We are glad to see all visitors. Today we will meet Nina Berrocal and her husband, who, together with their three children, decided to move into the apartment where their wife previously lived.
The famous decorative designer Lourdes Gabriela Suárez helped restore the interior of the property. You can check out his incredible work below. Forward!
The foyer brought together all the colors found throughout the home. Instead of ceiling lighting, the master used wall lamps, and this Italian mirror delightfully reflects the light.
Cheerful bedside tables with a golden-white finish, a coffee table with a glass top and a pretty pouf influence the formation of an opinion about the apartment from the very threshold.
Having repaired and cleaned the lattice windows, the specialist opened a stunning view of the city. And by adding simple shades with an organic feeling, the interior was incomparably decorated.
The polished chair supports and the unusual ottoman, which can be converted into an additional bed, are a great eye-catcher.
A stunning illusion has been created in the foyer that makes it seem as if Entrance door opens directly into the living area.
The wall covering defines this area. The barrel chair is an original piece of furniture. Nina was amazed when she saw it, because she has a photo of her sitting on it when she was 2 years old.
This wonderful bench not only provides storage space, but also makes a great drink holder. The turquoise seat represents Biscayne Bay, which is located very close by.
And this amazing coconut mirror adds a touch of Florida-style.
A crisp white ceiling, walls and floor adorn this open space. A bright and clean “canvas” becomes a wonderful backdrop for beautiful furniture. Purple, olive, sea and yellow combine perfectly in the room.
Take a look at this room. Here you can see a wide carpet, gray colors and heavy curtains, which visually make the ceilings lower.
Suárez defined the dining room with two extraordinary details: the first is a flawless divider that looks like a real work of art, and the second is a Swedish chest of drawers. Modern table and the chairs fit perfectly into this vintage picture.
Glossy white shapes, fossilized rocks and vibrant shades of blue inspire the design.
The graphic black and white pattern contrasts strongly with monotonous colors. An antique chest emphasizes the style of the apartment.
The family room has a mini gallery on the wall. By the way, this is a picture of a woman in yellow dress was written by the sister of one of the homeowners.
A colorful sofa that easily turns into a bed is upholstered in purple fabric. Table with at different levels and an interesting coating - another unique thing in the house.
The kitchen was completely dark and uninviting.
The designer included glossy surfaces, with which the deep shade of walnut wood is boldly stated. The room is equipped with everything necessary to create amazing culinary dishes.
The tabletop is made of high-strength porcelain. The stainless steel coatings are striking.
Before the radical changes, the bedroom was boring and discreet.
Vinyl on the wall looks fabulous. A bright red accent became the focal point above the headboard. The rope bench brings 70s style charm.
Layered textures (sheepskin, zebra print and shag) add warmth and harmony to the space, while lamps flanking the bed add symmetry.
A large mirror with a rich frame makes the interior much larger and brighter. Turquoise upholstery on the chairs brings Miami color into the room.
The bathrooms were cramped and ugly.
Lourdes counteracted the claustrophobic feeling in the master bath by using glass shower doors, a cantilevered vanity and a comfortable color palette.
Large-scale tiles help visually expand the room.
The guest restroom remained oversized, as before. Clients were amazed at how the professional managed to furnish this tiny space exceptionally.
Artyom Dezhurko
We call “Soviet furniture” the furnishings of grandmothers’ apartments: cabinets with legs, armchairs with wooden armrests, sideboards, trellises, floor lamps, three-arm chandeliers. The name is inaccurate: most of this furniture is not Soviet in origin. It was made in the Eastern Bloc countries: East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Yugoslavia, Romania. There was little domestic furniture in Soviet stores.
Spread cabinet legs, wooden armrests, long cabinets, three-legged coffee tables- this is the style of the 60s. In the 70s and 80s they made different furniture: bulky, legless, flimsy, and smelling disgusting. Soviet furniture from the 60s is worth loving. Furniture from the 70s and 80s, in my opinion, is nothing to love.
The style of the Soviet 60s is the same style that in English is called mid-century modern, mid-century modernism. The same chairs, floor lamps, the same walnut veneer can be seen in the first seasons of the Mad Men series, where American interiors of the second half of the 50s were reproduced with great accuracy. In the West, this style flourished in the 50s, and in the USSR it spread later, during the Khrushchev Thaw.
50s style has been all the rage for the past few years. Now this fashion is passing, and I can no longer say: “buy Soviet furniture and you will be in trend.” You won't. But there are other reasons to pay attention to it.
