60’S INTERIOR DESIGN

In Copenhagen, Arne Jacobsen built and furnished the SAS Royal Hotel in 1960. The next year, Jack Lenor Larsen introduced stretch fabric, and Salone del Mobile debuted in Milan. In 1962, Eero Saarinen & Associates completed Idlewild Airport TWA Terminal. Mario Bellini began consulting for companies such as Cassina and Olivetti in Italy in 1963; back in the U.S., Billy Baldwin redesigns New York’s Tiffany & Co., and the Interior Design Educators Council formed. Davis Allen of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill completed Hawaii’s Maui Kea Beach Hotel in 1965. The decade’s premier book of theory, Robert Venturi’s Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture, came out in 1966, the same year Art Gensler opened his namesake firm in San Francisco. In 1967, New York City’s Ford Foundation interiors by Roche & Dinkeloo Warren Platner, and Billy Baldwin win designs the Onassis villa in Skopelos, Greece. The first NeoCon (National Exhibition of Contract Furnishings) was held in Chicago in 1969.

Design Highlights

1963 – Skidmore, Owings & Merrill designs a headquarters for Armstrong Cork in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

1964 – George Nelson and Robert Propst’s Action Office furniture for Herman Miller responds to the work habits of nine-to-fivers, while Jeremiah Goodman’s illustration of C. Eugene Stephenson design takes the cover of Interior Design‘s February issue.

1965 – Alvar and Elissa Aalto design conference rooms for the Institute of International Education in New York.

1966 – The Whitney Museum of American Art by Marcel Breuer & Associates is a new icon for New York, and Nicos Zographos’s CH-66 chair offers a novel take on tubular steel.

1967 – With De Pas, D’Urbino, & Lomazzi inflatable Blow chairs for Zanotta, change is in the air.

1969 – The Metamorphosis beauty salon by Design Coalition’s Alan Buchsbaum opens in Great Neck, New York.

Time Pieces

Handcrafted in 1963, when he was a childlike 56, Alexander Girard’s whimsical figures capture his most emblematic traits: playfulness and wonder. Now, Virtra offers exact replicas to delight even the most grown-up of adults.

Girard and his wife began collecting folk art in Mexico. Eventually, the collection grew to legendary proportions-and visibly influenced dolls the designer made for his own home in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

With the help of the Vitra Design Museum’s documents, 11 dolls have been reproduced accurately and marketed under the name Wooden Dolls. Like the earlier versions, the new toys are hand-carved from pine and spruce, hand painted, and ornamented with feathers and string. Heights range from 6¼ to 12 inches.

A Different Time: Thank You for Smoking

On January 11, 1964, the U.S. surgeon general announced that tobacco could kill. We didn’t think he was lying, but an awful lot of us chose not to believe him anyway. Ashtrays continued to march down the center of conference tables on the pages Interior Design—occasionally showing up in medical venues as well.

Throughout the lifetime of this magazine, liquor has also had its place. In 1941, an ad offered a combination bar and vanity. Later, innovations included bars on wheels, bars hidden in entertainment centers, and, appropriately, bars built into cocktail tables. There were bars at home and bars at the office. One publishing company had a bar, replete with stools, right off a conference room. Imagine that!

1963 – A hand puppet, based on the popular Señor Wences variety-show act, hawks office furniture by Desks.

1967 – At the Blair Club in Silver Spring, Maryland, the TV room featured one ashtray per seat.

1969 – It was de rigueur for executives to have bars, but Robert Reynolds even equipped this New Jersey publishing company with Chairmasters bar stools.

HOMES

The majority of homes in the 1960s were furnished with an eclectic mixture of furniture from a variety of periods, but the increase in the number of young people setting up homes in their own flats and bedsits bred a new ‘young’ environment.

This style often featured large, bold images, such as posters and brightly decorated bedspreads and window blinds set against brightly coloured walls.

Finishing touches included old advertising signs, the obligatory record player blaring out pop music, and incense (or ‘joss sticks’) scenting the air.

Primary colors, bold designs and undiluted geometric shapes began to be applied to furniture and furnishing fabrics, although it was not until the end of the decade that such items of furniture were available from less-exclusive outlets, and at an affordable price.

Knock-down (flat-pack) furniture, stimulated by the growth in popularity of DIY (Do It Yourself), was widely available from 1965 onwards and became a cheap way for people to buy new designs.

Any home that had pretensions to being ‘design conscious’ contained ergonomic Scandinavian chairs and stainless steel cutlery, Italian lighting and glass.

Open-plan interior design was widely accepted and many property developers used it for their new homes, especially for combining living rooms and dining rooms.

Furniture began to break the rules – Plastic chairs, blow-up furniture and Bean Bags were introduced, and in extreme cases, living room furniture was abandoned altogether to be replaced by giant cushions on the floor.

