Mad Men Inspiration

It has been more than a year now that one of my favourite shows, Mad Men had its last episode aired. In my country the series did not meet with success, only the first two seasons were broadcasted, and only the first season was released on DVD. Hungary quite missed the hype and the revival of the Swinging Sixties. 

What a shame. I do not wonder, though, because my parents' generation has a bitter grudge against retro, I can always see it in my elder clients' reactions. For them the style is very much attributed to the forty years spent in the Soviet bloc, which meant  - among other things - poor design and limited access to quality goods. It was an era that people do not want back. For the younger generation retro means fun, and now it is easy to see the difference what retro really was behind the Iron Curtain. 

I like this era very much - for me it means my favourite music, huge American houses, movies set in the 60s New York, glitter, colours, style, James Bond, Arne Jacobsen and the Eamses. I could go on and on and on.

And now, after this longish introduction, let's get back to to the moodboard. Apart from Mad Men I drew inspiration from the late 60s and retro ads (like this, and this, and this). I used fonts typical of the era, and those used in Mad Men. The rug brings in the 70's white shaggy berber rugs (even though this one actually has a diamond pattern), yet the overall colour sheme is mature and sophisticated, more 60s than 70s. The cool blue hues are counterbalanced by the warm wood tones. 

The Bubble and Saucer Pendants were designed by George Nelson (in 1947), just as the Ball wall clock (in 1950) and the bench (in 1946). All of them are true Mid-Century classics. The sideboard is a two-toned piece, its colours  make it very 70s, yet it is modern due to the stainless steel parts. The wallpaper is authentic, original roll from the era. As it is very dynamic, I suggest using it on a not too big surface, between two wooden panels, like seen here on a Mad Men set, albeit between sandblasted glass panels. Used this way it will not dominate the entire room. 

The armchair is an Arne Jacobsen icon, the Egg chair in deep blue, while the sofa is a definitely retro-inspired, but new piece by BoConcept. The bowl is from the 50s, but I am not sure about the rest of the vases. It does not matter, grouped together they do have the right retro feel.