If you ever see an old copy of The House Book by Terence Conran in a junk shop or car boot sale, buy it – it’s one of the best books you can find on 70s design. Alternatively, check out Seventiestyle by David Heathcote, which references some of the images in that book and adds some more from the period, along with a commentary of the era.
It’s a publication by the excellent Museum of Domestic Design and Architecture (MODA), sized around 10 inches square and with around 65 pages – each one featuring colourful images, plus plenty of explanatory text about the image and the subject.
The fact that it has used images from The House Book is a big plus. Many of the other images come from promotional shots and advertisements from issues of Homes and Gardens, but are very much in keeping with the Conran shots. Everything is broken down into sections – for example furniture, fabrics, decoration and bathrooms, with additional sections covering further reading and places to visit.
The change in style from today is obvious – clutter and colour being the order of the day. But look closely and you’ll realise that it’s not massively different – many of the items featured have reappeared of late in design stores or have become sought-after eBay buys. Far from being the "bad taste" decade, the 70s was actually a very stylish era – if you had the money to shop in the right places.
In our opinion, Seventiestyle is well worth a look for anyone into the design of that decade – well put-together, great images and a good read too.
Now…where can I get a Hostess Trolley?
