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Artist turns his apartment into a time capsule from the 1970s and it's 100 percent perfect
Tashawn Davis really loves the 1970s. Often known by his "artist name" Whaffle, his love for the decade is reflected in his visual art, his fashion, and now in the most groovy way—his interior design.Originally from Brooklyn, 28-year-old Whaffle has been extremely creative, essentially since he was born. According to his website, he is "deeply inspired by African American history, culture, and fashion, (and) found a profound connection to the 1970s, an era where style and politics converged."
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His interest in this time period "soon became a lifestyle," and not only did he fully immerse himself into the clothing of a person in the 70s, he transformed his apartment into a full homage to that groovy decade and has documented his journey for the past year.But first, who exactly is Tashwan Davis AKA Whaffle? First of all, it's imperative that people know he is the real deal. He explains in an introductory video on Instagram, "I'm a 28-year-old artist from Brooklyn, New York. People seem to think I'm A.I., but I'm not A.I., I promise you. I'm a real person." Photographer/director Matthew Salacuse jumped in to verify: "I met this man. I photographed this man. He is the real deal. He is living in 1981 but in 2025. The dedication is unmatched."Whaffle further explains, "I absolutely love anything in the realm of creating art, or just creating in general. I really love to paint and draw. I like 3D modeling. I love music. I wake up listening to music, I go to sleep listening to music. I live and breathe art. I'm just a creative guy."
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Of his '70s apartment journey, he shares, "My apartment is not A.I. I actively went out to find these furniture pieces and curated this apartment to be a time capsule. I know it's hard to fathom that somebody could be this dedicated to something, especially living in a different era. But it's real life."He notes in a video about his 70s-themed apartment that he did "everything from scratch." From the orange glossy placemats to the green flowered wallpaper, there isn't an inch of detail left unattended to. One commenter notes, "You could certainly make it as a set designer." And another echoes what many seem to think, "Wow, so much love in every detail."
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He's even got the '70s-snack choices down pat. From the Frosted Flake cereal to the Pringles chips, watching snapshots of his apartment brought me back to my childhood immediately. And I'm certainly not alone. Another Instagram-follower truly felt the nostalgia, writing, "I love your apartment. Brings back such great memories for me."
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Step-by-step, Whaffle, takes viewers inside his apartment and gives each '70s-inspired piece its own attention. Under one of his first videos, he writes "Welcome back to my 70s time capsule journey! This one is all about the shag carpet—because let’s be real, can you even call it a 70s-inspired space without it? Chose the perfect gold rug from the Safavieh Hudson Shag Collection, used an 8x10 and 6x9 to cover the space that I needed. The vibe is nearly complete but we are rental ready! Holla at me for all your vintage shoot needs!"
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Upworthy had the chance to chat with Whaffle about his art, and his inspirations. Why do you think you have such a strong connection to the 70s? "The first movie I can remember watching is Cornbread, Earl and Me from 1975, and honestly, my connection to the 70s starts right there. I grew up spending a lot of time with my grandmother, and our days were filled with blaxploitation films, '70s sitcoms, and music that was decades older than me. That early exposure shaped everything from my tastes to my sense of creativity. It also sparked my love for film and the magic behind it, like set design, set dressing, and the way environments tell stories. As a kid, I didn’t even realize any of it was 'old'; I genuinely thought the world looked and sounded like that, which made the era feel alive and present to me. Over time, that natural familiarity turned into fondness. I started buying little 70s pieces in middle school, clothes, random décor, whatever caught my eye, and eventually it stopped being random. I leaned all the way in. I became this walking, living time capsule because it felt natural. For me, it’s not just aesthetic. It’s about preserving history, culture, and memory. The '70s feels like home."Do you think you'll explore other time periods in the future?"Honestly, I don’t see myself switching eras in my personal life anytime soon. The 1970s just feels like home. And there are so many different styles within that one decade I still haven’t touched, interiors, fashion, all the cultural shifts… there’s endless inspiration in just the '70s alone. Plus, I haven’t even bought my first house yet, so trust me, there’s a lot more I plan on doing before I ever get tired of it. For work though? For production design, set design absolutely. If a project needs me to dive into another time period, I’m there. I love world-building. I’ll research whatever era I need to. But me, my everyday life, my apartment, and my style are probably gonna stay rooted in the 70s for a very long time."As an artist, who are some of your biggest influencers?"I’m a painter at heart. I’ve been drawing and painting since I was five—but my inspirations come from everywhere, not just fine art. I’m influenced by painters like Mark Ryden and Barkley Hendricks, and equally by photographers such as Jamel Shabazz, Gordon Parks, and Martha Cooper, whose images are living time capsules. I’m also deeply inspired by the people who build worlds behind the scenes of films/TV: costume designer Ruth E. Carter; set designers like Korey Washington, Hannah Beachler, Karen Murphy, Ford Wheeler, Wynn Thomas, and Lauri Gaffin; or even set decorator Claudette Didul. Their work shows how design, storytelling, and culture intersect to create environments that feel alive. To me, those sets are paintings. just on a larger physical scale. And that’s how I approach everything, whether it’s my apartment or the way I dress. It’s all one continuous creative language; it all connects!"
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