1970s furniture designs for today: Wallpaper* picks

1970s living room — From left, ‘Cask’ armchair, €1,830, by Norm Architects, for Expormim. ‘Alicanto’ floor lamp, €2,900, by Francesco Librizzi, for FontanaArte. ‘Spectrum Orta Basic’ rug, €5,700, by Jan Kath. ‘Victoria’ modular sofa, price on request, by David/Nicolas, for Tacchini. ‘Thierry’ tables, price on request, by Piero Lissoni, for Kartell. ‘Square’ turntable, £630, by La Boite Concept. ‘Altea’ wall-mounted cabinet, price on request, by Draga & Aurel, for Baxter. ‘Mate’ magazine rack, £1,147, by Christophe Pillet, for Flexform. ‘Clam’ pendant light, from £1,037, by Ahm & Lund, for Fritz Hansen.

(Image credit: Artwork: Oscar Piccolo and Robin Barnes. Interiors: Hannah Jordan)

Boho is back. Designers have been channelling a 1970s furniture vibe with a revival of cane chairs, curvaceous chandeliers, plush fabrics and colourful furnishings.

But you can banish thoughts of swirling patterned wallpaper, shag-pile carpets, animal prints and fringing.

Best Flashback: 1970s-inspired furniture for today

Inspired by 1970s furniture, round chair with wooden slatted back and white upholstery, by Expormim and Norm Architects

Instead, our sleek snug is the embodiment of sophistication, set up for easy lounging with Norm Architects’ inviting ‘Cask’ armchair, for Spanish brand Expormim, which places a temptingly squashy upholstered seating area within a geometrically pleasing structure constructed from tinted natural rattan rods.

Part of a sofa by David and Nicolas for Tacchini, with metal upside down V shape on the back and yellow corduroy upholstery

We’ve paired this with David/Nicolas’ modular ‘Victoria’ sofa for Tacchini, which features curvaceously elegant seating blocks, in a range of bold fabrics, set in a polished or matte black chrome frame, which gives it the appearance of floating.

Detail of lamp by Francesco Librizzi for Fontanaarte

Clam pendant lamp by Fritz Hansen with two shells made of white glass

Shedding soft light over the serene scene is Francesco Librizzi’s orb-like ‘Alicanto’ floor lamp for FontanaArte, which takes its name from a Chilean mythological bird that only feeds on gold or silver, making it unable to fly but affording its wings a golden glow. Alongside it is Fritz Hansen’s seashell-inspired ‘Clam’ pendant lamp in mouthblown opal glass and brass – designed by Danish studio Ahm & Lund, this opens to reveal a luminescent pearl of light within.

Striped rug, with colour gradient from blue to red, by Jan Kath

Three tables by Piero Lissoni for Kartell in red, orange and purple

Pops of disco-glam colour come in the form of Jan Kath’s ‘Spectrum Orta Basic’ rug, which takes inspiration from spectacles of nature, such as the Northern Lights, and myths and fairy tales about dancing lights above gloomy moors and dark pine forests; as well as Piero Lissoni’s ‘Thierry’ side tables for Kartell, with their shiny, candy-like hues; and Baxter’s wall-mounted, gradiated resin-clad ‘Altea’ cabinet, designed by Draga & Aurel for Baxter.

Leather magazine holder by Christophe Pillet for Flexform

La Boite turnrables, pair seen from above

So turn off all devices, flick through some back issues of Wallpaper*, slickly housed in Christophe Pillet’s handwoven leather ‘Mate’ rack, and kick back to some chilled tunes played out on La Boite Concept’s minimalist high-fidelity ‘Square’ turntable, available in either walnut or oak.

INFORMATION

The Wallpaper* Design Awards 2022 feature in the February 2022 issue of Wallpaper*. Subscribe today!

Anne Soward joined the Wallpaper* team as Production Editor back in 2005, fresh from a three-year stint working in Sydney at Vogue Entertaining & Travel. She prepares all content for print to ensure every story adheres to Wallpaper’s superlative editorial standards. When not dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s, she dreams about real estate.