Barbara's Club Blog

Verre de Murano vintage : objet de salon et pièce de collection
Verre de Murano vintage : objet de salon et pièce de collection
  Une lampe champignon en lattimo opalin, une sphère en verre ambré striée de filets blancs, un cône torsadé dont la couleur vire du rose au corail selon l'angle, un... Read more...
Léopard en céramique vintage années 70-80 - Club Barbara
Why the 80s are back in the most desirable interiors
Today, what the most discerning decorators have been discreetly practicing for years is now appearing in the pages of Architectural Digest and Wallpaper*: lacquer, blown glass, Italian ceramics, postmodern geometry.... Read more...
Who is Barbara D'Arcy, the art director who revolutionized 1970s interior design?
Some interiors feel like a dream we've already had, like a reminiscence. One day, a client told me: "Your universe has something dreamlike about it." That dreamed-of Miami of the 70s, those pastels and hazy atmospheres that only existed in that decade, the extravagant shapes that occupy space like a movie set. A brass palm tree floor lamp in a corner, a pink flamingo against a powdery background, a warm, grazing light on ceramic and Murano glass. This week, I'd like to share one of the women who most influenced... Read more...
How to incorporate 70s and 80s vintage pieces into a modern decor
The delicate transparency of a Murano glass light fixture or the pure lines of a 70s leather shell sofa are captivating. These objects have a certain je-ne-sais-quoi, a presence, an energy, that contemporary productions rarely manage to match. Vintage pieces from the 70s-80s are experiencing an undeniable renaissance, and for good reason: they embody an era when design still had something to say. The real question is not whether you will acquire them. It's how to integrate them appropriately into today's interior, with boldness and elegance.     This era... Read more...
Sergio Terzani and Italy in the Age of Enlightenment, 70s-80s
There is, in certain Italian light fixtures from the 70s and 80s, a certain je-ne-sais-quoi, like a visual signature recognizable among all others. It's not just about lighting; it's about setting a scene, creating a true atmosphere. I invite you to immerse yourself in this chapter, with the online release of the palm tree floor lamp attributed to Sergio Terzani, and an overview of the Italian designers who shaped this era of interior design, amidst gilded brass, Lattimo opal glass, spectacular glass chandeliers, and magnificent botanical silhouettes. Read more...
Decorative Snakes: Symbols of Mystery and Glamour in 70s-80s Italian Design
In the history of decorative arts, few motifs span centuries with as much power as that of the serpent. From antiquity to 20th-century high jewelry houses, it embodies rebirth, metamorphosis, and a form of silent power. In the 70s and 80s, this mythological figure experienced a new ascent. It became one of the emblems of Italian design, where nature, sensuality, and extravagance blended into a resolutely modern visual language.     At the heart of this decade, Italian designers playfully blended sculpture and decoration with elegance. As seen with Tommaso... Read more...
Decorative big cats, icons of 70s-80s glamour
Journal Club B explores the vintage aesthetic of the 70s and 80s: a look at Italian design, Murano glass, feline ceramics, and revisited Palm Springs glamour. Read more...
Barbara Summer Club Cinema: 10 films to see for a colorful summer
Welcome to the Ciné Summer Club Barbara : discover our Summer Club Barbara filmography to offer you a sweet 80s vibe movie evening on your TV, a cocktail in hand , lit by the soft light of one of our magnificent retro 80s lamps , of course! Let's go! - The Birdcage (1996): I rewatched this movie a few months ago and found some scenes absolutely hilarious. I preferred the American version of La Cage aux Folles for its colorful universe and its Florida Vibe. And then we love Robin... Read more...
Memphis Milano, the quintessential 80's design
Founded in 1981 by the Italian architect Ettore Sottsass, the Memphis group brings together a dozen international members, architects, designers, draftsmen and writers determined to deconstruct existing design and artistic movements and open up the field of possibilities. Geometric patterns mixed with electric colors, deconstructed shapes and assemblages of new and classic materials revisited such as plastic laminate, marble, glass, tubes, industrial materials, etc. the freedom to create was at the heart of the design movement which ended in 1988. Furniture, tableware and lighting, the Memphis Milano group introduces patterns... Read more...
Cocktail Club Barbara: the recipe for Exotic Blue, your summer cocktail
Fancy lady! Discover today the recipe for the Exotic Blue cocktail, and let yourself be carried away by the smooth flavors of this drink straight out of the book "1000 cocktails" and its inimitable vintage sunset photos. To be enjoyed this summer in a vintage Club Barbara cocktail glass of course! You will need: - 4cl of blue curacao - 2cl of fresh cream - 8cl of pineapple juice - 1 piece of pineapple - 1 cherry Shake the curacao, cream and juice well with ice in a shaker. Strain... Read more...