Orange – a combination of the colours red and yellow. Associations with delicious tropical fruit, glowing sunsets or a warming open fire. Discover the life-affirming mood of the 1970s! But what significance does it have today?
Is there such a thing as a "Colour Revival"?
If you watch just one episode of "2 Broke Girls", it would appear so! The series is awash with the colour orange as well as the designs and style of the 70s. The exceedingly popular US Sitcom featuring Kat Dennings and Beth Behrs was first broadcast in the US in 2011.
The following facts dominate the programme:
Interior design – tasteful.
Storyline – a matter of taste.
The "2 Broke Girls" Set Designer clearly bases the sets on a style epoch that used specific colours and shapes to influence the (pop)cultural artefacts of the time – in terms of fashion, product and graphic design, as well as interior design and architecture. A "mere" four decades later, this aesthetic now adds unmistakable character to the series: clear style statements and visual references combined with contemporary language and conventions. For the series is not set in the 70s, but in the here and now.
But let's go back to the topic of set design. The focal point for all protagonists is the eventful workplace of the two waitresses – a classic American Diner in trendy Williamsburg in Brooklyn, New York. As already mentioned, the viewer is taken on a journey through time back to the style of the 70s. From wood-clad walls and counters to orange bar stools and classic American diner booths, it feels like a typical 1970s vibe.
Max and Caroline's uniforms in yellow and red, too, suit the environment perfectly. But the most obvious feature of this retro scene is found on the walls: the classic ivory-coloured wallpaper with diagonal diamond shapes in orange and brown. Unobtrusive but ever so present. This striking detail determines the restaurant's atmospheric ambience and might serve to convince even the last doubter of the fact that the 70s are back!
Orange as a way of life? Why not? This type of wall décor promises a nostalgic sense of well-being and warmth in your own home. Lean back in your retro armchair and listen to the befitting sounds of Janis Joplin or Jimi Hendrix. In this spirit: Welcome back to the 70s!
*Now Available: "2 Broke Girls: Season 3" on DVD
Text: szim
