By Mr.Andrew Caxton
The lava lamp has survived the 1960s to become a style icon. Whether out of nostalgia or for their soulful retro look, they are still in vogue today.
In terms of interior design the 1960s and 1970s were not decades that particularly made a positive impact. There is however one 1960s piece of decorative kit that holds a special place in my heart. I am referring to the omnipresent lava lamps. Their viscous lumps of wax came in a variety of psychedelic colors. You could find them in purple, lime green, pink and yellow amongst other shades. Lava lamp would become my main focal point whenever there was one around.
Whenever I was in a room with one, my attention went to it automatically, as if I was hypnotized by the suspended, vibrantly colored. I found them to be a completely innocuous pleasure and rather relaxing, especially if combined with Indian music and the scent of burning incense.
People my age buy the lava lamps that are manufactured nowadays out of nostalgia while youngsters are attracted to their retro look. They may be considered tacky and ordinary today but I find them curiously soothing. Maybe it is because they were invented in more buoyant times.
They are still being made today, bought by my generation for reasons of nostalgia and by young people who love the retro look of them. I know they’re trashy and unsubtle but there’s something strangely comforting about them. Perhaps they represent a more optimistic age. I may even possibly purchase one though it would not really sit in well with the rest of my d