Freddie Mercury's '70s Living Room Paired Floral and Tartan

freddie mercury on a train in black and white — (Image credit: Rob Verhorst via Getty Images)

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Recreate Freddie's Look at Home

'Grandma chic' interiors are on the rise, and with them, so is pattern mixing. This wide open briefing can feel intimidating (what patterns should you use? and how should you mix them?). Luckily, Freddie Mercury's foolproof formula of pairing tartan and florals provides a blueprint.

We spotted the Queen frontman's cleverly pattern-mixed interiors in an archival image from 1969, showcasing his Shepherd's Bush, London flat. Freddie plays guitar on a brown leather sofa, with a woven and tartan throw creating texture and pattern. Traditional floral wallpaper gives the walls a classic feel.

Once considered dated, we've seen both of these patterns surging in popularity. From the ditsy floral trend to ultra-stylish brands like Addison Ross creating a tartan collection, these stunning prints are more desirable than ever. To explore the granny chic look, here's a sneak peek into Freddie's apartment. I have also curated an edit of products for recreating his look, and spoken to experts to understand why this look works.

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freddie mercury in his living room — Freddie Mercury at his flat in Shepherd's Bush, London, 1969

Recreate Freddie's Look at Home

Exact Match

Family – Family Entertainment Lp + Poster

Freddie Mercury brightens his wall with a Family Entertainment poster, and you can do the same thanks to the fact that eBay makes it easy to shop vintage pieces second hand. It would look gorgeous in a gold frame for an elevated twist.

Timeless

Mulberry Wallpaper

An utterly classic floral motif that will always look beautiful in any season, in any year. The depth this colorway and motif adds to a room is quite extraordinary and can make an icy cold room feel much toastier and cozier almost instantly.

Best vintage

Ainsley Vegan

Potentially one of my favorite couches, this distressed faux-leather sofa is ultra-premium. It's crafted from solid oak with angled dowels and rolled arms, cultivating a vintage, minimalist aesthetic.

Butter Yellow

Plaid Ruffle-Trimmed Pillow Cover

Traditional tartan meets feminine, country charm in this ruffle-edged cushion. Its pastel buttery yellow check and gathered trim make it a perfect accent for layered, lived-in sofas or cozy reading corners.

stylish weave

Cable Knit Throw Blanket

Freddie layers blankets to transform his sofa into a suptuous and cozy spot to sink in. This cable knit one from Target feels like if you turned your favorite sweater into a throw blanket.

Reversible Print

Shetland Wool Throw Blanket in Pink/Red

Reversible and hypoallergenic, this Shetland wool throw reimagines tartan in vibrant pink and purple tones. Draped over an armchair or folded at the foot of the bed, it’s an easy cozy layering trick.

Though not all trends from the '70s are making a widespread return, looking at the interiors from this period is a great way to understand what worked about those spaces and how to translate it into a modern context. Tartan is one of those classic details. Its adjacency to stripes means it doesn't look too overwhelming, and it's a great way to integrate a mix of colors into any room.

As Freddie's space shows, the pattern looks even better when mixed with florals. Megan Slack, design expert and Head of Celebrity Style at Homes & Gardens explains: 'The clean lines of tartan contrasted with the earthy freedom of a floral print will always look fabulous. The key is to incorporate the prints in different parts of the room. Freddie's example of using a tartan throw with floral wallpaper is gorgeous, but you could also mix in a variety of throw pillows, upholstery, or even patterned furniture.'

Pattern drenching is all the rage, and Freddie's example is just one beautiful formula for making it work. How will you be styling a mix of patterns in your home?

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Sophie is a writer and News Editor on the Celebrity Style team at Homes & Gardens. She is fascinated by the intersection of design and popular culture and is particularly passionate about researching trends and interior history. She is an avid pop culture fan and has interviewed Martha Stewart and Hillary Duff.

In her free time, Sophie freelances on design news for Westport Magazine and Livingetc. She also has a newsletter, My Friend's Art, in which she covers music, culture, and fine art through a personal lens. Her fiction has appeared in Love & Squalor and The Isis Magazine.

Before joining Future, Sophie worked in editorial at Fig Linens and Home, a boutique luxury linens brand. She has an MSc from Oxford University and a BA in Creative Writing and Sociology from Sarah Lawrence College.