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Is 60s style coming back in a big way in 2022? Oh, yes. High street fashion stores are absolutely full of 1960s clothing designs, in terms of both shapes/styles, and even more so, colour schemes and patterns.
This has proven to be quite the eye-opener, both for many of us who were not around at all during the 60s, and those having screaming flashbacks to days they either wish they could forget, or so I am reliably told by some, wish they could remember…
Anyway. Whether you were one of the first to jump on 2022’s psychedelic bandwagon or feel as if you’re going to need rather longer to get to grips with the whole thing, 2022 is apt to be the year in which we’re going to see more 60s style in the high street and also, in the home than we have at any time since the actual 60s themselves.
Oh yes, didn’t I mention? Well, retro 60s style isn’t just charging headlong into your local branch of Primark, but also into interior design circles too. 2022 homewares and interior décor trends alike are seeing a heavy influence of 1960s styling, and you can expect to see everywhere from The Conran Shop and Harrods Home to B&M and TK Maxx absolutely full of 60s furniture, ornaments, accessories, and soft furnishings the next time you head out.
With this in mind, exactly what 1960s interior design trends are making a comeback in 2022, and what 1960s window blind styles do you need to know about in order to get in on the action? Read on to find out.
The 1960s interior design trends that are making a comeback in 2022
Broadly speaking then, when it comes to interior design and the specific sorts of homewares and furnishings that are starting to see a heavy 1960s influence, what’s groovy? (Sorry, but I do warn you that there’s going to be a lot more of that sort of nonsense coming up.)
On the significant restyle/big commitment side of the scale, 1960s wallpaper and paint, large furniture items like lounge suites, and even white goods for the kitchen (not necessarily in white) are all getting a lot of attention.
Obviously this means a lot of psychedelia for the wallpaper, and I’m not saying that gaudy isn’t in town; but not all 1960s style involved acid burns to the eyes, and some of it is surprisingly… stylish, for want of a better way to describe the wider style, even to younger eyes.
Most of us over the age of around 30 remember horrendous avocado green bathroom suites that were well past their sell-by dates even in the 1980s; but a pale avocado feature wall surrounded by white or light wooden furniture and accessories and a pale 60s-style lounge suite is (in my opinion) undeniably chic. Mellow. Far out. Cool. All that.
In the mid-range in terms of the sort of investment/commitment you might be looking at to add some 60s style to your home, think window blinds, large-ish rugs, and mid-sized furniture items like standalone chairs and/or small side tables and units.
When it comes to 1960s window blinds, Roman blinds and roller blinds might be those that immediately come to mind due to their ability to carry a design or print, but wooden blinds and vertical blinds were also big in the 60s and so, are also big in 2022’s 1960s window blind homages too.
And finally, if you want to get in on the 1960s homewares action but also want to reserve the right to bin it with speed and impunity if it doesn’t work out, you have masses of options, much of it for not masses of funds.
60s lamp and light shades, lava lamps obviously, cushions and throws, and very classical 60s styling in things like mirror frames, macrame plant hangers, wicker, oversized fans, and retro ornaments are all hip.
Wall hangings were big news in the 60s too, with simple tie-dye being perhaps the most ubiquitous and easiest/cheapest way to get started.
What did 1960s window blind styles look like?
When it comes to window blinds, 1960s style actually came with a few options. You might think that psychedelic or clashing prints and colours on a 60s fabric roller blind or psychedelic Roman blind would be the obvious approach; and you would be right.
That’s not the whole story though; vertical blinds too really started to take off during the 1960s, usually in a mid-tone beige or cream.
Wooden blinds in anything from painted white to pine to bamboo finishes were big news as well, these latter couple of choices being especially well regarded in more muted 60s styles that definitely had an air of chic to them, and that made up the majority of real-world stylish living rooms.
We don’t tend to see these subtler 60s window blind styles represented so much on TV shows and in the media, hence the general impression/cliché of everything on the windows of the time looking like a bad trip. Or a good trip, maybe? Honestly not 100% sure how that’s supposed to go. Anyway, regardless of the popular image of psychedelic window blinds being the start and end of the story, subtle and classy 60s blinds and styles were most definitely out there and up there too.
Window blinds today actually haven’t changed masses in terms of their general type and function from the ones we’d have hung back in the day; by which I mean, wooden blinds, roller blinds, Roman blinds, and vertical blinds are all still very much a thing, though they have undergone many style and functionality evolutions in the last 60 years. And yep, if you’ve just screeched to a halt to do the maths, 1960 was indeed 62 whole years ago this year.
What do 2022’s more modern takes on 1960s window blinds look like?
So, can I interest anyone in a psychedelic window blind? Or perhaps something a little more muted…
As mentioned, roller, Roman, vertical, and wooden blinds were all around and very popular in the 1960s, and they still are today. Venetian blinds were also present during the era and certainly weren’t uncommon, but they aren’t so closely associated with what we tend to think of as classical 1960s window blinds styles today.
But what does 2022’s take on 1960s window blinds actually look like?
