Monday, March 17, 2008

Life before Dominik

My room in this rather new building on the edge of an old historical center was furnished sometime in the 60s, just when the apartment building was built. Most of the original furniture and equipment stayed in its place even when I was living there and I added few more things to it, not because I would like to enhance the "feeling" of the 60s but because I just happened to like design of the same time period, and what´s more, I dug those things in my parents house when I was looking for some utility equipment before moving in.

From what you see in the pictures, the TV (from the 80s!), the coffee set and the black and white curtain reaching the floor are mine. The experienced design viewers definitely recognize IKEA rugs and the lamp, both pretty new. The painting above the table was by my friend who I shared the apartment with, she studied at the Academy at the time. The coffee set was actually a recent find in the thrift shop and later it turned out that it was a unique piece and I had been more lucky than I could have thought (I will come back to it one day).

The furniture in the apartment wasn't anything special, what can one expect from the socialistic industrial producing that was far behind the current stream and not only that, materials and quality of work weren't anything great either, but it had some hallmarks of design of that time period and I also liked the pale green color of PVC on the floor that went well together with red and white stripy rugs thrown over the armchairs, that were made of 100% chemical yarn.

I like the photographs but I don' t miss that time really that passed between those four walls, it was nice but... Anyway, it's a deep history now.

4 comments:

Merruli said...

The coffee set reminds me of the great danish designers, it's fabulous! I'm looking forward for its' story.

I checked your photostream in Flickr and Mr Sun and other stuffed toys looked fab.You've done such great stuff for your son.

Unknown said...

Merulli, I am glad you like the toys, I am working on a new one, although I don't know why, my son is interested in blocks and boxes most of the time.

Anonymous said...

I spent a few months living in a furnished Czech flat and I'm always amazed by how familiar the interiors seem in any Czech film made between the 60s & 80s. The same fittings keep cropping up. The same door handles and light switches. The same taps. I find it....comforting.

Not unlike my own childhood in Hong Kong really. We had leased government issue furniture because my dad was a civil servant. Many of my friends had identical furniture in their flats.

Bohemian girl said...

Was it in Žďár nad Sázavou? It must have been terrifying. It was all furnished with things from one factory that is why they look very similar. Curious thing is that lot of them have remained unchanged for some reason, like the one I lived in. Ten years ago it felt kind of disgusting but since yesterday, after the opening of the big exhibition called Brussel’s Dream they actually become unique pieces and all that junk becomes a high valued action item.