This is not Ikea
The Russian furniture market is structured in such a way that the buyer has few choices. If he is rich, he buys furniture from premium Italian brands. If he is poor, he buys trash at a furniture center on the outskirts. If he is neither rich nor poor, there is only one way - to Ikea. I get angry when I remember how much good and inexpensive furniture there is abroad. They don't take her here. Or they carry it, but sell it at the price of Italian premium brands.
So it turns out that no matter what apartment you go into, there is Ikea everywhere. I would like to add variety to the landscape. Grandma's sideboard is one of the few available ways.
It's high quality
As I already said, “Soviet” furniture mainly comes from Eastern Europe. For example, from the GDR - the country of the Bauhaus, from the Czech Republic - a country with rich and old traditions of furniture production. This furniture was also sold in Western Europe, and now at Western flea markets you can find things from the same manufacturers and models as in your grandmother’s apartment. It is no worse than mid-century Western mass-produced furniture. And why would she be worse? They did it in Europe too.
This is a good design
In the world of postmodernism, where we are unlucky to live, it is believed that each object contains several meanings: one communicates directly, hints at another, and is silent about the third. Things are no longer things, but clumps of contradictory information. They seem to be talking to us: “Buy me, I’m prestigious! You can afford me, but your neighbor can’t!” or “I’m a designer! A celebrity designer made me! Limited Edition!
Old things are silent. Designers designed them, caring only that they were strong, comfortable, and that they had good proportions. They don't stroke your pride, they don't play with your phobias. They simply exist.
She doesn't clutter
space
Furniture of the 60s was made for standard apartments with two-meter ceilings and narrow doors. Therefore it is compact and low. Even tables and chair seats at that time began to be made a couple of centimeters lower, so that there was more free space above them. For the same reason, chairs from the 60s have lattice backs, and you can stick your hand under the armrest of the chair. The furniture was made in such a way as to create minimal obstacles to the view: looking over it and through it, a person clearly sees the boundaries of the room. This is also helped by the high legs on which all the objects of that era stand: the floor is visible underneath them.
Under it you can
sweep
Behind the bases of cabinets and chests of drawers, which have no legs, have not been vacuumed for decades, and there hides an amazing but unpleasant world with rich flora and fauna. The floor under cabinets with legs is easy to keep clean.
It's wooden
Of course, not all. Artificial materials were also used in the 60s, but much less frequently than now. In addition, they say that almost all the poisons have evaporated from 50-year-old chipboard. And you can find objects where there is no chipboard at all, made entirely of plywood and boards, with a rich texture of walnut veneer, under a good old varnish (the varnish ages beautifully and becomes more transparent). Can you imagine how much it costs? modern wardrobe made of solid wood?
She's cheap
Most of our fellow citizens are obsessed with the idea of novelty. For them, living among old things means disrespecting themselves. Having barely saved up for new sofa Factory "8 March", they are in a hurry to get rid of the furniture of their ancestors, giving it away for pickup or selling it for an amount much less than the cost of transportation. It happens that they take it to the trash heap.
True, now the attitude towards modernist furniture is changing. I think that in five years, my grandmother’s chair with wooden armrests in Moscow will only be found in a specialized store. But now, while the vintage furniture market has not developed, we can still furnish the apartment good samples modernist design for 200–500 rubles, purchased through private advertisements.
photos: Alexey Naroditsky, Artyom Dezhurko
The bright and original style of interiors of the 1960s and 70s was formed in the wake of the emotional reactionary movement of the post-war era against conformity. Men took off their fedoras and freed themselves from their suspenders, women abandoned bulky “shells” of underwear and shortened their skirts, and both willingly became addicted to cigars, Canadian Club whiskey and actively supported the new sexually liberated counterculture and the consumer boom initiated by industrial progress. . The revolution has begun!
Plastic revolution
The technical achievements of the era brought to the forefront such innovative materials as durable plastics and polypropylene, which were easily molded, painted and made it possible to create objects of the most unusual configurations. Mass production instantly flooded the market with lightweight plastic furniture with streamlined and ergonomic shapes, suspended cocoon structures, swivel upholstered chairs with tubular steel bases, as well as voluminous cubo-futuristic furnishings made of “fried potato-colored foam.” Fantastic-shaped models of furniture and accessories by Eero Saarinen, Pierre Paulin, Verner Panton, Gaetano Pesce, Vico Magistretti, Angelo Mangiarotti appear on sale Mangiarotti) and many others.