2022’s retro 1960s vertical blinds
Vertical blinds are available in a greater number of colours and finishes than they were in the 1960s, and the style of the headrail is rather different too in reflection of more modern design trends. Those minor-ish differences aside, a vertical blind of any type that you can buy today would not look at all out of place in a 1960s themed room.
My top picks for 1960s vertical blinds styles start with these warm beige blinds, which to my eye, are as true to the sort of vertical blind neutral colours that were popular in the 1960s as you’re likely to find. For coloured options, sadly (or not), we don’t have any bright orange 60s vertical blinds on offer, but can I interest you in lime green?
Vertical blinds can be made in a waterproof variant for kitchens and bathrooms; I honestly don’t know if this was the case in the 60s or not, as I am far too young to have been around then, which honestly isn’t something that I get to say too often these days.
2022’s retro 1960s wooden blinds (and their modern relatives)…
Wooden blinds too were a real staple in the 1960s; as I mentioned above, most often in painted white, natural pine, or bamboo. These are all options that 2022’s wooden blinds can be found in as well.
There are even gloss lime green 1960s wooden blinds and one of our latest drops, these totally far out (am very enthused, and have made sure I’m first in line to be offered any made-to-order misfires of these that might happen to be going begging) zebra-striped 60s wooden blinds, which would not look out of place in any swinging 60s Chelsea penthouse. Or so I am told.
You also have the option today of faux-wood blinds (which are made of PVC) at a slightly lower price point, which are waterproof and so, well suited to use in kitchens and bathrooms. They’re very hardwearing, and virtually indistinguishable from the real thing.
Tying off then, and the part I suspect that most of you who are still here were waiting for; modern-retro 1960s roller blinds and Roman blinds, being the two types of blinds that can come with a print or design in all manner of weird and wacky colours and shapes.
2022’s take on 1960s roller blinds
Before I get to sharing some of my top picks for 1960s roller blinds, I just want to elevator-pitch why they’re worth considering as blinds for a 1960s theme in general.
The first point to note is that roller blinds are almost always the lowest-priced type of window blinds of all. This doesn’t make them cheap per se (either in terms of actual financial outlay or appearance) and window blinds aren’t the sort of investment that I (or our buyers) tend to think of as something they’re going to replace every couple of years.
But my point is that if you want to give 60s style a whirl with window blinds and find that it’s not for you or doesn’t age well, you haven’t thrown a huge amount of money down the drain.
60s roller blinds can be made in waterproof options for kitchens or bathrooms, and they can also be made in blackout and thermally insulating fabrics too.
Onto the actual blinds then…
For a strong, striped colour statement that won’t cost a fortune, I suggest one of these colourful striped roller blinds, which absolutely fulfil the letter and the spirit of the era without being overwhelming. Styling the rest of the room in neutrals would be a sound approach to making them the real feature.
Another design that will work really well in a 60s style but that is also neutral and versatile enough to work with a large number of other styles that you might want to move onto in future is our avocado-green paradise print 60s roller blind.
Finally, if you’re heavily into flares, handlebar moustaches, and a lot of chest hair in terms of your 60s ethos, this bold and somewhat unexpected safari noir roller blind 60s style is a great statement piece. It is also something of a chameleon (mainly zebras and rhinoceroses though to be honest) in terms of its ability to work well into a number of other styles in the future if you require it to down the line.
1960s Roman blinds for the modern era
1960s Roman blinds are the sort of blinds that really catch the eye and make a statement, which is surely the direction you’re heading in if you are looking to decorate your home as of 2022 in a 60s style.
Roman blinds are the most prestigious (and so also, costly) type of window blinds overall as a rule, which does mean that they’re something of an investment. This being the case, the sort of 1960s designs we’ve worked into our 2022 Roman blinds collections are very much in keeping with the mood of the era, but also, intended to be iconic, not faddy, and to age well.
This hopefully means avoiding the need for replacement within a couple of years in order to keep the fashion police from your door!
1960s Roman blinds 2022-style incorporate some designer collabs from the likes of Orla Kiely, as well as prints and designs that serve as homages to the up-and-coming artists and styles of the 60s, including Andy Warhol, pop art, and much more.
My favourites/best steers for 1960s Roman blinds are:
This Orla Kiely-designed multi-stem tomato design 60s roman blind, incorporating a muted yet iconic 60s colour palette.
Want to go bolder? POP ART ME, DUDE. I’m all about this monochrome and red retro pop art 60s Roman blind; I honestly think this is my absolute favourite 1960s Roman blind of all.
Finally, I don’t feel that I could offer up a collection of 60s window blinds that didn’t include at least one variant involving orange; Orla Kiely helped me out again here with this designer fabric striped petal 1960s style Roman blind.
The neutrals included in the mix with this last one give you lots of options for styling your room as a whole too, whether you really want to play up the 60s theme or keep it subtle. Yep, I did say “1960s” and “subtle” in the same breath there, may need to rethink that one.
Show me your 60s…
Have you redecorated in a 60s style? Window blinds or not, I’d be keen to see what you’ve got going on there, so feel free to add some pics in the comments.
