Sixties chic makes a stylish comeback: Inside a modern, mid-century home

Who: Marty Gilchrist, with partner Erica Frick and Marty’s sons Keller (12) and Asher (9)

What: Mid-century magic

Where: West Footscray, Victoria

Marty Gilchrist, partner Erica, and his two sons Keller and Asher moved into this stunning mid-century modern home in January of this year, and quickly added their own contemporary edge to the 1960s property. Gilchrist describes its vibe as “at its heart, mid-century – but it’s not a hard-and-fast rule’’.

Rich timber, period furniture and a peppering of jungle greenery bring this property to life. Gilchrist declares that the house “felt like home from night one’’.

A menagerie of table, chairs and cabinets looks like it was custom-sourced to slide right into this 1960s home, but Gilchrist says that they had in fact been collected over many years of Gumtree-trawling and second-hand shopping.

When this house came onto the market, he knew it would be “the perfect match’’. The architecture and the furniture were meant for each other, it was the ideal mid-century marriage.

Gilchrist’s favourite part of the house is its arresting staircase. “The staircase is part of the house’s steel frame, and we love how the handrail continues all the way up to the ceiling.

“At night the lights cast beautiful shadows across the timber floors.’’

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Lighting in the rest of the house was slightly more challenging, and required extensive research and testing to find replacements for its “daggy’’ fittings.

Gilchrist and Frick eventually settled on Danish brand Fog and Morup. Their wall lights illuminate the timber-swathed walls with a warm, orange, very ’60s glow.

There is a lot of timber, in architectural details and furniture. Gilchrist admits it might be a bit too much for some to have triple-timber detailing in the entrance way, yet it works perfectly. The layers of texture bring a richness to this minimal palette, and offer a robust solution for high-traffic areas.

This little slice of the ’60s is a true gem, and brings the best of the decade into a glowing new future.

Hunt for treasure

Mid-century modern interiors haven’t been this popular, since, well, the 1950s. Vintage furniture is in hot demand, but there are still bargains to be had. Here’s some tips.

• Make Gumtree and eBay work harder – determine key words for the style you’re after and turn on notifications, so you know when new pieces are listed.
• When bidding on expensive pieces, double-check shipping costs first. If buying internationally, ensure the quote gets furniture to your door (not just to the docks).
• Seek out local “Buy, Swap and Sell” Facebook groups in your area – they can be cheaper than eBay.
• The best op-shops are always the ones in unexpected locations. Take a road trip.