Thanks to the ability of polypropylene to quickly and easily fill voids, a new type of upholstered furniture appeared in the 1960s - large monolithic or composite objects, usually rounded shapes, which made it possible to create entire sofa areas. This trend, in turn, gave rise to a fashion for studio-type living rooms with a sofa island in the center; furniture was often raised on a platform or, on the contrary, recessed into the floor. Another design know-how, provoked by the era of the first space flights, was multifunctional interior units with mobile pull-out elements, allowing you to save space and at the same time equip the interior with everything you need. IN designer interiors polished metal is introduced, as well as structures and ceilings intended for zoning and having a non-trivial geometric configuration: round arches and light wells, “floating” stairs, mobile screens, multi-level platforms, etc.
Psychedelic color palette
And finally, a color of bright, saturated, and, as critics say, “psychedelic intensity”, which arose under the influence of hippie culture, fascinated by the oriental flavor of India, Spain and the Mediterranean. This is blue, red, dark green, light green, color sea wave, as well as various shades of yellow, pink and orange: from pea and lemon to peach and saffron. Color is introduced into the interior not only with the help of colorful textiles, carpets and furniture upholstery, but also thanks to the abundance of rich plastic accessories (from radios and telephones to lamp shades and flower pots) and expressive graphic decor of walls and floors. Bright geometric motifs for the design of background surfaces, they are borrowed from the palette of the fashion industry and become a manifestation of special chic. Thus, the interiors of the 1960s and 70s were an extremely motley spectacle, barely on the verge of bad taste.
Guru of new philosophy in the field luxury interiors becomes an Englishman who brings “acid” shades of a psychedelic palette to the classical surroundings. Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, Dorothy Draper, a leading interior designer in Manhattan in the 1960s, continues to persist in her favored combination of dull white and sunny black. However, truly revolutionary metamorphoses are taking place in conceptual interior design. New innovative materials allow you to transform inner space in the manner of the original futuristic landscapes, and special credit here goes to the Danish industrial designer Verner Panton with his installations from the Visiona series (1968 and 1970) and the interiors of the Varna restaurant in Aarhus.
But the most important achievement of the experimental, hyper-creative and somewhat even “crazy” 1960s and 70s was the transition from smooth and unified modernism to an individualistic approach to design. Radial shaping and flashy game moves brought to the fore are due to the desire of designers to personalize the interior!
In today's article we will introduce you to the incomparable and creative options modern design interior with interesting elements and furniture designed in the style of the 70s of the last century.
We know the thought of this era makes you shudder. This period was different bright colors in decor, an unexpected combination of textures and furniture items, bold patterns on textiles and other unusual elements. Many call this time the “era of bad taste.”
However, now designers boldly use this style in decorating apartments, as it can give them incredible color, grace and authenticity. In our new article We will present to your attention the main features of this bizarre style.
Ring phones. These interior items look extremely stylish and impressive. They can decorate the space of any apartment.
Dynamic curves. This style is characterized by rugs, sofas, tables and window openings with round outlines.
Large abstract paintings. They are creative elements that instantly attract people's gaze.
Fabric with a checkered pattern. It can be used for upholstering sofas, decorating curtains and curtains, as well as chair covers.
A Western look from Los Angeles craftsmen. Upholstery with a lattice pattern, voluminous coffee tables with original legs and bright yellow pillows perfectly demonstrate the character of the era.
Malibu surfer chic. This style is calm and relaxed. A Moroccan carpet, a wooden set, and an exquisite painting bring freshness and charm to the decor.
Brown and orange shades. This direction is characterized by a rich palette. You can choose two to decorate your dream home rich colors, and also dilute them with neutral textiles on the windows and light furniture.
Natural wallpaper. This wall covering currently available to customers in a wide range of colors. Designers love the rich texture of this finishing material.
Shine of chrome. Metal furniture and decorations clearly reflect the futuristic spirit of the 70s.
Brass. This finish was previously considered tasteless, but today it is very often used in traditional design.
Foil wallpaper. These days, we value this type of flooring for its unique ability to reflect light and add a touch of glamor to a room.
Organic glass. These raw materials are now used to make magnificent furniture pieces - transparent chairs and tables.
Solar panels. They provide a reduction in housing maintenance costs.
Volkswagen buses. You rarely see them on the road these days, but some homeowners are using the body of these cars in unique ways.
