Our Interior Design Nightmares

A.D. Woodcraft’s Hall of Shame for interior design

Interior design 1970s style: oranges, yellows and browns. Image by Viktoria Bykova (via Shutterstock).

For some people, the 1960s and 1970s was a seminal period in interior design. Out went staid design in favour of modernist options. Oranges and browns adorned our crockery and kitchens; not to mention the infamous avocado green bathroom suites. Heck, even our buses had the same colours as our kitchen units. Yet, for a time, this was fashionable. What was fashionable in 1976 could well be tasteless or garish in 2017.

Here’s a quick look at what was acceptable in the last fifty years, though absolutely atrocious today.

1. Patterned Wallpaper: if you take a trip back to the 1970s, bold patterned wallpaper was the in-thing. For today’s eyes, overwhelming for the front room.
2. Woodchip: don’t get us started on woodchip, such a nightmare to strip. Cheap and nasty.
3. Polystyrene ceiling tiles: a potential fire hazard if the wrong paint is used. Don’t go there.
4. Avocado or maroon bathroom suites: somewhat attractive in 1977 but not in 2017. White is always a safe bet for any bathroom or wet room.
5. Flush panelling over a panel door: for a modern look, putting an extra layer of wood over a traditional panel door was the in-thing in the 1960s.  Thank goodness we don’t do that any more.
6. Freestanding ashtrays: when smoking was more popular, the average living room used to have freestanding ashtrays that were as tall as the arm of your sofa. No comment.
7. Ranch doors: for a brief time, swinging ranch doors were popularly used for entry from one room to another. This interior design idea was fine in summer, but totally useless in a biting winter.
8. A Minibar: a good idea for entertaining friends and families, its appeal evaporated faster than Guinness Light. Today, having one will be like living in Del Boy Trotter’s flat.

A.D. Woodcraft, 16 March 2017.