1960’s Colourful Wallpaper

September 30, 2017 Leave a comment

Mid-century inspired pattern

1960’s Colourful Wallpaper

Mid-century inspired pattern

1960’s Colourful Wallpaper Swatch

I’ve said it before; the mid-1960s was something of a riot or, to be more exact, something of a melting pot into which went all the new designs from the late 1940s and 1950s to mix with the fantastic and quite new rise in teenage artistic input. The result – alright, I call it a riot – but it might be more correct to call it pure, unadulterated, vibrant, teenage energy.

Colours became brighter, more saturated, shapes were bigger and more obvious and the ethos was excitement at the pent-up energy then being let loose.

This pattern hopes to catch some of that excitement and colour in a design that I intended for use as a wall covering. It is shown here in my mid-century room set that I often use for wallpaper. The colours are still mid-century which shows how versatile a palette it is. They are shown in my notes as canary yellow, anchusa (it’s a blue flower), magnolia,
midnight blue, bottle green and orchis (another flower).

If you would like to see larger versions of these designs and my other work then you can do so on my Flickr page, a link to which is here.

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Dark Flower Wallpaper

September 28, 2017 Leave a comment

Mid-century inspired pattern

Dark Flower Wallpaper

I like to design eye-catching and unusual feature wall coverings – for one wall only – particularly those that are for the larger than average room.

This uses (for what it’s worth for there are hardly any) mid-century colours and also draws on the ideas formulated in the 1950s and 60s. Black wallpaper was unusual at that time although I think it might have been more acceptable in the riot that was the 1960’s decade. Today, of course, it is much more acceptable and I think this design would look good in a big room today.

The pattern is deliberately compartmentalized to produce broad lines of density since that will take the eye of the visitor and draw it along the dimensions of the wall.

If you would like to see larger versions of these designs and my other work then you can do so on my Flickr page, a link to which is here.

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Flowery Train Seats

September 26, 2017 Leave a comment

Mid-century inspired pattern

Flowery Train Seats

Mid-century inspired pattern

Flowery Train Seats Swatch

These are mid-century flower-power train seats designed for suburban short-haul trains which have a quickly changing passenger population.

This pattern is inspired by the 1960’s flower power generation and is intended not to be the sort of restful pattern you might get on an intercity express where passengers were there for the duration. It is intended to be stimulating, eye-catching and to attract the passenger who is travelling a few stops and then getting off. The design is vibrant and alive, designed to keep the sitters awake and alert, waiting for their stop.

The colours are all (I think) from the British Standard 5252 but they are too numerous to list which means that this design probably could not have been printed mid-century!

If you would like to see larger versions of these designs and my other work then you can do so on my Flickr page, a link to which is here.

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Domino Car Seats

September 25, 2017 Leave a comment

Mid-century inspired pattern

Domino Car Seats

Mid-century inspired pattern

Domino Car Seats Swatch

As are most of my patterns and designs, I would like to say that this was mid-century inspired but in fact the inspiration came from a piece of artwork that I did several years ago now and happened to see again recently.

I have, as you probably know, an interest in surface patterns intended for transportation seating and I knew that it was some time since I had designed one. This was always destined to be a car interior hence the rather bland colouring and simple design. But it is unusual and quite eye-catching in an interesting way rather than a weird way.

The design is centred around dominos along with gold falling stars to give an unusual pattern that I think is also pleasing.

If you would like to see larger versions of these designs and my other work then you can do so on my Flickr page, a link to which is here.

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Black Carpet

September 23, 2017 Leave a comment

Mid-century inspired pattern

Black Carpet

Mid-century inspired pattern

Black Carpet Swatch

Black carpet tends to look good and always seems quite sophisticated but it does usually come at somewhat of a cost to the home owner.

Black shows up every crumb and tiny speck of cotton that falls anywhere on it and so you can be constantly vacuuming to keep the surface looking good. Also, where brown or red carpet tends not to look too bad when dirty, black carpet shows up every speck of dirt instanly!

OK, so I am the person who cleans our carpet – that’s how I know. That said, black carpet has always been popular and it looks good in almost any setting. Here is the pattern as a carpet in my simple living room set where it looks stylish and just a little out of the ordinary to lift the atmosphere of the room.

If you would like to see larger versions of these designs and my other work then you can do so on my Flickr page, a link to which is here.

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Bedroom Or Not Bedroom

September 21, 2017 Leave a comment

Mid-century inspired pattern

Bedroom Or Not Bedroom

This is a very simple pattern of shapes, or more accurately rectangles and chains, the sort of design that would, mid-century, have been offered as wall covering for a bedroom.

Here, however, it is brought up to date with some suitable early 1960s colours which give it a dated and rather romantic look reminiscent (I hope) of the sort of wallpaper produced during that decade but which could be used in a mid-century room today.

The colours used are quite unsaturated and the shapes are simple and direct, again the way that design was progressing at that time. It’s a fun pattern, fun to make and it would be fun to use as wallpaper or even as fabric.

If you would like to see larger versions of these designs and my other work then you can do so on my Flickr page, a link to which is here.

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Mid-Century Quads

September 20, 2017 Leave a comment

Mid-century inspired pattern

Mid-Century Quads

The 1950s seems to have been a time for the introduction and inspirational use of simple and previously under-used elements in surface pattern construction.

For example, rectangles (are they quadrilaterals – I never know) are used here to produce a pattern with fills just of mid-century inspired solid colours. Previously, patterns tended to be fussy designs mostly centred around floral elements but the use of simpler, less stylised shapes created designs that were very different but equally beautiful.

It was 1950 so it was a quieter revolution compared to what was to follow in the next decade but it was a change in style without which the riot that was the 1960s could not have existed. I like 1950s patterns for their quieter, more gentle grace and their stylish and often exciting (and moving) use of colour and form.

I had in mind that this design would look good as fabric, especially if used for curtaining or for stand-out cushions.

If you would like to see larger versions of these designs and my other work then you can do so on my Flickr page, a link to which is here.

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