Y2K Homeware To Buy For A Noughties Nostalgia Hit
From lava lamps to faux fur rugs, here’s how to make the best of millennium-inspired interiors
image The Simple Life, Bunim/Murray Productions
words Heather Gwyther
Whether you have distinct memories of going to the Millenium Dome and sticking those gooey little Millenium aliens together to make them have babies, or you were but a babe yourself at the turn of the century, the Y2K aesthetic is currently unavoidable. It’s in Bella Hadid's face-framing hair strands and litany of low-rise trousers. Dua Lipa’s butterfly obsession. The cast of Euphoria’s cut-outs and face gems. To spell it out for you: Y2K is cool. And now, it’s invading our living spaces as well as our wardrobes. As an aesthetic that’s serious about nothing but fun, it offers respite from the world as it is at the moment - unsure, stressful, a bit sad.
Indeed, when it first arose, society was in a similar mood. Originally, ‘Y2K’ was a computer bug that caused widespread anxiety in the late 90s. People feared that computer systems the world over - from those controlling nuclear power plants to interest rates – would be unable to interpret the ‘00’ correctly when we entered the year 2000, thus causing a massive glitch with severe consequences. In the end, nothing too disastrous happened, but this fear of the future coupled with an uncontained excitement about it inspired an unmistakably Y2K aesthetic.
So, what does it look like? Funnily, it has a strong 60s element that manifests as psychedelic prints, fuzzy furnishings and lava lamps (think the Austin Powers franchise). Then, influenced by both the dawn of the internet and new technologies in general, there’s something slightly more predictable: futurism – a fun and fabulous futurism, to be precise. At the time, this looked like the iMac G3 and felt like the sass of a flip phone.
Now, how you welcome the Y2K aesthetic into your home is entirely a matter of personal preference. But be it with a single heart-shaped mirror or several fluorescent furry cushions, we promise it will make you smile. Well, it’s either that or be called ‘cheugy’.
CERULEAN
Ikea - Nyckeln Shower Curtain
Chosen because it represented a sense of peace and hope for the future, cerulean was the Pantone Colour of the Year for 2000.. Turquoise, of course, is not cerulean, but it’s close enough and this shower curtain will offer just as much of a fresh start to your bathroom.
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