BestsellerTheCountryDiaryofAn
EdwardianLadyandtheLaura
Ashleyeffectmeanttherewasmore
draping,swaggingandruchingthan
foundinSpandauBallet’swardrobe.
Weallwentpottyforpainteffects,
withregularhow-toguidesfor
stipplingandscumbling.Inevitably,
themagazinegotextremelyexcited
abouttheroyalwedding,imagining,
asa gifttoCharlesandDi,a drawing
roomdesignforHighgroveinsunny
blueandbuttercupchintz(illustrated
above). Top of the shops were the80 s & 90 s
compactdiscandanythingfromthe
NextHomecatalogue.Earlyadopters
embracedloftlivingandwhilenot
everyonecouldspendA YearIn
Provence(aspromotedinPeter
Mayle’sbook),a preponderanceof
terracotta,wroughtironandlinen
meantwecouldliveasif wehad.
Contributingwritersincludedthe
likesofJeffreyArcher,PaulaYates
andValerieSingleton.Perrier,Ernest
&JulioGalloand,alarmingly,
Benson&Hedgesheldprime
advertising positions.FiveFabulous
locations
Duringthe‘fashion’yearswedidn’t
justsendourphotographers to
houses and gardens...1.Regine’snightclub(Jun1979)
2.A racingpigeonshed(Feb1977)
3.TheOldCaledoniapaddle
steamer(Jan1973)
4.A snookerhall(Nov1973)- Underwater (June 1961)
Bold,colourfuldesignwasbig
intheearlyEighties– thisis
Andrea Branzi’s Century couch.Big, Brash and Beautiful