Welcome back to our wonderful readers! We hope you have had a fabulous summer. We have some terrific posts lined up for you for the upcoming fall and holiday months!
The Mid-Century Modern style has been wildly popular in recent years. We’re going to explore the characteristics of Mid-Century design and check out some cool examples of it.
Mid-Century design in the 1950s and 60s was the result of a combination of factors. Frank Lloyd Wright was influencing architecture in residential neighborhoods throughout the United States, which began to bring modernism to homes.
This style emphasized creating structures with big windows and open, airy floor plans, with the intention of opening up interior spaces and bringing the outdoors in. Many Mid-Century houses utilized then-new post and beam architectural design that eliminated big support walls in favor of walls that were made of glass. These were homes that were meant to be functional for the average American family.
Trends in furniture and décor followed suit and featured an emphasis on sleek, angular shapes and minimalistic “mod” styles. Chairs were a particularly noticeable example of the Mid-Century trend, including the Wassily, Risom, and Eames chairs, among others.
In the last several years, Mid-Century Modern design has enjoyed a big resurgence as a result of the popularity of Mad Men, among other factors. With Mad Men, people have gotten an up-close look at the fun retro styles of the furniture and décor of the time, along with the gorgeous elegance of the cocktail parties, Mid-Century glassware, serving pieces, and dishes.
When it comes to Mid-Century Modern design these days, many people choose to incorporate some authentic vintage Mid-Century pieces into their home décor while also adding touches of new millennium style. Adding some vintage pieces of Mid-Century furniture, décor, or kitchenware adds fun flair to homes, and can be whimsical or sophisticated, depending on your preferences.
In our present day when many people are looking to save money yet still have a chic home, many people find it fun to find unique vintage pieces via stores such as eBay. When you have guests over, it is fun to showcase unique pieces that are full of Mid-Century tradition and elegance rather than the same piece from Ikea that every other person on your block has! Sleek vintage pieces add a touch of “cool” that make for great conversation pieces and beautiful home accents. People are also realizing that it’s perfectly OK to have décor from more than one era in a home.
For example, people may not have the avocado carpet pictured above anymore (although there’s nothing wrong with it – green is a calming color!), and they may opt for a mix of vintage styles with present-day touches, as pictured below.
What is your favorite aspect of Mid-Century design? Let us know in the comments below, and have a wonderful week!