How to create your 1970s themed room

Are you old enough to remember the 1970s?  We're not talking about glam rock and curly perms but 1970s home decor.  

Orange and brown were the predominant colours and found in bold shapes, flowers, circles, abstract design pop art - a throwback from the previous decade. There was shag carpet on the floor and woodchip on the walls. Towards the end of the decade, Britain was in recession which meant hand-me-downs and handicrafts and so there was plenty of wood and macramé.

If this doesn't sound appealing - remember the great thing about revivals is that you can take the best of an era and ignore some of the less attractive features.
1970s Retro Room

In order to avoid the worst of the 1970s home interiors design, the trick is to have a nod to the style rather than overwhelm a room. There's really no need to invest in lots of new furniture because 1970s coloured and styled can easily give your room that cool retro vibe.

Lighting

You can find 1970s lighting; usually pendant lights online but also browse second hand shops and car boot sales.  For lamps, try to find lampshades in orange or brown or that are decorated in floral designs.

Artwork

Every respectful 1970s home had would have had a poster on the wall.  You can find a poster you like and have it framed, better still see if you can find an iconic poster from the time, such as the tennis girl poster.  Anything with a rainbow was also predominant in popular culture.  And see if you can find the Tretchikoff the Chinese girl print that seemed to feature in most homes at the time.

Flooring

No need to change your flooring - instead it's quick and easy to give the floor a 70's feel with a new rug.  Some rugs in our Vibrance collection will fit the bill (see below) thanks to their colour and design.  Once you have selected the right FrithRugs for you, use it as the template to select your sofa cushions.  Match them with the colours in your rug or see if you can find a similar design.  Don't forget you could also have cushions re-covered.

Finishing Touches

Scour second hand shops for 1970s ornaments and accessories.  Look for colours featuring brown, orange, lime, yellow, pink and purple.  Coasters, planters and ashtrays are plentiful on second hand websites and so you are sure to find pieces that will complement your theme without overwhelming the room.

How do decorate a child's bedroom

Has your daughter fallen in love the with the new #beautyandthebeast film?

Chances are she will want you to spend a fortune on redecorating her bedroom with the theme - but read this blog for ideas on how to decorate a child's room that grows with her.

When planning or decorating a child’s room or nursery, it’s easy to get carried away – but it’s worth remembering that what your five-year-old loves now, the eight-year-old version will probably hate.  So, don’t spend too much money – instead opt for an overall design that can grow with them and theme with accessories such as rugs, bedding and curtains.

On the floor

For practical reasons hardwood floors are probably the best choice for your kid’s room and are much easier to keep clean than carpet. However, they can be quite boring and of course, quite hard!  Adding a colourful rug will bring the floor to life and will provide soft, warmer areas for your child to play.  You can also use your rug as the basis for a colour scheme for the entire room.

If you have siblings that share a room, rugs are a great way to help zone specific areas, better still get your rug personalised and that should help avoid any arguments.

A new rug can quickly and easily help transform a room and so when your daughter grows tired of one colour or theme, you can easily introduce another.

On the bed

With the release of a new kid’s film or TV character it’s likely you will find bedding merchandise.  This is another easy win which allows your daughter to get her longed-for Disney characters but without breaking the bank.  Once she moves on to another character or theme, changing the bedding along with the rug will give the room a whole new look.

On the walls

It’s more sensible to paint rather than wallpaper – when your girl gets tired of her Disney character wallpaper you will have to strip it – whereas when she gets tired of her baby pink colour scheme, you just need to add another coat of emulsion in a different colour.  If you would like to personalise the wall you can paint your own feature wall or designate a space for their own artwork to be displayed.  You can also buy some fabulous wall stickers which could work with a particular theme and then can be removed when your daughter has outgrown it.

The most important rule when decorating a child’s room is to remember to be flexible. Our children grow up quickly and their tastes can change just as fast.

Decorating with green

Green is the colour associated with nature and according to colour psychologists it is a great colour have at home.  In this blog we will look at where and how to use green in the home and suggest which colours to use with green.

Psychological benefits of green

This is one of our favourite home decorating colours thanks to its soothing and rejuvenating qualities.  Green is the colour of Mother Nature herself and of fertility and health with many people believing the colour has powerful energies.  It is calming and it makes us feel secure. It is certainly a restful colour and can be a safe colour to use if you are not sure what to go for in your home.

Which rooms suit green?

Any and all rooms in the home will work with green.  In the hall, green is welcoming but use it sparingly as it can be oppressive.  In the sitting room green works well in both modern and traditional styles and can be used in various degrees.  Kitchens that accessorize with lime green are not only modern but will also lift the mood.  If you have a sun room or conservatory accents of green will blend your outside and inside spaces.

Green is great for the bedroom thanks to its soothing and calming qualities and the same applies for the bathroom.  Sea green is associated with holidays by the beach and so it’s a great alternative to blue.

How to use green with other colours

Most interior designers agree that you should always use different shades and tones of green, rather than just one (just as Mother Nature does). If you are not sure which shade of green to use with other colours then  www.colorcombos.com is a fabulous site for combining complementary shades, tones and colours.  One rule of thumb that won’t fail is to use plenty of white with any green scheme and you really won’t go wrong.  

So go green when you want to get back to nature and to put some harmony and relaxation in your life. 

For details on the rug shown, click here.

Silk rugs

In this blog we will explain the different silk rugs we have available and introduce you to our collections.

Rug connoisseurs will appreciate our selection of 100% silk rugs which have been carefully purchased from Iran (Persia), China and Kashmir.  Silk rugs are among some of world’s premium rugs thanks to the high level of skill and expertise employed in creating these glorious pieces.  As well as looking superb they are also a joy to touch and walk on. Many of our customers prefer to display silk rugs on the wall.

Chinese Silk Rugs

Chinese silks are true works of art and are often inspired by traditional Buddhist and Taoist designs favouring blue, red, apricot and yellow colour schemes.  Many rugs in this collection feature images, for example the magnificent Chinese Zhenping rugs which reflect traditional Chinese stories and are sure to be a talking point in any room.

Persian Silk Rugs

Persian rugs are renowned throughout the world and silk rugs are among the finest.  They are tightly woven and offer intricate detail.  For example, the Persian Qum Silk is rich in colour, pattern and design which means these rugs are a true investment

Kashmir Silk Rugs

Our Kashmiri collection continues to be the most popular of our silks and it’s no wonder - they are regarded as some of the finest in the world. The designs are varied and offer a high knot density which gives them strength and durability. 

Our team are experts in advising customers about which rugs will be most suitable for their home and their rooms and we encourage you to talk to us about caring for your new purchase.

Go to http://frithrugs.co.uk/main-silk-rugs-category to browse our collections.