Reflecting on recent retro style
Well, it’s been a minute!
This year we’re keeping our “Thanksgiving table” simple with a fall picnic and fresh food.
A post on learning to run the race, even if you’re still figuring it all out…
Today’s post is about pasta. And unpredictability.
Today Mirror80 shines the spotlight on Hopper + Space, a London-based design studio and webshop offering everything from Art Deco and midcentury finds to postmodern and contemporary pieces. With selective eyes for clean-lined flair, Ben and Joe curate an impressive collection of items, including their own original creations, which pair beautifully with the shop’s 20th century offerings.
Working hard today? Maybe you can take a quick break to check out these commercial office spaces from the 1980s. If you caught our recent post on the ’80 home office, consider this a follow-up. Because things got a lot glossier when it came to corporate spaces. Mirrored ceilings and tables were not out of the question, nor was designer furniture and an abundance of angles, as shown in the images above from Commercial Interiors International.
If you caught Mirror80’s recent 1980s design trend feature, you know I’m now the proud owner of the September 1986 issue of Metropolitan Home, which I ordered from Etsy shop The Archaic Ad Collection. And speaking of ads, I just had to share this 1986 Sharp ad (from Metropolitan Home) for obvious reasons. If you’re old enough to have lived through the ’80s the first time around, maybe you had one of the QT-50 Stereo Radio Cassette Players above. Mine was lavender. The very first song I recorded from the radio with the help of this device was “Escapade” by Janet Jackson. But enough about me. Let’s take a look at the rest of the ad…
Today we shine the design spotlight on children’s bedrooms of the ’70s and ’80s. If you were a kid during this time and your room didn’t look like one of these, don’t fret. Interestingly enough, my childhood bedroom DID involve bright colors, until I was old enough to “redo” it in the ’80s country style, complete with pink walls and a floral comforter. Maybe I should have taken my cue from one of today’s featured spaces! Read on as we explore top trends in retro kids’ rooms…
My childhood mall, which was once the indoor retail hot spot of Austin, has slowly joined the land of the dead malls over the last decade. This week it closed its doors for good, and it will be converted to a branch of Austin Community College. Highland Mall was built in 1971, and it was Austin’s first indoor mall.
Today’s post is dedicated to the painted border. Yes, I’m talking about borders, which have been in “outdated” territory for years, thanks to a variety of country-themed designs involving ducks and floral motifs. But I’m here to say that the border is back! Especially since interior styling photos from the 1980s reveal that there WAS such a thing as a tasteful modern border, especially when paint was used to create a simple, striking design…
Happy Friday! What are your plans for the weekend? I’m working on a new DIY project, trying to reorganize the home office and doings LOTS of yardwork. There will definitely be time for happy hour on the patio! But first things first. Today I’m launching a new series: Retro-Modern Roundup. A couple times a month, I’ll be sharing the latest in new design developments that reference the past. Today it’s all about texture and the New Memphis movement, also known as Modern Memphis. If you like what you see above, read on for details and links…
There’s no denying that patterns have made a comeback. Designers and illustrators are creating some amazing patterns and prints for textiles, wall art and more (and don’t get me started on the pattern phenomenon on Pinterest)! In light of recent developments, I thought I’d take another look at one of my favorite books: 1980s Fashion Print by Marnie Fogg. Here are a few patterns that seem as relevant today as they did back in the ’80s!…
Lately I’ve been looking back at past Mirror80 posts, and certain ’80s style elements continue to emerge. I thought I’d write a few new posts about specific 1980s aesthetics, and one that I can’t seem to get enough of is the lobby look. Ever since I was a child, I’ve been obsessed with hotel and bank lobbies, and the Decade of Decadence was an amazing time for this marble-, glass-, and brass-infused design.
Today’s post is dedicated to the ’80s office. We’re talking about highly stylized, design-forward spaces filled with interesting flourishes. Because when you have to be productive, you may as well do it in style! Clean lines, strategic lighting and colorful accents were a few consistent standout features, especially in cutting-edge home offices and studies. Let’s take a closer look at some of our favorite ’80s offices with the help of the top design books from the Decade of Decadence…
