Apartment Interiors
New York City Apartment and Loft Interiors of the 1970s
In the 1970s, job losses due to industrial restructuring caused New York City to suffer from economic problems and rising crime rates. The decade was fraught with recession, corruption, and high unemployment; it was also a time of renewed environmentalism and backlash against materialism. The design trends of the decade are a reflection of the society and culture in that particular time and place. Architecture and interior design was at an important turning point: the certainties and rigors of postwar Modernism were giving way to a sense of adventure and pluralism. While excitement and indulgence in new technologies and gadgetry was being pursued, so was the greater awareness of historical style and the ecological. High tech aesthetics swept aside the trendy Pop Art rooms of the 60's, promising a way of life that was spare, clean, functional, and affordable.
Through photographs of apartment and loft interiors in the city, Bill Maris and Julie Semel captured the transition from the Modernist themes of the 1960s to the playful experimentation of the 1970s. In spite of the backlash, modernism was still a dominant force in the 70s. Its lean rationalism provided sleek solutions to the concerns of the times, including space and energy saving elements such as multipurpose and modular furniture, kitchen equipment built into walls, and capsule bathrooms.
Through photographs of apartment and loft interiors in the city, Bill Maris and Julie Semel captured the transition from the Modernist themes of the 1960s to the playful experimentation of the 1970s. In spite of the backlash, modernism was still a dominant force in the 70s. Its lean rationalism provided sleek solutions to the concerns of the times, including space and energy saving elements such as multipurpose and modular furniture, kitchen equipment built into walls, and capsule bathrooms.
Hoffman Apartment
Apartment Dining Area
Sloven Apartment
Knuckles Apartment
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Hoffman Apartment
Apartment Hallway
Sloven Apartment
Knuckles Apartment
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Hoffman Apartment
Hanford Yang Loft
Sloven Apartment
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