Retro-lover transforms 'bachelor pad' to 'absolutely nuts' 1970s fantasy home
Orange walls, shag pile rugs, and psychedelic wallpaper - these all feature in the 1970s fantasy home belonging to Estelle Bilson.
The 45-year-old admits some of the decor in her home is 'absolutely nuts' and although she appreciates it's not to everyone's taste, it's what makes her happy.
The '70s enthusiast moved into her partner's 1900s Edwardian terrace in south Manchester at the end of 2015 and when she was stuck at home all day on maternity leave, decided to give herself a project.
She transformed the former white-walled 'bachelor pad' room by room, injecting warm hues, funky textiles, and mid-century furniture.
Estelle injected colour into the property... (@70shousemanchester)
...she started the DIY project during her mat leave (@70shousemanchester)"When my son was napping, I started to do DIY projects so that's where it started," Estelle, originally from the Midlands, told the Mirror.
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"Because it was winter, we were in the house so much, like it was with lockdown - we want a cosy, safe environment that makes you feel happy and secure.
"Colour has such an impact on your well-being, especially oranges and yellows. It's psychologically proven to actually cheer you up. It's a bit of dopamine.
"My interior is a bit of fun, it's a fantasy version of a 1970s home. When I open the door people go 'wow'.
"It's totally a creative outlet and extension of my personality."
Estelle says her obsession with the '70s isn't down to anything 'deep' but that she simply likes the style, form, and shape.
She credits the era for the first time interior design became accessible to all - with great quality furniture being massed-produced at much more affordable prices.
"The '60s and '70s were really transformational from a sociology point of view with people's buying habits," she explained.
"Especially things like bathrooms. They used to be cold, dismal spaces you didn't want to spend much time in but the '70s made them sexy.
"There were corner baths, coloured suites and shag pile carpets."
The plain bathroom before (@70shousemanchester)
Now it's Estelle's favourite room in the house (@70shousemanchester)Her favourite room has to be the bathroom, she says, which boasts a brown ombre three-piece suite and mirrored mosaic tiles, complete with a large disco ball hanging from the ceiling.
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"It's absolutely nuts," she admitted.
"I was skimming eBay one evening as I do and found a bonkers French 1970s three-piece suite in brown ombre and it was £20.
"My inspiration for the room was Studio 54 and because it's a small room, you can be extravagant with it.
"It has bronze mosaic mirror all over, faux marble, and gold accessories. As bathrooms go, it's insane. And people say 'well that's not '70s' and I know that.
"This represents complete fantasy. It's original furniture and my inspiration is taken from magazines and old vintage adverts, which were aspirational, so that's what it's about."
Growing up, her home was always filled with vintage antiques, and from the age of four, used to spend her weekends at auctions with her dad, who was an antique dealer and also a cabinet maker.
She says that back then, styles stood the test of time and didn't date as they do now with brief trends shared on Instagram.
And says items will never lose their value, unlike cheap IKEA buys, she claims.
Estelle says vintage pieces stand the test of time (@70shousemanchester)
The colourful home makes her happy (@70shousemanchester)Estelle, who has featured as an expert on BBC’s The Bidding Room, has decorated the three-bed pad on a shoestring but has lost track of how much in total she's spent on the renovation.
Almost everything is second-hand and is bought from eBay and Facebook Marketplace.
"That's why I've lost track of how much I've spent on the house," Estelle said.
"I do things incredibly on a shoestring. When I want something I've seen, I will search and search until I find a reasonable price.
"I lost track a long long time ago because the interesting thing is if you're tired of something vintage, you can sell it and there is no depreciation - the quality is there and there are always going to be people into a retro style.
"I know I can sell things for at least what I bought it for."
Estelle's most extravagant piece is her Marcel Breuer chair, which she got for a fraction of the price, while the only new items in the home are the family-of-three's smart TV, their mattresses, and their fridge/freezer and washing machine, which are concealed behind bright yellow kitchen cabinets, which she painted.
One of the more noticeable items that people comment on is their Keracolor - a large space-age TV that was designed and made in Manchester and Cheshire in the 1970s.
The kitchen before Estelle painted the cabinets (@70shousemanchester)
All she used was a tin of paint and some worktop vinyl (@70shousemanchester)Estelle says her son, six, is proud of the home - which is used by brands for photoshoots including ASOS - and loves to show his school friends around, while her partner Steve, also a lover of all things retro, is supportive of her design choices and has trusted her even more as time has gone on.
On the outside, the exterior is painted bright yellow, while the backyard is a 'palm springs' paradise.
"There is certainly not another '70s house on our street… I'm known by my neighbours for this house," she added.
After encouragement from her friends, she began sharing photos of the home on Instagram, setting up @70shousemanchester, which now has 100,000 followers.
As with other social media influencers, Estelle has received criticism, with some commenting that living there would 'give them a migraine'.
But she doesn't let it bother her.
"I wouldn't dream of going to someone's house and saying negative comments," the eccentric homeowner said.
"I'm not doing anything that hurts anybody. It makes me happy, my child loves it and is proud of it.
"I'm just living my life in this very orange corner being my authentic self."
Estelle says she loves giving people the confidence to be bold in their own homes (@70shousemanchester)
Estelle is known on her street for having the "'70s house" (@70shousemanchester)She has received immense support and admiration from her followers, who sometimes send her items she might like to buy.
And also has kind messages from followers saying her interior design has encouraged them to be bold in their own homes.
While the family are not looking to sell the house, she says an estate agent who valued the property a few years back doesn't think they'll have any problem and doesn't understand why people 'decorate to sell'.
"It's just paint. And if you really hate it, you can paint over it," said Estelle, who is looking to refresh the living room soon.
"Start off small and paint one wall, see how you feel. So many people have told me 'you've inspired me to put more colour in my house, you've really inspired me to be bolder in my choices.'
"I think if nothing else, that's beautiful because giving someone the self-esteem and confidence to be able to do that in their own home and then enjoying it - I think that's a lovely little legacy."
Estelle, who works as a freelancer for an events company and has her own range of homewares, now has her own book that tells the story of decorating her '70s shrine and is packed with tips and tricks for finding quality vintage pieces.
The book - 70s House: A bold homage to the most daring decade in design - is out on March 30 and is available to pre-order from Amazon here.
Do you have a quirky home dedicated to a particular decade? Please get in touch at [email protected]
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