Going full retro with your Span House
Home design piece commissioned by Homify
A whole breath of fresh air in housing
European urban planning and housing development has left us with limitless creative possibilities to maximize the comfort and aesthetics of our homes. Not least because of the wonderful mix of old and modern that leaves a lot of room for play in that respect. But one particular housing development style has thrived exceptionally despite being relatively newer than their majority neighboring counterparts; the Span housing estates were architectured by Eric Lyns and developed by Geoffrey Townsend between the '50s and '70s in the UK. The term Span comes from the vision of spanning suburban living from contemporary affordable to designer pads. But how to make the most of your space in these developments with furniture that brings retro living to a whole?
With 2,100 homes throughout 73 estates, Span Houses turned suburban living into a must in the UK.
Living Space
As a matter of fact, achieving good results during the planning of your Span house retro style might turn out to be simpler than what it first seems as names such as Arne Jacobsen, Conran, Verner Panton among others will be popping up during your visits to places like the Chalk Farm antique market, a definite starting point to visit if your quest is for inspiration. After all, stumbling upon a Robin Day sofa might be just what you need to get your ideas flowing. Here is a very sleek example of how this clean-cut furniture fits into a Span housing style:
The masterful use of additional wooden furniture complementing the flooring only brings in the pastoral feel from the surrounding external greenery, so typical of Span developments. The coffee table is a Paolozzi & Nigel Henderson classic and the sideboard by Robert and Dorothy Heritage. The wooden armrests from this Robin Day sofa serve as a sprinkley last touch to the overall result.
As Span House communities were purposely built-in green suburban areas and as the typically large glass windows bring the nature indoors, playing with colors is never a mistake if done with inspiration:
