A Memphis-Milano collection (Image courtesy of Dennis Zanone)
The prospect of a full-fledged 1980s interior design revival is an exciting one, and many believe a resurgence in ’80s decor is just around the corner… Mirror80 can’t wait! In the meantime, we’ll continue to celebrate the style of our favorite decade with a variety of posts on ’80s design movements and trends. Here are our five favorites from Mirror80’s first year in the blogosphere:
A Noteworthy Memphis-Milano Collection
Check out an amazing collection of Memphis-Milano treasures! Twenty-year collector Dennis Zanone has showcased his finds in a slide show, which you can access by clicking on “A Noteworthy Memphis-Milano Collection” above. If Memphis-Milano style is new to you, this post is a great introduction to the bold colors and shapes that characterize the the design movement. Furthermore, Zanone is a professional photographer, so furniture and collectibles are flawlessly represented.
Rad or Fad: 1980s Ceramic Swans
If you’ve set foot in a Goodwill in the last few years, chances are you’ve seen these ’80s Deco ceramics in all of their long-necked glory. Rather than being purely decorative items, the swans were used as towel holders. Guest hand towels and washcloths were often rolled, then displayed on the back of the swan. While their look is definitely dated, is this a bad thing? Furthermore, do these collectibles gain power when displayed in a group? Read the post and tell us what you think!
Red Decor in the ’80s Office
’80s Movies like The Secret of my Succes and Campus Man featured offices decked out in red accessories. Images from interior design publications, such as The Decorating Book by Mary Gilliat, showcased lamps, chairs, and other components in the bold shade of red. This popular office hue was an eye-popping contrast to neutrals like gray and white. Enjoy the pics–perhaps one of them will inspire you to inject a dose of color into your work space!
1980s Interior Design: A Floral Challenge
In this post, Mirror80 prepares for a photo shoot featuring ’80s Deco ceramics. Needed: one ’80s-style floral arrangement involving berry hues and a compatibility with both ’80s southwestern and ’80s Deco decor. Yikes! See if we pulled it off… ’80s artwork by Scott Nellis and some amazingly affordable Goodwill finds highlight this post.
A 1980s Office Makeover
At the beginning of the summer, Mirror80 performed a major office overhaul. Desiring a combination of ’80s swank and contemporary style, we opted for a sleek, modern look that was as practical as it is decorative. Our redesign, including obstacles, challenges, and pleasant surprises, are documented in this blog post. A little summer cleaning is a good thing, right?!
Great little homage to the postmodern/ultramod decade.
A great example of interior furnishings (like the examples posted) can be appreciated in the 1986 movie "Ruthless People" – Devito's mansion is quite elaborately furnished in this motif.
Great stuff. thanks for posting.
Pierre–
Thanks for the comment! You are the second person who has mentioned Ruthless People to me recently! I've got to revisit that film and its design. Thanks again!
I just stumbled across your website and I am crazy about it! I also believe an 80’s interiors revival is on the way, but maybe I’m just nostalgic. I’m a designer and was born 1990, and something about the early memories of the colors and textures of the house I grew up in really speak to me, the pastels, the geometric patterns, the all-white-everything. We even had one of the swan/duck towel holders, hah! I love that this kind of stuff isn’t yet “cool” retro so it can be scooped up at yard sales and the like for cheap. I myself LOVE brass everything, I have brass bookends of various animals and figures and an amazing brass vanity (that I will have to take a picture to send it is just so perfectly 1988), and my mom cringes when she comes to my place and says “it just reminds me of the 80’s! She doesn’t see the appeal… Thanks again for a great site!
Kristin
Kristin–
Thank you so much for your kind words! Your place sounds amazing, and I couldn’t agree more about the benefits of scooping up ’80s treasures at yard sales and thrift stores. I’ve really enjoyed browsing ’70s/’80s Tumblrs like drydockshop and decoratingwithhouseplants (an ’80s interior design revival is definitely in the works), and I also really look forward to checking out your work. Thank you so much for getting in touch!