There was a time before Instagram interiors, when the identity of an era was defined by Millennial modernist. These 3 tips will help you adorn your interiors with a Y2K Futurist aesthetic:

FYTTEKLUB

“Democratic Design.” How revolutionary! The late 90s saw IKEA become the undisputed default for furnishing the urban, post-student interior. A mass-distributed template for self-definition. Item as identity (see the Fight Club scene). As much as The Sims replicated modern life, modern life replicated The Sims. Open the catalogue. Select and install a new living room. A paradise of white plastic. Thankfully, IKEA is still producing some of the era’s greatest hits. Always worth a wander.

Visit the Chrome&Candy Product Portal to for IKEA finds both new and vintage.

Under-Counter Culture

Lighting in the late 90s wasn’t all lava lamps and IKEA ice cubes. Integrated lighting took off as the tech finally became compact, cheap, and easily concealable. Low-voltage halogen spots were already popular but electrical evolution made it easier to tuck power conversion inside ceilings, cabinetry, and furniture. With the era’s appetite for cleaner ceilings and “architectural” lighting layers, soon all kitchens, bathrooms and beyond were sporting spotlights. It came off a little corporate, but these days, similar aesthetics can be achieved with LED light strips that allow for changing colour temperature and dimness. And with Bluetooth connectivity, it’s one area where we are actually living in the future that was promised.

Before We Posted, We Postered

When the walls weren’t completely clean and corporate, they looked like the control room in The Truman Show: covered in faces. Posters featured fashion editorial, sports stars and pop acts — whether it was Britpop bands like Oasis or global pop stars like Britney Spears. HMV and Athena carried dozens of designs. Shoppers flipped through large wall racks, picked numbered posters, and took the rolls home to unravel and blue-tack up. Collaged in were pull-outs and centrefolds. Smash Hits, FourFourTwo and all manner of magazines covering music, media and culture. Of course, none of this was new. Posters had been a part of British youth culture since at least the 70s. But the late 90s saw pop culture reach its fever pitch, displacing traditional tastes. Displaying posters was just another way to keep the youth in yuppie.