It was 1996 and a couple of brilliant creatives were plotting, on behalf of Ikea, the death of chintz. Dave Buonaguidi and Naresh Ramchandani couldn't have known their ad would have such impact on British interiors - and for years to come. Those were the Nineties though, a time of optimism and openness to foreign ideas such as bright and minimal Scandinavian aesthetics.
Fast forward a couple of decades and we find ourselves in a rather different scenario. These are uncertain times and the general need to seek reassurance is reflected in much cosier, embracing interiors. In a context where “granny chic” has become a lasting trend, tried and tested pillars of British aesthetics have been resurrected - and chintz has found, once more, pride of place in contemporary homes. The irony of it all is that Ikea, once chintz’s archenemy, is now selling a sofa that looks suspiciously flowery to me (see pics below).
I guess the moral to this story, if there is one, is never to get rid of anything - sooner or later you’ll surely come to regret it.