The 1960s were a revolutionary time in household goods. Appliances were ever more reliable, home decor was a vibrant mix of rococo and flower power, and the concept of saving time and space were paramount in the new modern home. At the 1963 Daily Mail Ideal Home Exhibition in London some pretty novel ideas were put forth to the public in this expo. See what was happening in homewares this year.
A Chippendale bedroom that only costs £2,000 was one highlight, all done up in blue and yellow. This would be over $50,000 in today’s cash. Clearly this show room was an aspiration for most people who viewed it at the exhibition.
But, all that money might be worth it for a vanity mirror which is concealed electronically at the touch of a button.
There were a number of very decorated rooms at the expo, like this pink floral bedroom complete with padded headboard.
And for sheer luxury there is a mink covered futon. That’s right, this thing converts. The cost was a mere 2,000 guineas or about £2,100 in 1963 money.
There were a number of cheerful kitchens on display, each showcasing modern cabinetry and some of them were even DIY kits that could be installed at home.
Yellow and blue seemed to be the ideal colors for 1963 in terms of kitchens.
This kitchen featured a drawer that was accessible from either side of the island. Pretty nifty stuff!
One innovation was a top mount dishwasher which fitted into the kitchen sink. This seems like it could get pretty messy, but perhaps that’s why it never really caught on.
Another novelty was the front-loading wall-mount dishwasher. At the time previous dishwasher models had all been loaded from the top, a less than ideal configuration as far as convenience goes.
The displays also featured many different types of gardens, including exotic cacti and bromeliad varietals. Many other inventions for the home were featured at the Daily Mail Ideal Home Exhibition, like an electrical outlet inside the kitchen sink which could be used to power a buffer or a mixer attachment. It sounds risky, but you can see what you think in the video of the expo below.