Throwback Thursday: In 1972, we lived in a fishbowl.

The issue: September 1972

The times: American Bobby Fischer wins the World Chess Championship; Bob Barker begins his 35-year run as host of The Price Is Right; Canada bans the sale (and use) of firecrackers.

The design scheme: “Fishbowl.” If you’ve ever sprinkled food flakes into an aquarium and found yourself momentarily jealous of your pet guppy, why not recreate the faux-underwater dining experience pictured in Chatelaine’s Sept. 1972 issue? Originally designed for an Eaton’s display in Toronto, the walls and flooring in this “idea-full” room were painted with a high-gloss plastic paint, and the glass buffet table was set on heavy packing tubes to “create a floating effect.” And, as home-planning editor Annabelle King noted, the foliage motif and clear accessories make for “an interesting aquarium.” Consider it the culinary counterpart to the waterbed.

Every Thursday, we bring you selections from our archive of 86 years of Chatelaine, featuring weird and wonderful recipes, vintage fashion and décor, and stories that still resonate today.