(not an academic reference but she knows a lot about vintage style in relation to the home environment.)
'Ultimately my message is this: the past and crafts go hand in hand because they're both about seeing the potential in things for your home and giving them a new lease of life. Whether it's painting an old chair, displaying vintage tins or making cushions from period fabric, if you surround yourself with things you love, you are creating a beautiful home that reflects who you are and what you are all about.'
This fits with my proposal that the imagery will be created by analogue methods. It also mimics the message from my essay that you use products in your home to reflect who you are as a person.
'What is vintage? Nowadays the word 'vintage' is bandied about all over the place, especially in relation to style and fashion, but I think it's just a spark way of saying second-hand. Of course, The Oxford English Dictionary gives a slightly more elevated definition, saying that vintage 'denotes something from the past of high quality, especially something representing the best of its kind', so let's use that as a starting point. Furniture, soft furnishings, crockery, china, absolutely anything for the home can be vintage if you're not the first person to have owned it, though it must be from the past and less than a hundred years old - any older makes it antique.'
'A house decorated from top to bottom in a 1930's style ... could very easily look said and feel more like a museum than a home. Our homes have to reflect the fact that we live in a modern world, otherwise they will be completely impractical. It's all about taking the best from bygone eras and adding your own modern twist.'
Mixing vintage and modern to create something new - this project isn't about creating imagery that looks old. The modern twist is what will make it marketable today.
After reading descriptions of the styles of the decades in the 1900s I feel that the 1950s would be the most appropriate era to base my work on. This influence may not be too heavy but I think its a good idea to have a more specific influence than just 'vintage' because this is so broad. I will probably pull influence from other decades too.
1950s...
- Wages increased and the British economy was growing.
- People started going on foreign holidays.
- Technology stepped up its infiltration into our homes - televisions, washing machines, fridges, food mixers...
- The Festival of Britain 1951 - showcase of history, culture, design and art.
- People could by off the shelf vinyl paint - the dark colours of the 40s were left behind.
- Fabric trends - bright, bold florals or abstract patterns inspired by advances in science.
- Furniture - higher frames, sleek lines, elegant shapes, Scandinavian influence.
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