When you look at this vintage blue & white patterned living room decor, seen here in the mid-1970s, you’ll see a chorus of correlating designs.
Those designs played positive and negative with the blue tones that had been chosen based on this New York City apartment’s stunning view.
The walls of this space were covered in a pattern called “Hardrock” in a positive print of blue-on-white matte vinyl. The same wavy water-like pattern also appeared on the L-shaped modular Selig sofa in a negative version that had been printed on white duck cloth.
DON’T MISS THIS: Waves of cool blue decor cascaded through this dramatic bedroom
The same technique was repeated in “Quicksand” for the window treatment: negative on the folding screens, and positive on the laminated shade.
A third pattern, named “Rockbottom,” was introduced on the ottomans and chair cushion — and all came together in a still-life corner setting.
In the middle of the seating area was an area rug with blue as its central color. It used yellow, white and red to create some edging patterns, as well as an unusual repeated element: a smiling red crab next to what appeared to be stylized ocean waves.
On the rug was a clear glass square coffee table with a transparent base, so as not to impede the view of those chipper crustaceans.
The room’s accents were quite eclectic, and included primitive artifacts along with a red, black and white modern painting by Carl Palazzolo. A little bonus color came from the bouquet of red and yellow flowers that was sitting alongside a bowl of red persimmons.
When you put all of these pieces together, the lively motifs blended as naturally as shells and rocks on a sandy beach.
