70's Bedroom at Edmonton Design Week 2017

Edmonton Design Week: Design Through Time
1970s Bedroom Design Influence
 

Edmonton Design Week is almost here! Our upcoming installation, Design Through Time by Jostar Interiors, will debut at Enterprise Square on September 21. This is the last stop on our journey to the design world of today, and we’ve saved some of the best for last.

Groovy, baby. Welcome to the 1970s.

About the Era

It’s time to think back to funky music, giant bell-bottom jeans, and middle-part hairstyles. This is a time where, if you walk into an office, you won’t see any laptops, and disco music isn’t accompanied by #ThrowbackThursday.

Here are some major events to set the stage for the era we’re travelling to today:

• Floppy discs hit the market in 1971

• The first cell phone is invented in 1973

• People fall in love for the first time with Post-Its and the Rubik’s cube in 1974

• “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor comes out in 1978

Style and Trends

As you can see, we’ve come a long way since our journey through time started in the 1860s, but we’re still a ways away from the interior design trends of 2017. Some of the biggest styles from today originated in the 70s, and we want to take a moment to pay our respects to shag carpet, among other design influences. We’re taking a look into bedroom design specifically, exploring the colours, prints, and textures that brought this decade to life.

These were some of the biggest trends of the 70s:

1. Walls become canvas

Have you ever seen a painted stripe run all the way across a room? How about a kaleidoscope statement wall? Bedrooms of the 70s were defined by the psychedelic playfulness of wall décor. Geometric and colourful shapes popped up in large proportions and were often matched to textiles and linens, creating a funky design experience that was anything but boring.

2. Say yes to texture

On the walls, on the carpet, on the furniture! The 1970s are defined by texture experimentation, so adding shag carpet, wallpaper, and fabric to as many surfaces as possible was a must. Stripes, polka dots, and colourful patterns were everywhere and colour clashing was often employed for dramatic effect.

3. Bedroom sets, oh yes

The 70s were also a time in which a bedroom set made entirely of teak or pine was all the rage. There was so much going on all over the walls and floors that bedroom furniture often matched perfectly and looked like an identifiable set. Wicker furniture was a definable characteristic of the time, which added another layer of texture to an already textured space. Furniture layout also categorized the era, with bedroom furniture often placed along the same wall, in one big line up.

Design Week Inspiration

As the reveal of Design Through Time approaches, we’ve been inspired by the hippie movement that defined the decade of the 70s, and the groovy-flower-power-peace signs that we still channel whenever we consider using a funky print or a faux-fur accent.

Whether you’ve been following our journey through time over the past several weeks, or you’re just tuning in now, we hope you’ll join us for Edmonton Design Week on September 21! If you want some interior design inspiration right this minute, check out our Bathroom Renovation Quiz to start gathering a few ideas and channel your inspiration in the meantime.

Cover Image: Bloglovin'

Interested in interior design? Have questions? Book a complementary discovery call with us!

50's Living Room Design at Edmonton Design Week 2017

Edmonton Design Week: Design Through Time
1950s Living Room Design Influence

In just a few weeks, during Edmonton Design Week, we will debut the Design Through Time by Jostar Interiors installation at the Enterprise Square Gallery. On September 21, join us on a trip to the past and discover the eras that shaped the interior design styles of today.

In our last post, we explored kitchens of the 1920s, which leads us into the third week of our journey through time. Now, turn your attention to the 1950s! This was a time of soda pop, the rise of the suburbs, and some stellar interior design trends.

About the Era

Let’s think back to a time before the internet, microwaves, and cell phones. This is what was going on at the time:

• Credit Cards are invented in 1950

• The first Teflon pan is produced in 1954

• Planet earth meets hula hoops (1958) and Barbie (1959)

• Televisions become commonplace in living rooms across the country

Style and Trends

We’ve settled that life was very different in the 1950s, so let’s take a look at some of the biggest living room design trends that may not make this era feel so far away after all.

The entire decade is defined by something we now refer to as Mid-Century Modern design. This movement is influenced by a Scandinavian aesthetic, but also infused with a culture of embracing the new, the modern and the advanced. Even if a tulip chair doesn’t raise too many eyebrows these days, the 1950s marked a time in Canada in which homes became canvases. These were some of the biggest trends of the 50s:

1. Colour everywhere

Ever seen a robin egg blue sink? How about pink flooring? This all-over colour trend was huge in the 50s – from bold couches to intense patterns on textiles, bright and beautiful colours were all over the living room. Pastel colours were also building popularity, way before millennial pink was in centre stage.

2. More than a place to sit

One of the key areas in which 1950s living room design came to life is furniture. Categorized by experimentation with new shapes, clean lines, and potentially questionable fabric choices, no one can deny that furniture in the 50s had style. Vinyl covered chairs were all the rage, and living rooms began to see home bars change house parties forever.

3. Décor galore

This was also a time when televisions and record players became standard in most living rooms, but beyond that, we started to see the rise of decorating as we know it today. It was no longer enough for a lamp to just light the room; the shades and shapes of the bases became stylized and eye catching. Formica tables were a must-have, and even clocks took on a quirky, playful motif.

Cover Photo Credit: Bygone Theatre

Interested in interior design? Have questions? Book a complementary discovery call with us!

1920s Kitchen Design at Edmonton Design We

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the 1920s.

About the Era

Let’s think back almost 100 years. The hairstyles are short, and the gloves are long. Here’s some trivia of important events in the 1920s to help set the stage and let you visualize the period we’re talking about:

• The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is published in 1925

• Amelia Earhart becomes the first woman to cross the Atlantic

• A refrigerator in the kitchen is a luxury item

• Kool-Aid is invented in 1927 under the name Fruit Smack
   

Style and Trends

Once you’re done imagining what daily life must have looked like back then, turn your attention to the beautiful kitchen developments of the 1920s. Here are a few stand outs:
 

Hexagon/Geometric Tile

Geometric tile is making a huge statement. From kitchen floors and backsplashes, to countertops, people are embracing easy to clean surfaces that infuse both practicality and style in the home.

Under the influence of Art Deco architecture, chevrons, sunbursts, and symmetrical designs were popular in the 1920s, and they’re back in a big way today.
 

Streamlined layouts

Kitchens of the 1920s were also categorized by a streamlined aesthetic, not too different from the minimalist trends of today. Clean white lines and layouts focused on functionality defined the spaces then, and paved the way for the crisp porcelain sinks you might spot in your neighbour’s kitchen now.
 

Hoosier Cabinets

This is one of the first iterations of a modern storage unit. Kitchens in the 1920s were the hub of the home, and innovations of the time (such as an early waffle iron) meant that families needed more storage and organization options. The resulting Hoosier cabinets had slide out shelves, many drawers, and multi sized compartments with doors, paving the way for the cabinets and islands of present day kitchens.

Interested in interior design? Have questions? Book a complementary discovery call with us!