1970s time travel + More
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When you think of 1970s interiors, what comes to mind? These days, it might be the creased and bent form of Michel Ducaroy's Togo sofa, first released in 1973 and enjoying newfound popularity. There's a glamourous side to design from the era that gets a lot of play – deservedly so. But there's a less celebrated aspect that warrants another look, and that's the scrappy can-do energy of a new generation inhabiting spaces far differently than their parents.
This renegade spirit was embodied in the magazine Apartment Life, a spinoff from Better Homes and Gardens that debuted in 1969 and continued until 1981. It's packed with creative projects that only require a trip to the hardware store, as well as supportive articles on things like housing discrimination, enjoying the single life, and making friends your new family.
Back in December, my brother gave me the perfect birthday gift: a package of seven Apartment Life issues he'd snagged on eBay, all from 1977. Leafing through them has been a mind-opening journey, getting me smiling about what you can pull off with imagination and elbow grease.
The March cover is my favourite, with its view of a relaxed gathering framed by drapery:
As it turns out, the issue includes detailed instructions on how to transform your apartment interior into a tent:
This championing of offbeat design ideas permeates every issue. In the October issue, a "Crash Course in Hardware Store Chic" includes an eating area with sandpaper sheets pasted in place of wallpaper:
The table is cobbled together from a trashcan, plywood, and a sheet of galvanized iron.
There's encouragement throughout. A canopy made from a roll of corrugated cardboard...
...is accompanied by a hand-drawn diagram of how to pull it off:
It's like getting personal notes from a handyman friend.
The photos often come across as challenges to see how many 70s identifiers you can spot. Here's a room with skylights, track lighting, supergraphics, chrome, smoked glass, shag carpeting, and extravagant houseplants:
Other spaces anticipate today's concerns. A well-equipped bedroom looks suited to our world of hybrid work schedules:
Of course, there are moments that are completely out there:
For only $4.95, you can get the pattern to quilt this barefooted couple into your bedspread.
And if you really love sewing, get the lowdown on how to make an 18-foot-long snake sofa:
The kids playing with Silly String suggest the mayhem that might ensue.
The display ads in the back pages are not to be missed. If you're pondering how to set up your TV, amuse yourself with this 70s solution:
And if you're contemplating living room layouts, feel the vibe of the Huddlecouch:
It could "change the way you live," but it leaves the details to your imagination.
So, if you're ready for adventure, here's a button that instantly searches eBay for issues of Apartment Life:
If you wake up one day with an irresistible urge to turn your old t-shirts into throw pillows...
...consider yourself warned. This magazine has a giddy disposition that could lead you anywhere.
Elsewhere
The New York Times surveyed the world of Apartment Life a few years ago. Get their take on the matter:
From the archives
For more time travel, consider getting a vintage copy of Terence Conran's The House Book. Here's why:
Guy Koolhof
Guy's buys
Occasional finds selected for you
If you're a fan of vintage IKEA, here's a two-seater sofa to consider, currently almost 30 per cent off at Inabstracto:
It's perfect for a small space. Check out the full February sale.
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