Retro soft furnishings

Retro curtains

These curtains from Cath Kidston, left, evoke the style of the 50s. The floral pattern with columns was very popular in 1950s homes. This fabric also looks great.

Art Nouveau style cushion

This cushion is a modern design by Barbara Hulanicki, founder of the iconic Biba store in the sixties. It is inspired by the sinuous curves of Art Nouveau. The Art Nouveau style dated from the last years of the nineteenth century and the early years of the twentieth century. It was a style derived from plant forms, characterised by exotic curves and elegant flowers.

There was an Art Nouveau revival in the sixties. It chimed perfectly with the late sixties counter culture movement and Art Nouveau posters were often used to promote 'hip happenings'. Its elegant curves were a rebellion against the straight lines of sixties' modernism.

This makes mixing Art Nouveau style with the modern style sofas, such as Forum by Robin Day, a perfect way to recapture the look of the late sixties.

For more information go to www.habitat.co.uk.

For more on Biba see www.bibacollection.co.uk.

Retro wallpaper

There is no better way to create a great retro look than to use retro style wallpaper. A recent trend for large floral prints and Art Nouveau styles recaptures the spirit of the late sixties. Geometric prints were also very popular in the sixties and seventies. Go to www.wallpaperfromthe70s.com for some perfect seventies prints.

For a fifties' inspired look, choose reds and greys, or blues and yellows. Try mixing two wallpapers in the same room. There was an explosion of colour as rationing came to an end and people went mad with bold, colourful prints.