Bold floral designs. Use them to decorate walls, bed linen or curtains.
Rich tones. This modern kitchen was decorated with interesting bar stools with unusual upholstery on the seats.
Organic architecture. The facade of this building was designed by the talented craftsmen of the Modern Design company.
fleecy carpets. They give the premises incredible comfort and a more luxurious look.
Macrame. The craft is characteristic of this bizarre era. Use wickerwork for wall decoration and furniture.
Rough, hard wallpaper on the walls, creaking parquet flooring and simple furniture sets are those interior details that most people try to throw out of the house forever. But there are people who are interested in home improvement during this historical period. They even get inspiration for creating modern furnishings by looking at photographs of apartments from back then.
Some people like this design
Soviet interior is not very popular
Most people only dream of getting rid of things that are already many years old.
Russian style. Interior and life in the first decades of the USSR
On a par with these popular styles interior, such as baroque, modern, country, you can put the Russian style, which corresponds to the era of the USSR. Designers often refer to Soviet interior style with the pretentious word “kitsch,” which literally means “a carbon-stamped object of low-quality production.” The beginning of the formation of such a furnishing of premises began in the 20s of the twentieth century and has not yet ended for one simple reason: people who were born and lived most of their lives in a union cannot accept changes and furnish their home (refrain from alterations), imitating culture of the times of Brezhnev and Khrushchev.
In the first years after the change of power from imperial to Soviet, people had no time to re-stick wallpaper and rearrange furniture. Urbanization began to occur en masse, and housing shortages became acute. But the authorities, not having the funds to build new houses, decided differently - to turn the former rich houses of the bourgeoisie into dormitories, which to this day are referred to as “communal apartments.” Their main feature there was a common bathroom, kitchen and corridor. In each of living rooms Sometimes there were 5-7 people.
This design can be modernized without any problems.
Some people who lived during the USSR never decided to somehow change their housing
Military actions on the territory of the former USSR left a mark not only in the memory of people, but also in their everyday life. Lack of money and hunger forced people to give up excesses; the interior of apartments of the post-war period was more than modest.
Cheap furniture was mainly used in such apartments.
Some simply did not have enough money to furnish the apartment
The design gradually changed
The style of the 50-60s in the interior design of Soviet apartments is strikingly different from the decor of previous decades: the population came to its senses after the war destruction and its consequences. Modern designers classify this period as “multifaceted retro,” which is strikingly different from Soviet minimalism. The following elements and solutions are typical for the housing furnishings of this period.
- A large amount of light - massive, bulky and intimidatingly dark curtains have been replaced by light, translucent curtains. Artificial lighting has gone beyond the scope of “just a lamp under the ceiling”; classic cascading chandeliers began to be complemented by wall sconces, floor lamps, and table lamps.
- Brightness of colors - rich green soft corners, lemon yellow curtains and others original decor unusual shades turned Soviet housing into a mini design studio.
- Multifunctional furniture (sofa-couch, chair-bed, folding table) complemented the interiors of that time due to the shortage of living space.
The only thing that did not express the Soviet interior of the 50-60s against the background of the modern one was the banal wallpaper with stripes or flowers. Furniture upholstery, except bright color, did not express itself in anything against the general background. Textiles helped diversify and decorate the interior. Monochromatic fabrics and fabrics with ornaments were fashionable at that time. Even today, in the apartments of people whose youth passed in the 60s of the last century, you can find bedspreads with the following ornaments: floral motifs, geometric patterns, simple decorations canvas in the form chessboard, Christmas trees, squares.
In those days, design was boring and monochromatic
Some people's apartments still haven't been updated
It may seem to the younger generation that in the USSR, regardless of the decade (40s, 50s, 70s), everything in houses was the same. But people who lived in Soviet times remember well the smallest details of the interior. In the 70s of the last century, there was a breakthrough in architecture - “Brezhnevka” houses began to be built in cities, which had at least 9 floors, equipped with comfortable new items - a garbage chute and an elevator. The authors of the idea themselves called the apartments in such buildings an improved version of “Khrushchev”.
Apartments built in the 70s have from 1 to 5 rooms, low ceilings and a cramped kitchen (7-9 sq.m.). You can partially get acquainted with the interior of the Brezhnevkas when watching the film “Moscow Doesn’t Believe in Tears”: whitewashed ceilings, wallpaper with a geometric pattern or light brown stripes on the walls, birch parquet on the floor. The layout of the living room is simple - against one wall there is a “wall” made of chipboard, opposite it there is a sofa and two armchairs, next to it there is a coffee table or a polished table, which was folded out on holidays. The bedroom also had a sofa, a dressing table and a bulky wardrobe.
