Styling the 1960s – get the look of this cool and classic sitting room
The swinging sixties was a high point of interior design

Think 1960s interior design and you may have visions of spinning beds, powerful black and white geometrics and a psychedelic colour palette. But while not every home look like an Austin Powers film set, it was definitely a groovy time for home decor baby!
A visit to our archives revealed the 1960s was as stylish as you'd expect from an era that brought us Mary Quant and The Beatles... in fact, possibly even more so.
The original 1960s interior
This living room surprised us – we love the unexpected combination of streamlined mid-century furniture with wall-to-wall decorative pattern and traditional artwork. There's certainly a thing or two we can learn about brave colour choices – that carpet!
Key pieces for a 1960s look
We've given this a modern, maximalist slant, taking the luxe factor up a notch with velvet textures for soft furnishings. A botanical sketchbook print updates the trad chinoiserie wallpaper from the original photo. Brass details add a little polish and glamour, to make this look sleek and sophisticated.
The sofa
Buy now: Berlin three-seater sofa, £1,449, Swoon
The wallpaper
Buy now: Parrot Talk wallpaper in Lush Green, £85 a roll, Woodchip & Magnolia
The lamp
Buy now: Archer gold lamp with navy lampshade, £100, Laura Ashley
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The coffee table
Buy now: Bortolin coffee table, £199, Made.com
The cushion
Buy now: Lush velvet cushion cover in wasabi, £29, West Elm
The foliage
Buy now: Small faux fiddle plant, £95, Oka
Is a 1960s decorating revolution on the cards in your home?
Amy Cutmore is an experienced interiors editor and writer, who has worked on titles including Ideal Home, Homes & Gardens, LivingEtc, Real Homes, GardeningEtc, Top Ten Reviews and Country Life. And she's a winner of the PPA's Digital Content Leader of the Year. A homes journalist for two decades, she has a strong background in technology and appliances, and has a small portfolio of rental properties, so can offer advice to renters and rentees, alike.
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