The Sixties were a period of great revolutions. The world experienced significant economic, social, and cultural changes during that period. The use of objects made from new, colorful materials with unusual shapes became widespread. Art became “pop“, and avant-garde style became a mass phenomenon. Sixties Interior Design aimed to revolutionize the way of living in the home, surprising with its soft geometric shapes and bright colors. The style of those years continues to inspire us with its sophisticated, bold, and ironic spirit. Let’s explore 5 Interior Design elements for a Sixties home that can still inspire us today for a home renovation or an office makeover.
Sixties Interior Design: between Minimalism and Psychedelia
Sixties interior style is instantly recognizable for its blend of minimalism and psychedelic colors. The shapes are geometric and soft, the surfaces are glossy and monochromatic. The colors are bright and vivid, and the color combinations are bold and psychedelic. We see walls painted in colors like pine green or orange. Furnishings are chosen for contrast.
The predominant material is plastic. Plastic is excellently suited for the industrial production of furnishings with clean, geometric lines. Plastic is a material that best meets the needs of a society experiencing mass consumption for the first time and looks enthusiastically to the future.
5 Interior Design Elements for a Sixties Home
We have selected 5 elements that best represent the trends of the Sixties and still today add a touch of sophistication, irony, and color to the home environment or an office.
1 – the Nesso Table Lamp
The Nesso table lamp was designed by Giancarlo Mattioli along with the Gruppo Architetti Urbanistici Città Nuova. It was presented at the Milan Furniture Fair in 1965, winning several awards. The Artemide group began producing this type of lamp using injection-molded ABS resin. This allowed for the creation of a lamp that is both lightweight and durable. This plastic is also translucent, so
2 – the Sacco Chair by Zanotta
The Sacco chair by Zanotta is a piece of furniture that set a trend. It was designed by Cesare Paolini, Piero Gatti, and Franco Teodoro. The three Turin designers created a vinyl sack and filled it with expanded polystyrene balls.
3 – the Timor Perpetual Calendar
The Timor perpetual calendar is a design object that always stands out. It is a tabletop calendar designed by Enzo Mari for Danese. Its design is inspired by railway signage: this type of signage is very effective in communicating information at a glance. Enzo Mari chose Helvetica as the typeface for the calendar’s numbers and letters to ensure maximum readability. Months, days of the week, and numbers fan out to be combined as needed. First produced in 1967, the Timor perpetual calendar has never been out of production at Danese.
4 – the Ball Chair by Eero Aarnio
The Ball Chair is probably the quintessential Sixties furniture piece. Designed by Finnish designer Eero Aarnio in 1963 and later made in fiberglass, the ball chair became an icon: lightweight, sturdy, essential, and colorful. Some have called it “a room within a room“. It was presented at the Cologne Furniture Fair in 1966 and was immediately sold in 30 different countries. In a short time, it appeared in films, music videos, books, and magazines. It is always a recognizable element that never goes unnoticed.
5 – the Arco by Flos
The Arco by Flos is a floor lamp designed by Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni in 1962. A refined object, characterized by rigorous lines, it represents a new approach to lighting.
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