About Janette Ewen
Veteran stylist and trend reporter, Janette Ewen’s love of the finer things has always shaped her life. Now she’s spilling industry secrets to help you make life at home sweet. From chic décor to decadent dinner parties—living with style isn’t as expensive as you think.
Everyone I can think of currently has a huge obsession with the TV series Mad Men – myself included! One of my favourite features of the show is the interior spaces. While I’m not in love with Betty and Don’s plaid kitchen, pretty much any other room I’ve seen on the show makes me want to re-decorate.
So for this week’s blog I have put together some “get the look” tips for how you can incorporate Mad Men-style into your home.
Colour: The 60’s were marked by muted colours, mostly blues and greens. To add pop, mustards, bold yellowy-greens, orange and deep reds were used on accessories. For your space choose a muted backdrop paint and add accent colours with fabrics. Don’t forget, the more texture (think tweeds, felts and wool) on the fabric the better.
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Wall Coverings and Rugs: Get graphic with wall coverings and rugs. Shop for styles with angular, sharp shapes, such as a diamond. Both Graham and Brown (shown) and Cole and Sons have excellent retro collections. Also consider incorporating some wood paneling – yes what goes around always comes around!
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Lighting: It’s all about shape, the rounder the better. Shop for bold, rounded table lamps and hanging lamps. The BÖJA pendant lamp ($80, Ikea) is very 60’s inspired and will balance the angular graphics used on the walls.
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Setting the Scene: The 60’s saw the first real massive use of open space living. Try to give your interiors a feeling of openness. Remove any shelves that are heavy looking and have a back to them. Opt instead for open shelving units with a little flair. I like the modern lines and open style of this PS NYBYGGE shelving unit ($300, Ikea) not to mention the price.
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Furniture: Make sure all of the lines on your furniture are clean and the shape structured a soft bend or angle in furnishings will reflect the mid-century modern style). This means no skirts on sofas or beds or excess fabric anywhere. Look for items that have wood arms or legs. The PS BRYGGA swivel easy chair ($400, Ikea) is an ideal accent piece. While the Perry Street Sofa ($4,875 apartment size and $10,000 regular, Avenue Road) or the PS AUGUST chaise ($599, available at select Ikea stores across Canada) would look right at home in Don Draper’s office at Sterling Cooper.