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The craziest and most colourful decade, one of the last golden periods of the world economy, years of opulence, transformation and dynamism: the 1980s were this and much more. A period of strong cultural changes which gave rise to various experiments in interior design, sometimes with happy results and other times less so (we all remember the glass-cement bricks), but with the filter of nostalgia it is easy to overlook the big "NO's" of the 80s. Let's see together what we can readapt and what we can happily leave to the last century.
The trends in vogue in the 80s couldn't be more contrasting: we have minimalism but also maximalism, colour blocking but also pastel colours, tropical prints and geometric patterns. These contrasting styles share a common starting point: experimentation. By daring and testing, the great designers of the 1980s such as Philippe Starck, Ettore Sottsass, Toshiyuki Kita and many others collaborated with companies to communicate their new idea of Modernism. An idea based on contrasting shapes and colours: more geometric shapes juxtaposed with sinuous and ovoid forms, bright primary colours such as blue, fuchsia and yellow combined in ultra-pop combinations, but also pastel colours with delicate nuances.
A few hints of animalier are also essential, to be integrated with curtains, cushions and carpets to give character to any room. Another 80s must-have that can also be happily applied today is the mix of materials, where more organic materials such as rattan and bamboo are combined with plastic materials such as lucite and plexiglass. The surfaces of furniture become shiny and reflect the large lamps with their unique, enveloping lines, and even the seats, the protagonists of large open spaces, become soft, cosy and very deep. Experiments with lighting also began, with LED lights in bright, vivid colours. In contrast to these softer forms, marble was a very popular material in the 80s: large tables with marble tops for dining rooms, but also consoles with lacquered wood and vases with more eclectic shapes.
With all these suggestions, the risk is to overdo it and get carried away with 80s references: we will not miss the riot of fake plants (notoriously useful only to attract dust) or floral carpeting combined with curtains and sofas, or pastel-coloured sanitary ware combined with tiles. In reality, the disturbing effect of these elements is given by the exaggeration, e.g. instead of a whole carpeted floor nowadays one would opt for a large rug. Even animalier, if not balanced, can give a noisy effect to your interior. The objective is always to achieve balance, whether in terms of shapes, colours or materials, and for a perfect 80s look, remember: any combination is possible, no rules!
