When Samantha first contacted me, she had just moved into her new apartment and sent over some photographs for ideas. There weren’t yet any personal items in view, but I immediately recognised the setting: a 1960s townhouse, complete with original design features that have come back into fashion – cork-tiled flooring, simple low skirting boards, and semi-open living spaces framed by clear textured glass partitions. It had that unmistakable feel I’ve always referred to as a “60s townhouse,” though I didn’t realise then just how in demand this aesthetic had become.
From our first conversation, Samantha described wanting to display potted plants, books, and objets d’art – a mix that felt perfectly suited to the period style of the apartment. It was clear early on that Elfa Sparring shelving would be an ideal fit: flexible, minimalist, and sympathetic to the era’s functional design principles.
We supplied and installed a full wall of Elfa’s traditional solid shelving brackets – part of what’s often referred to as the “Sparring Range.” These wall-mounted metal uprights and adjustable brackets allowed for open wood shelving that felt integrated with the home’s architecture rather than imposed on it. Samantha styled it just as we’d imagined – warm wood shelves, sculptural ceramics, vintage books, and lush greenery.
At the time of installation in 2022, the full shelving system came in at £1,288 – excellent value for a tailored solution that celebrated the home’s original features while adding practical storage and character.
Since then, it’s become clear that this project was part of a much wider design revival. Across Instagram and Pinterest, Elfa Sparring shelving is being reinterpreted as a stylish, modern solution – not just a utilitarian system from the past. Influencers like @a.start.of.something and @maisonbymia have popularised this look, showing how modular metal brackets and wooden shelves can form beautiful, lived-in spaces filled with personality.
Bloggers such as Alice in Scandiland have also championed the use of twin-slot systems, spray-painting the brackets gold or pairing them with birch plywood for a mid-century look. As trend forecasters have pointed out, the return of 1970s textures and flexible storage reflects a desire for warmth, adaptability, and nostalgia – all qualities perfectly embodied by Elfa Sparring shelving.
Samantha’s townhouse shelving now feels very much part of that narrative: retro but fresh, modest but expressive. It’s a perfect example of how the right storage system can do more than organise – it can tell a story, echo an era, and evolve with the space.
We’ll be sharing more Elfa Sparring shelving projects in the coming weeks. For now, Samantha’s installation stands as a perfect example of how mid-century practicality can meet 21st-century styling.
Read more about this design trend here…
Organise Space – Elfa Experts