In the 70s they began to build houses
The living room is simple - there is a “wall” made of chipboard against one wall, and a sofa opposite it
The bedroom also had a sofa, a dressing table and a bulky wardrobe
In the interiors of the 70s there must be carpets hanging on the walls, there must be fish in the sideboard (the same blue ones that some people still have), and a three-tiered chandelier with crystal-like pendants (made of banal plastic) sparkles under the ceiling. . The walls in apartments of the 70s, and even in the 80s, are decorated with calendars and posters depicting Soviet artists.
In those days everything was monotonous and boring
Calendars and posters were usually hung on the walls
Many items produced during the Soviet period can only be found in abandoned attics or in rare collections. But it’s not only everyday objects that cause surprise or laughter on the faces of young people living in the 21st century. Many things that once seemed fashionable and beautiful to people are now called the popular word “shocking.” There are 5 items that cause the greatest surprise on the faces of the younger generation.
The first thing that catches your eye when looking at photographs from the USSR period is the carpets on the walls, which rightfully lead in the “Soviet shocking” rating. Canvas depicting deer, still lifes were used with decorative purpose and... to save wallpaper. Also, the reason for the original decoration was the cold walls (the role of a heat insulator) and noisy neighbors(the role of a sound insulator).
Soviet design causes laughter or surprise among young people
Soviet design can be modernized
There are a lot of weird things about this design.
The second place of honor in the ranking of shocking items of the Soviet era was sewing machine with foot drives, serving as an “assistant” in needlework and a storage place for shoes. A tablecloth was usually laid over it, after which the device turned into a work table. The third item that can surprise today's schoolchildren is a TV or radio on legs (like a stool).
The fourth position in the rating deservedly goes to openwork napkins, which covered not only the table and chairs, but also the previously mentioned TV and radio. Since the 30s of the last century, openwork, often homemade decoration, has been used as decor for pillows, tops of cabinets and sideboards. The sideboard, or as it is also called, “buffet,” closes the top five. This piece of furniture served as a storage place for services produced by the Leningrad Porcelain Factory (or other holiday tableware), family photographs, and sometimes money. Similar things were placed in the upper part of the sideboard with glass inserts in the doors - so that everyone could see the “wealth” of the family; in the lower part of the buffet, behind the wooden doors, towels, clothes and other valuables were hidden (for example, the forbidden Bible or jars of cucumbers).
The walls were usually decorated with paintings, calendars or posters
The wallpaper was usually striped or floral
Carpets on the floor
When you mention the phrase “carpet in the USSR,” it is wall hangings that immediately come to mind, but floor carpets were no less popular during the Soviet period. Why was their popularity at its peak in the 50-80s of the last century? Yes, simply because they were expensive, and if a family could afford to buy a carpet, it means that it is prosperous and lives in abundance.
We often bought such carpets.
- Pile wool, produced in Turkmenistan. The basis of the ornament of Turkmen carpets is “gel” (diamonds, squares, polygons).
- Pile or lint-free products made in Armenia. The main motif of such carpets is a lotus flower with unfolded petals.
- Silky pile carpets made in Azerbaijan. They are distinguished by unique geometric patterns; the most popular types are “Kazakh”, “Shirvan”, “Cuba”.
In addition to products made in Central Asia, carpets made at the Vneshposyltorg factory (jacquard products with half-wool pile), the Obukhov Carpet Factory (double-sheet pile carpets), and the Almaty Carpet Factory (4-color rod rugs, smooth rod runners) were popular in the USSR.
Photos were usually stored in wall cabinets
The main attractions of the family were usually placed in sideboards and cabinets
Typically, Soviet design was boring and monochromatic
Country, Provence, Art Nouveau - these styles are fed up with people who love unusual experiments. Soviet interior in a modern interpretation is pretentious and original. In one of the rooms or throughout the house you can create an atmosphere from the USSR period of various years. The color combination table will help with this.
Soviet design can be modernized without any problems
Carpets were usually hung on the walls
Conclusion
History, whatever it may be, is the basis of the present. In the USSR, people decorated their homes according to their financial capabilities and the fashion of the time. Today, Soviet interiors are considered a relic of the past, but it is likely that the fashion for floral wallpaper, bright sofas and colorful carpets on the walls will return.
