70s House: A bold homage to the most daring decade in design

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FROM TRETCHKOFF TO THE ROVER’S RETURN... ICONS OF BRITISH TV SUCH AS PAT BUTCHER, BET LYNCH, AND HILDA OGDEN HAVE GRACED YOUR SOFT FURNISHINGS. WHO WOULD BE YOUR DREAM CHARACTER TO IMMORTALISE IN VELVET?

Retro-obsessed mum transforms her Stretford home into a

When people ask me what to look out for, I only ever advocate buying things you love, as at the end of the day you have to live with these pieces,’ says Estelle. I don’t wish I lived in the 50s. I love vintage style, not vintage values. When I’m reading magazines from that period, some of the adverts are so archaic. It’s all about buying the woman in your life a vacuum cleaner for Christmas. But I couldn’t live in modern surroundings, either. This trend for grey at the moment – I can’t bear it. Everything is grey. People are even painting the exterior of their houses grey! I need colour in my life. Much better quality restored and curated items for sale resulting in higher prices but still cheaper than specialist shops. Say cheese I just think that when all the cornicing and arches and aesthetic stuff went away the best of society went with it,” he explains, adding that he takes his behavioural lead from Victorian etiquette books. It is fair to say that I am not a classic dealer in the respect of having an antiques shop, however over the three decades of buying, sourcing for private clients and selling, as well as interior & set design and styling I have a vast knowledge of an array of subjects within the field.Our living room lights and Ladderax unit were both shipped from Italy, so don’t limit yourself to local items. Natasha is based in London and previously worked in the fashion industry. Her experience of working with top fashion brands helped her to combine handmade historical items into contemporary living.

Estelle Bilson; The Bidding Room and Me. - 70sHouseManchester Estelle Bilson; The Bidding Room and Me. - 70sHouseManchester

Our WowHaus, United Kingdom Estelle Bilson’s 1970s house in Manchester Estelle Bilson’s 1970s house in Manchester (image credit: Estelle Bilson) A serial collector, firstly of fashion and accessories, astutely amassing large collections of vintage handbags, clothing and powder compacts which were found for pennies during the 90s to more recently furnishing our home entirely in my fantasy of how I would have decorated it during the 70s.My Mum always did say I saw glamour in even the most mundane, and I think that pretty much sums me up perfectly. It’s the community that I like’: Estelle Bilson and Stephen De Sarasola, reviving the 1970s. Photograph: Alex Telfer/The Observer Estelle Bilson is an antiques dealer, interior designer, author, 70s expert and television presenter. She is a dealer on BBC One’s daytime hit, The Bidding Room, hosted by Nigel Havers. She is the founder of 70s House Manchester, a unique, luxury British interiors brand, which prides itself on creating authentic retro designs. Steve, my partner already owned it and I kinda moved in. However, I did love the house at first sight. It has a lovely warm feeling to it and it is in a lovely neighbourhood. We overlook a park and it feels very village-like for Manchester.’ (image credit: Estelle Bilson) Whiteside has assiduously converted his suburban semi into a prewar home. Photographs: Richard Saker

Inside the home of 70s style guru Estelle Bilson | Great

I really identify with strong female characters, they were part of my life growing up in the late 70’s and during the 80’s, bought into your front room several times a week via soap operas and sit coms, this is why you’ll see me reference them repeatedly in my work. I’d love to work with David Downton and reproduce the series of images he did for the female protagonists in Mad Men, which were illustrated in the style of Bob Peak, a genuine Madison Ave Man. I guess if pushed for an actual person I would love to do the Queen, resplendent in her finery, there’s definitely something uber-kitsch about her and the corgis! Our home may be on the extremes of this, but all of the furniture within could be used in a less dramatic setting, sideboards, for example, have become hugely popular in recent years, they’re stylish and useful. For Samat, his involvement in the vintage scene is a tribute to the Commonwealth citizens who are airbrushed out of history: “It’s a complex story that isn’t really told, of attachment to a motherland that in many ways rejects you.”

'KITSCH MAGPIE'

In the unlikely event of winning the lottery, I’d love to be in a position where I could afford to keep this house for our son and buy a more modernist/1970s home to restore to its former glory. This house has such a lot of memories for us, as Steve has owned it for nearly 20 years. I would be very content if this was to be our forever home as the area is lovely.’ (image credit: Estelle Bilson) You may know Estelle from the BBC’s wonderful daytime TV show, The Bidding Room. Or you may have encountered Estelle and her home on social media. If you haven’t, you are in for a treat. (image credit: Estelle Bilson)