People often ask me why I love the 70s so much. The funny thing is, I didn’t actually grow up in the 70s at all — I grew up in the 80s, surrounded by the leftovers of it.
By the time I arrived, my family homes were still very much on a hangover from the 70s. There was wood cladding on walls, patterned carpets, warm oranges and browns, floral curtains and enough bold wallpaper to make today’s minimal interiors cry. At the time, it wasn’t “retro”, it was just home.
And honestly? I loved it.
I grew up in a big family where someone’s house was always full. Birthdays, Sunday dinners, anniversaries, summer BBQs — it felt like we were constantly together, constantly celebrating something. The adults were laughing, joking, dancing in front rooms and having fun, while us kids ran around playing games, chasing each other and trying to stay up too late at sleepovers.
When I look back now, so many of those memories are tied to the surroundings. We were always in each other’s houses. The warm glow of analogue TVs. Nintendo games spread across the carpet. Telephones in hallways where you had to sit down to talk to someone. Loud patterns. Heavy curtains. The smell of dinner cooking while music played somewhere in the background.
It all felt warm. Familiar. Safe.
Like a big hug, wrapped in orange and brown wallpaper. And people smoking inside with absolutely no concern for their health, or anyone else’s!
I think that’s why I’ve always felt such a pull towards nostalgic interiors. It’s never just been about liking “vintage things”, it’s about chasing that feeling again. A home that feels lived in, joyful and full of personality.
After years of living in London, my partner Jack and I moved back to my hometown of Southampton and bought our first house - a slightly battered old semi, bombed during WW2, that became our chance to create a home completely our own. By that point, we’d already built up a growing collection of mid-century furniture and vintage finds, but this was the first time we could really lean into the colours and styles we loved.
And yes, there’s definitely a lot of orange.
What’s funny is that I still have the exact same family unit and warmth around me now, it’s just become a little more fashionably grey over the years. Modern interiors can sometimes feel so stripped back and polished that they lose some of the personality that made homes feel comforting in the first place.
But I never want to let go of the colour. Or the nostalgia. Or that feeling.
The biggest compliment I get is when someone says our house reminds them of their nan!
That love of bold prints, warmth and retro interiors eventually became the inspiration behind The Yesterday House — creating homeware designed to bring a little joy, comfort and nostalgia into modern homes again.
Because maybe the reason so many of us are drawn back to the 70s isn’t really about the decade itself.
Maybe we’re just trying to find our way back to that feeling of home.