Happy almost New Year! As January 1st approaches, I thought I’d take a look back at 2014 and share a few of my favorite blog posts. Kate here, and I want to thank each and every one of you for making this past year an amazing one. Below you’ll find 20 highlights from the last 12 months, complete with photos and links in case you’d like to check out anything you may have missed. I have some exciting features planned for the coming months, and I can’t wait for Mirror80 to evolve in 2015! Until then…
Music Video
This year I started new series called ’80s Music Video Land. In each post, we basically dive head-first into the visual style of a specific video from the 1980s, complete with modern-day finds that help celebrate the look. Below we see forest-themed artwork from David Pyatt (left) and Laake-Photos (right), available through Society6. As you may have guessed, these items and many more can be found in a post featuring “A Forest” by The Cure:
And in what is one of my absolute favorite posts of the entire year, we delve into the amazing visuals of “Promised You a Miracle” by Simple Minds. Lots of light bulbs, scientific motifs and electro colors, as shown below in modern artwork by Saad Hasnain:
Be sure to check out the full posts for quirky montages, and scroll through all of our ’80s Music Video Land posts here.
Design Trends and Styles
This year I spent most of my time blogging about design trends, from the retro to the modern. In fact, the Memphis-Milano revival is one of the big design headlines of the year. I call it the New Memphis–artisans and design studios have reinterpreted the 1980s work of The Memphis Group in wonderfully original ways. At the top of today’s post we see new Memphis-style pottery from Recreation Center.
Mirror80’s most popular post of all time just happens to be about design. 1980s interior design, to be exact. So this year I revamped 1980s Interior Design Styles with new images and updated information, including a special section on the ’80s revival, featuring amazing finds like the glass shelving from Ladies & Gentlemen Studio shown above.
I also began a new series called ’80s Art Picks, in which I round up my favorite 1980s artwork finds currently for sale online. Below we see two selections from a tropical geometry-themed post (both from I Luv Belle Arte).
Anyone else currently obsessed with the growing number of ’80s interior design Tumblrs? So many fabulous images are being shared on a regular basis, including the one below from Tumblr Favorite Zonkout. From time to time, I group these design pics in order to spotlight specific retro trends. For more fabulous photos, check out 1980s Interior Design Trend: Stripes.
The ’80s design revival isn’t limited to Memphis-Milano motifs. Pastels and geo patterns (as featured in a photo from Ferm Living below) are very of-the-moment, yet they can also be mixed with retro finds. This year I reveled in writing blog posts that showcased new modern decor with retro roots. Check out more pastel-filled pics in this post.
This year I also dabbled in the art of the home tour. Remember the amazing tour of Heather Hermann’s ’80s Deco apartment? That post inspired me to start sharing rooms in my own home, and the tour of my retro-modern bedroom is a great place to start. I plan to share the rest of my space via additional room tours in 2015!
DIY Projects
2014 is also the year that I got more comfortable using my camera. Which meant that I embraced styling in a whole new way via DIY projects and the photo shoots that surrounded them! One of my all-time faves: my Retro Fish Figurine Makeover.
I also enjoyed the process of crafting these DIY Modern Blocks, which involved covering wooden cubes in paint, marble contact paper and copper sheeting:
Check out more retro-meets-modern DIY projects here.
Still Life Style
Ah, the return of still life photography! Still life style exploded in 2014, and it shows no signs of letting up. Even modern designers are using still life styling techniques in their product photo shoots. Which is why I launched the series Still Life Style, which focuses on a different motif each installment. Below: fruits and veggies!
Still life photography by Wyne Veen
Of course, the current still life craze couldn’t help but influence my photography as well. Remember this Thanksgiving still life photo shoot filled with foodie details (and marble tiles)?!
In what has shaped up to be a constantly evolving project, I filled my glass display case with still life vignettes earlier this year. Check out all the details in my ’80s-style DIY still life post!
Fashion
For the first time ever, Mirror80 has started featuring regular fashion shoots, and I’ve stopped being shy and finally stepped in front of the camera. It’s been a lot of fun to shine the spotlight on my favorite retro-meets-modern clothing items in some pretty cool settings. Below we see an image from the Grids and Office Parks shoot. Lots more great photos here, including some amazing office buildings!
In another shoot I like to call Glass Block at Sunset, natural lighting cast some interesting shadows on sleek buildings set in the rolling hills. It was the perfect fall day, so be sure to check out the photos (and the ’80s-style fashion finds)!
Retro Foodie
If you’ve been reading Mirror80 for a little while now, you know how much I love food styling of the retro variety. I know–the ’70s and ’80s weren’t exactly “foodie” decades. Lots of processed snacks, folks! But if we style some of today’s favorite foods in a retro light, a delicious magic happens. Did you catch my Last Sips of Summer series? Below we see The Neon Rita:
Another all-time fave from last year? Our Halt and Catch Fire viewing party featuring pizza and plenty of munchies surrounded by retro electronics. I can’t wait for season 2 of this amazing series!
If you’re new to Retro Foodie, check out our roundup post titled ’80s Party Decorations with Modern Flair. It’s filled with photos from all of our Retro Foodie shoots, grouping them by party supply ideas such as confetti, sprinkles and ’80s Deco vases!
I can’t wait to take Retro Foodie in a new direction this year. Details to follow…
Adventures
Finally, I thought I’d share a couple of my favorite adventures from 2015, in which I found myself taking my camera to the streets to capture a couple of crazy fabulous interiors. First up: a South Padre Saturday inside the world’s most awesome beach souvenir shop.
Next: a lobby tour of The Renaissance Hotel in Austin, Texas. So much marble, so many tropical plants…
Thanks for letting me share some of my favorite memories from 2014. And thank YOU for your support, encouragement and kind words throughout the year. What would you like to see more of in 2015? Let me know by leaving a comment below…
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