Mid-Century Design Made Easy

The clean lines of this American Leather Living Room Tristan-Sectional are the reasons why it fits perfectly in a Mid-century setting.

Baby boomers who were born in the late ‘50s are naturally drawn to the interior design of that time. But if you’re drawn towards cool, sleek, sophisticated, clean, colorful, curvy, functional and mod features, then you are similar to these people’s design preference. This style is known as the Mid-century design.

The term Mid-century design is a term that embraces the trends which influenced interior design and architecture in post-war America.

Modernism was a global movement that spanned five decades beginning in the ‘30s till the ‘70s. Mid-century modern, therefore, is linked to the period covering the ‘50s till the early ‘60s.

Mid-century Architecture

Experts agree that Frank Floyd Wright popularized this movement with regard to American architecture. Though this is the case, you shouldn’t discredit the contributions of artists such as LeCorbusier and Ludwig Mies van de Rohe.

Residential architecture in this style was famous among the suburbs during the ‘50s. It remained famous for the next decades, even up to today. Thanks to developers and architects who provided amazing examples of Mid-century modern homes across a lot of cities. These days, modern architecture is avant-garde with sustainable materials and finishes. The overall designs, though, are still hinged to their origins.

Mid-century modern architecture offers angular details, flat roofs as well as asymmetrical features. They also come with clean lines, expansive glass walls, and open floor layouts. Bi-level structures are also common with this design.

Flexsteel Living Room Round Coffee Table W1400-034

The Mid-century Appeal

The movement also approached the marriage of outside spaces to the indoors. This became extremely accepted on the West Coast. The best architects of our time built impressive, custom homes while also developing modern style houses for the masses.

California became the Mecca for Mid-century modern style. Renowned developer and builder, Joseph Eichler, and architect Richard Neutra immigrated to the U.S. and started building the geometric residences in Southern California. To this day, the design is quite popular in Palm Springs, San Diego, Beverly Hills and nearby areas.

A lot of homeowners are still looking for Mid-century modern units for a lot of good reasons. The reason for most is simple – a lot of homes are now mass-produced so they have a generic look and feel. Without a doubt, custom-made designs are being craved by many.

A lot of the real gems have already been bought, though. If you want to build from the ground up and bring back the look of Mid-century modern as if from a time capsule, then here are elements that you need to consider –

Use Wood. A lot of furniture these days is made of engineered, pressed wood. Instead of this option, use high quality furnishings with a Mid-century modern appeal. Masterpieces during that time come with clean lines and were made with walnut, teak, oak or rosewood.

Remodeling elements. If you want to bring back the marvels of Mid-century modern, then eliminate the walls. Embrace an open space concept with an airier setup. You can also hire someone to update the look of your fireplace. Have it turned to a floor-to-ceiling focal point.

Mirrors galore. You could also consider simpler accents such as a kitchen backsplash or a mirror. Fill your head with nostalgic ideas or you can get ideas here.

Redesign the Lights. Search for mid-century modern homes and see how dazzling lights make the difference. Pendant lighting is common just as they are functional and decorative. There are also artists who make their designs around architectural features of the home. Look for a piece that speaks to you and shows to the world who you really are. Remember, though, that you are setting up a mid-century modern home and not a contemporary one.

Tags: McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings, mid-century interior design, mid-century interiors, mid-century style

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 2nd, 2017 at 6:00 pm and is filed under Interior Design 101, Interior Design Themes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.