Meet the mom who has transformed her home into a spectacular tribute to the 1970s.
England’s Estelle Bilson has loved all things vintage since her student days and spends hours tracking down original pieces in auctions, on eBay, and in thrift stores.
The retro-obsessed mom-of-one decided to take her obsession to the next level when her family moved into their new three-bedroom home five year ago.
She has painted her house in Stretford, Greater Manchester, with hues of orange and greens and hasn’t bought anything modern–apart from a hoover and a mattress.
Everything else in the home–from the disco balls in the loo to the original magazines near the space-inspired TV set–are straight from the 70s.
Upholstery designer Estelle even matches the house with her clothing tastes, drawing inspiration from fashion label of the decade, Biba.
She estimates the revamp cost just £1,500 ($2,000), because all of it is second hand.
Estelle, who lives with her partner Stephen De Sarasola, a sound engineer, and their four-year-old son, said, “I started collecting in 1990 when I was about 13 and it went from there.
“When I was at university you could pick up 1970s bits and bobs on the street when people were having a clear-out.
“A lot of my artwork at school and university was inspired by abstract impressionists like Jackson Pollock, Warhol, and Rothko. I guess it’s something I’ve always been interested in.
“I absolutely love kitsch. I’m a bit like a kitsch magpie; anything really random, gold, shiny, multi colored, and the weirder the better. That’s why I’ve got the tiger and Flamingo sculptures.
“Things were built to last back then and to be repaired, not discarded.”
The family home is now a funky pad, complete with vinyl records and psychedelic prints (see the video at the bottom).
It is kitted out with floral wallpaper and classic 1970s pieces, Austin Powers-style Keracolour TV, KEF speakers, and orange-tinted lights.
“Mostly I stumble upon things when I’m not even looking for them, like my dining table and chairs and my space-age bed,” says Estelle.
This doesn’t mean she’s averse to contemporary technology, though. “We have a modern TV – it’s a necessity really with a child. We have smartphones and laptops too. We don’t live in the 70s, we just like the styling.
After receiving compliments from friends and family, Estelle set up the Instagram account @70shousemanchester, which has nearly 30,000 followers.
“Some have compared it to a shrine or a museum–it’s neither. It’s simply our home which we chose to furnish with things that make us happy.”
(SEE inside the fun home in the SWNS video below.)
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