The first blow-up furniture to achieve international notoriety was designed by Paolo Lomazzi, Donato d’Urbino and Jonathan de Pas for Zanotta in 1967, although inflatable furniture was available in Denmark as early as 1961.

It could be produced in any number of colors and could be easily stored away when not in use. The chairs were less appealing though for heavy smokers . . .

Zanotta were also responsible for producing the bean bag chair (originally known as the ‘Sacco’ chair), designed by Piero Gatti, Cesare Paolini and Franco Teodoro in 1969. The chair consisted of a large sealed fabric bag containing a filling consisting of thousands of tiny Styrofoam balls which molded to the shape of the body.

At the extremes of 1960s furniture design were surreal pieces such as a chair that resembled a huge set of teeth, and the 1969 chair, table and coat stand from Allen Jones, which were in the forms of women distorting themselves in a fetishist’s dream.

The developments in the uses of molded plastics and nylon meant that the structure and casing of many products altered drastically, often completely changing the style of the product in the process.

The transistor revolution allowed the miniaturization of television and radio sets. Japanese firms like Sony, Hitachi and JVC – whose futuristic Videosphere was introduced in 1966 – were starting to dominate the market.

Color television arrived in the US in 1965, on BBC2 in Britain in 1967, and on the other British channels in 1969. (Australia had to wait until the mid-70s).

Key Characteristics

Geometric Patterns and Bold Colors: Sharp angles, stripes, and geometric shapes defined 1960s design, creating a visually stimulating and energetic environment. Bright hues like orange, yellow, green, and blue became popular, reflecting the optimism and vibrancy of the decade.
Psychedelic Influences: The drug counterculture of the 1960s influenced home décor, introducing bold patterns, vibrant colors, and organic forms that evoked psychedelic experiences.
Natural Elements: Nature played a significant role in 1960s design, with plants, wooden elements, and natural fibers adding a touch of organic tranquility to the bold and geometric aesthetic.

Space Age Aesthetics: The excitement surrounding space exploration found its way into interior design, with curved forms, metallic surfaces, and futuristic lighting reminiscent of the sci-fi aesthetic.
Eclecticism and Individuality: 1960s design encouraged personal expression and eclecticism, allowing homeowners to mix and match different styles, colors, and patterns to reflect their unique personalities.

Furniture Design

Modular Seating: Sectional sofas and poufs offered flexibility and comfort, allowing homeowners to create customized seating arrangements.
Organic Forms: Curved sofas and chairs with smooth shapes and soft edges became popular, influenced by organic and psychedelic aesthetics.

Bright Colors and Patterns: Furniture in the 1960s often featured vibrant colors, geometric patterns, or bold upholstery.
Plastic and Chrome: Modern materials such as plastic and chrome were widely used in furniture design, creating a futuristic and stylish look.
Innovative Designers: Iconic furniture designers like Charles and Ray Eames, Arne Jacobsen, and Verner Panton left an indelible mark on 1960s furniture design with their innovative and enduring designs.

Textiles and Materials

Bold Patterns and Geometric Prints: Textiles played a vital role in 1960s design, featuring bold geometric patterns, psychedelic prints, and abstract motifs.
Vibrant Colors: Curtains, rugs, and upholstery came in a wide array of vibrant colors, adding pops of energy and cheerfulness to interiors.

Vinyl and Plastic: Vinyl and plastic materials were popular for upholstery and wall coverings, offering durability and a modern aesthetic.
Textured Fabrics: Fabrics with interesting textures, such as shag rugs and flocked wallpaper, added depth and visual interest to interiors.
Natural Fibers: Natural fibers like jute, sisal, and cotton were also used, providing a balance between the bold and organic elements of 1960s design.

Décor and Accessories

Geometric Lighting: Lighting fixtures in geometric shapes, such as Sputnik chandeliers and lava lamps, became popular, adding a touch of futuristic flair.
Pop Art: Prints and paintings featuring pop art imagery, with bold colors and everyday objects, added a playful and irreverent touch to interiors.
Sculptures and Artwork: Abstract sculptures and artwork with organic or geometric forms became popular décor elements, reflecting the artistic experimentation of the era.

Macramé and Beanbags: Macramé hangings and beanbags added a bohemian and relaxed vibe to 1960s interiors.
Eclectic Collections: Homeowners often collected eclectic items, such as vintage posters, ethnic artifacts, and psychedelic souvenirs, to create a personalized and unique living space.

The 1960s interior design era was a bold, vibrant, and eclectic decade that celebrated personal expression and the embrace of new ideas. Its iconic designs have stood the test of time and continue to inspire modern interior designers and homeowners alike.