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By Houzz

March 28, 2017

Concepts by Gavin Hepper

What's old is new again: How shag, cork and slate got their groove back

We all know that fashion moves in cycles, and that’s certainly true for trends in interiors. This year we’re seeing a resurgence in some of the classic flooring finishes from the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s: think cork, terracotta, boldly patterned tiles, shag carpet and slate.

Designers are falling in love with these finishes all over again, and it’s easy to see why. They are a pleasure to live with, look warm and welcoming, and will age gracefully (with the exception, perhaps, of the shag carpet).

Of course, what’s different this time around is the treatment: our old favourites are applied in a more refined way – featuring matt finishes rather than gloss and in a more restrained colour palette.

If you’re fortunate enough to have some original slate, terracotta or cork tiling in your home, don’t rip it out. Giving it a 21st-century makeover is a cost-effective (and more environmentally friendly) way to update your interiors. Shag carpeting and patterned tiles, however, are best applied new: the modern incarnations of these finishes draw inspiration from, rather than replicate, the originals.

Let’s take a look at how to update your interiors by refreshing and restyling these retro classics.

Cork
Cork is the current darling of the interiors world, adorning everything from feature walls and light fixtures to kitchen decor. And it’s easy to see why: its texture and colour render it incredibly versatile, and cork will enhance and coordinate with just about any interior scheme.

For existing cork-tiled floors, old oil-based sealants may have turned the tiles an orange colour. They may also have faded in sunny areas and darkened in areas covered by furniture, and there may be dents from wear and tear. Restoration is possible: call in a timber flooring professional who will give your cork floor a gentle sand and reseal it with polyurethane. Sealing is important – it adds durability, stops dirt getting ground into your cork and makes it waterproof.

Even after sanding and resealing, an older cork floor may have a distressed, “vintage” patina, which brings authenticity to Hamptons or country-styled rooms.

In this fabulously retro kitchen – part of a revamp of a ’60s house in Melbourne – the cork flooring, timber detailing, and pastel colours work together to create a contemporary, slightly Scandinavian vibe. Smarter Bathrooms, the designers of this Northcote home, chose cork for its no-fuss aesthetic and durability in high-traffic areas.

Know your flooring: cork

If you’re not crazy about cork’s natural tan colouring, choose a stained finish. It’s available in a veritable rainbow of colours – from dark browns, lime-washed whites and pastels, right through to reds, blues and greens. This home, designed by Guild Architects and which took out an award for its enviro-credentials at the 2016 Sustainability Awards, features dark-brown cork flooring from Comcork. Easy on the eye and underfoot, this floor underpins the home’s sophisticated mid-century styling and picks up on the darker accents in the joinery.

Shag carpet

Despite being derided as Austin Powers’ floor covering of choice, shag carpet is, well, groovy baby. Modern versions are luxurious, tactile and make a super-fun statement. Wall-to-wall shag carpeting is a luxe option in low-traffic areas such as the bedroom or living room: it’s warm, feels soft and cosy underfoot, and is also beautiful to sit on.

While shag is often most effective as an irresistible counterpoint to minimalist decor, here it’s paired with a flamboyant ’60s-inspired wallpaper. What keeps it contemporary, however, is the cool grey colour selection.

If you’re not ready to commit to wall-to-wall carpet, get the look with a shag rug instead. For large rugs such as the one pictured here, let the texture make the statement and go “quieter” with the colour: white, pastel greys or stoney neutrals are ideal.

In this Melbourne warehouse conversion by Maike Design Studio, the lush white rug both softens the minimalist design and echoes the raw, tactile surfaces of the original building.

Is your home ready for a 1970s revival?

For a quick, on-trend update for a tired room, a jewel-toned shag will add instant vibrance and personality. Look for pretty shades of apple green or deep sapphire blue.

Slate tiles
Raw materials are big news in interiors at the moment and slate, with its naturally cleaved, chalk-like finish, fits the bill perfectly. A metamorphic rock, one of slate’s unique characteristics is its rough-hewn, sometimes uneven surface and wild, earthy colouring (which can range from shades of khaki or soft blue-grey through to black).

An aged slate floor will often look unkempt and lacklustre, chipped, scratched or cracked (read: ugly).  However, these are not reasons to give up on it – properly restored, it will transform your interiors and add significant value and currency to your home.

Restoration will require professional intervention – a stone flooring expert will mend fractures and fissures, scrub off the decades of grime and built-up finishing agents, and reseal the tiles. 

Here’s the 30-year-old floor of a Canberra home after restoration. The tiles have been repaired, scrubbed and resealed. This process revealed the beautiful colouring of the slate, which had dulled with age. Fresh, light-coloured grout modernises the finish.

While slate is undeniably back in vogue, the 21st-century spin on this classic finish is a little different. New slate tile offerings are honed to a smooth satin or matt finish, laid with minimal grout lines and offer, overall, a more refined aesthetic.  And while slate can be any colour from khaki to tan, the dark grey and black varieties are currently in demand.

Browse more kitchen stories

Patterned tiles
Another ’70s throwback is the patterned floor tile. But we’re not talking about the mustardy florals that still haunt your design nightmares. This time around, the colour palette is decidedly more appealing, with blues, greys, and black and white taking the spotlight. The patterns are definitely retro and often flamboyant, drawing heavily on the Spanish mission and Moroccan styles.

This look is best captured with cement or encaustic tiles: their handmade, artisanal quality lends them a subdued softness, which enables them to be applied to large surface areas without becoming garish. However, as the trend gathers momentum, tile manufacturers are coming to the party with good-quality factory-produced options that are more accessibly priced.

Patterned tiles aren’t just for the kitchen or bathroom: they can also be used to delineate and define different spaces within a home.

Terracotta
From an interiors perspective, terracotta is enjoying a renewed moment, and we’re falling in love with its rustic warmth all over again. Terracotta is made from clay and its colour varies from peachy-pinks through to burnt orange, depending on where it was manufactured. As a floor covering, it’s versatile enough to underpin a range of decorating themes, from coastal chic through to Mediterranean or Moroccan-inspired looks.

The problem with an ’80s-era terracotta-tiled floor is that it can look a little bit too rustic. Older terracotta floors are generally discoloured from years of traffic, and typically have fairly large concrete grout lines – if grubby, these can really pull down the look of your floor.

Because older terracotta-tiled floors are most likely sealed, it’s best to call in a professional tile cleaner to remove the years of grime and bring the tiles and grout back to their original colour. Have them resealed with a matt varnish, which will bring out the terracotta’s natural colour variations, and then have the whole thing re-grouted in a soft off-white. Your floor will retain its gorgeous rustic charm, but the overall look with be fresher and cleaner.

Once your terracotta tiles have been restored, pair them with crisp white walls and furniture. The result: friendly, welcoming and modern.

Things you should know

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