If you’re planning a party for New Year’s Eve, why not make it a retro one? Step back in time to the 70s and recreate the cocktail cabinet that all mid-century housewives wished they had. I’ve styled up this G Plan Fresco cabinet with vintage barware and snacks so here’s how you can do the same…
I love a bit of teak furniture. And you can’t beat G Plan furniture for recreating that mid-century vibe, can you? I borrowed this Fresco cabinet from Design20C for my Design Icon column in this month’s Reclaim magazine so I thought I’d share some photos of how we styled it to get that 70s party feel.
Firstly, use glassware from the era. Branded cocktail glasses are always a surefire way to get that retro feel, especially if you can find some Babycham champagne glasses. Add a soda siphon, decanters and a vintage tile tray for slicing up lemon, limes and strawberries to add to your retro-luxe cocktails.
Of course, you’ll want to get the party started with plenty of festive tipples, but stick to retro brands for a truly vintage vibe. I found some small bottles of CherryB and Babycham, but you could also stock up on Snowballs, or make your own with Advocaat. Blue Nun is the only wine brand to serve at your 70s party.
Don’t forget to add paper umbrellas to every cocktail. Just make sure they’ve got a glacé cherry or two studded on the bottom of cocktail stick. Tiny cocktail coasters with a scalloped edge are also a must for protecting the teak surface of your G Plan cabinet.
Delight your guests at your New Year’s party by serving up some retro nibbles to accompany their drinks. A green glass bowl of bombay mix is essential. The taste will transport guests back to their youth, as will dry-roasted peanuts and salty pretzels. Don’t forget the cocktail-stick dispenser if you’re dishing up briny olives or cheese and pineapple.
All that’s left to do is to water the hanging spider plant, wear your best flares and pull those party poppers at midnight. Happy new year 1975!
If you’re interested in mid-century furniture and G Plan’s famous cocktail cabinets, have a read of my Design Icon feature in Issue 34 of Reclaim magazine. It’s in shops now and I’ve styled 3 different G-Plan cabinets for the party season.
Thanks to Design20C for letting me use their shop space and retro products for this photo shoot and for helping me to style up this festive vintage cocktail cabinet.
