1970s Home Collection

Overview

This project explores how 1970s interior design images from magazines can be organized using structured descriptive categories. Rather than focusing only on visuals, the project analyzes how design is described through language.

I am doing this project to explore the cultural, political, and social impact of the 1970s and how it continues to influence design and modern life today. I also want this project to be accessible beyond the classroom, offering inspiration for interior designers and creative individuals who draw from historical styles and aesthetics in their work.

Data Collection

Architectural Digest
Better Homes and Gardens

Each image represents a room or interior space. The goal is to organize and describe them in a consistent, searchable way.

Archive Preview

Living Room

Green, wood, modern

Kitchen

Orange laminate, vinyl

Bedroom

Beige, fabric, soft textures

Ontology

Room Type

Living room, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom

Colors

Red, orange, yellow, green, earth tones

Style

Modern, rustic, minimalist, vintage

Materials

Wood, marble, glass, metal

Furniture

Table, couch, bed, chair

Data Structure

<mag>
    <ptr target="image1.jpg"/>
    <roomType>living room</roomType>
    <colors>green, beige</colors>
    <style>modern</style>
    <materials>wood, fabric</materials>
</mag>

Future Development

The archive is treated as a living system that continues to evolve through research, expansion, and structural refinement. This section outlines the ongoing directions that guide its development.

icon representing annotations on a piece of paper for research and analysis

Ongoing Research

Continued study of 1970s magazines and design materials helps refine accuracy and deepen understanding of terminology, style, and historical context.

Archive Expansion

The archive grows through the addition of new interiors, categorized examples, and visual documentation drawn from magazines and historical sources.

icon representing a blueprint for system and website evolution

System Evolution

The website continues to develop as a structured digital archive, improving navigation, layout systems, and interactive presentation of data.

Sources

This archive is built from a combination of digital magazine archives, physical design references, and icon assets used for ontology classification and visual structure.

Icon Credits (Ontology System)

Icons used in the ontology system are sourced from Flaticon and attributed to their respective creators.

Colors: Color icons created by See Icons — Flaticon source
Flooring: Floor icons created by Freepik — Flaticon source
Furniture: Home furniture icons created by Graphix's Art — Flaticon source
Materials: Material icons created by Three Musketeers — Flaticon source
Room Type: Paint brush icons created by Freepik — Flaticon source
Ongoing Research: Document icons created by Freepik — Flaticon source
Archive Expansion: Book icons created by mikan933 — Flaticon source
System Evolution: Prototype icons created by wanicon — Flaticon source

Magazine & Archive Sources

Better Homes & Gardens Archive (digital collection, accessed via https://archive.bhg.com/ ) — used for visual and textual reference of 1970s domestic interiors and design language.
Architectural Digest — reference material from physical magazine issues used for the study of interior design composition, spatial layout, and material usage in domestic environments.