A madcap dad is living in the past after spending thousands of pounds transforming his home into a shrine to the 1970s.
Martin Aylett, 51, spends hours attending vintage fairs searching for 70s treasures for his modest two-bedroom semi.
He’s laid garish brown and orange kitchen tiles to go with his 1974 Russell Hobbs toaster and orange kitchen units.
The divorced dad-of-two even bought original 70s Fairy liquid bottles, Persil washing powder and Woolworths dish cloths to clean his custard-yellow crockery.
Martin Aylett, 51, from Swadlincote, Derby, has laid brown and orange kitchen tiles to go with his 1974 Russell Hobbs toaster and orange kitchen units (pictured)
Martin spends hours attending vintage fairs searching for 70s treasures for his modest two-bedroom semi. Pictured, dining area
An orange and brown swirly Axminster carpet matches a 1960s three-piece leatherette suite (pictured) and Rowe AMI juke box
The quirky seventies fanatic has spent £5,000 over four years kitting out his whole house in retro designs (pictured, the radio)
His living room also boasts an orange and brown swirly Axminster carpet along with a 1960s three-piece leatherette suite and Rowe AMI juke box.
Martin even drives a 1972 VW Campervan which he parks outside his £140,000 home in Windsor Road, Linton, Swadlincote, Derbyshire.
He said: ‘It all started about four years ago when I bought the property and had a blank canvas to decorate, carpet and get the house into ship shape.
‘I thought that would be ideal opportunity to give it that 70s vibe, I’ve always been interested in the 70s, I grew up in the 70s and it seemed a nice time when things had that design and flare to them.
‘I like taking things back to that time which was my childhood when life was a lot simpler and it is not like now when everything is instant.
Martin drives a 1972 VW Campervan which he parks outside his £140,000 home in Windsor Road (pictured), Linton, Swadlincote, Derbyshire
Martin (pictured) runs a retro retail business and travels to vintage fairs in search of classic items in a stunning blue 1972 VW camper van
Martin says he’s got 1970s carpets, curtains and furniture – adding there is no reproduction stuff
‘I must’ve spent around £5,000 so far getting it into the state it is in, it’s become something of an obsession.
‘I’ve got 1970s carpets, curtains, furniture everything, is original there is no reproduction stuff.
‘One of prize possessions is a juke box, that is the one thing that takes pride of place in the living room and lounge come diner.
‘The juke box, a Rowe AMI, is at the far end with a 70s stereo system and quite a lot of the room is taken up with vinyl records.
The father-of-two has spent four years and £5,000 kitting out his 1970’s house – including original newspapers
Martin (pictured) is on the look out for an original seventies TV that someone has converted to digital if there is such a thing
Martin says his obsession started about four years ago when he bought the property and had a blank canvas to decorate, carpet and get the house into ship shape. Pictured, the dining table
The dad-of-two has 70s Fairy Liquid bottles, boxes of Persil Powder and Woolworths dish clothes
Martin has even kept his seventies radio which has FM, medium wave and long wave (pictured)
Martin (pictured) is now planning to refurbish his bathroom with classic avocado-green bath, toilet and sink
‘The carpets are 1970s Axminster and quite heavily patterned, the curtains are from the seventies and there are a lot of orange and browns in there as you’d expect from that period of time.
‘The cream leatherette sofa with orange cushions is totally original.
‘The juke box was £2,000, the carpets a couple of hundred pounds and the same for furniture.’
Martin admits he has installed some mod-cons into his home including the internet so he can run his retro business and search online for 70s décor as well as modern fridge freezer and flatscreen TV.
The kitchen features tiled patterns, a retro kettle and mustard coloured dish plates (pictured)
Martin explained that the cream leatherette sofa with orange cushions is totally original (pictured)
Martin (pictured) admits he has installed some mod-cons into his home including the internet so he can run his retro business and search online for 70s décor as well as modern fridge freezer and flatscreen TV
Martin says the carpets are 1970s Axminster and quite heavily patterned, the curtains are from the seventies and there are a lot of orange and browns in there as you’d expect from that period of time. Pictured, the dining area
Martin says there’s a lot of mid-century stuff out there if you know where to look – and says he does use the internet a lot. Pictured, living room decoration
Martin has even kept his seventies radio which has FM, medium wave and long wave (pictured)
He said: ‘It is becoming quite popular and collectable now, the mid-century stuff and there is quite a big market for it.
‘These things are still out there if you know where to look, I do use the internet a lot.
‘The furthest I’ve had to travel to pick up bits and pieces is about 100 miles. Not everything from the seventies is functional these days.
‘TV is one of them, I do have a brand new washing machine and modern oven and fridge freezer because we all need clean clothes and all need to eat properly.
Martin says 1970s merchandise has become quite popular and collectable now (pictured)
Martin (pictured) says the furthest he’s had to travel to pick up bits and pieces is about 100 miles
Martin says the juke box works fine and plays really well with all of the records he’s kept from the time like Abba (pictured, left), The Carpenters, very early Pink Floyd, Queen, REM
‘There are some things you can’t have from the seventies and use them. I’m still on the look out for an original seventies TV that someone has converted to digital if there is such a thing.
‘I would be interested in finding one of those.
‘The juke box works fine and plays really well with all of my records I’ve kept from the time like Abba, The Carpenters, very early Pink Floyd, Queen, REM.
‘All the cheesy seventies stuff is in there. I’ve also kept my seventies radio which has FM, medium wave and long wave.’
Martin is now planning to refurbish his bathroom with classic avocado-green bath, toilet and sink.
The father-of-two says there’s a ‘big market’ for mid-century stuff. Pictured, cassette player
The juke box (pictured) cost Martin £2,000, the carpets a couple of hundred pounds and the same for furniture
Martin spends hours attending vintage fairs searching for 70s treasures for his modest two-bedroom semi (pictured)
The 51-year-old has spent £5,000 over four years on quirky decoration (pictured)