite retro items or maybe a collection of favorite toys and books from your childhood!
- Buy the things You love as these will be a reflection of who You are! My home is a mixture of memories and nostalgia and a mix of different styles, Boho, Traditional and Space Age, I just buy what my eyes see, and my heart falls in love with!
- Your home is your special place, your “Happy Place”! You should be in balance with it, surround yourself with a visual interpretation of your inner happiness! Buy what makes your heart happy!
What do you think of Laura’s 60s 70s vintage home? Let me know in the comments. Personally, I love it! In being bold and not holding back, plus her vivid memories of the time, she has perfectly recreated an interior from a truly iconic period in time.
This blog post is written by Rachel Toy, owner of Rachel’s Vintage & Retro. I am a 20th Century Vintage Blogger and Dealer writing about the vintage lifestyle, collecting, nostalgia and selling vintage. I also sell carefully curated 20th century antiques and collectables from my online vintage shop. I am happy to work with related brands on collaborations and also accept guest blogs. Find out how to work with me.
