Mid Century Modern
One of our Designers, Alexa, Walks us through one of her favorite design styles; Mid Century Modern.
A brief history about Mid Century Modern: Mid Century Modern refers roughly to the time period roughly between the end of World War II through the mid 1970s. The MCM (Mid Century Modern) style hit its popularity in the middle of the 20th century, hence the ‘mid century’ part of its name. The modern part comes from the style’s futuristic vibe. Some of the pioneers of the era like Charles and Ray Eames, and Florence Knoll experimented with different materials and new ways of construction.
Above is my FAVORITE house. The Kaufmann house designed by Richard Neutra
Key MCM design elements
Now that we know a bit about the history of the style lets talk about the design!
Unique Architectural Elements
Use of Natural Materials
Pops of Fun colors
Minimal / Organic inspired design elements
Architectural Elements
MCM has my heart for many reasons but one of them is for its unique architectural elements. Have you ever heard of a conversation pit? Well my dream home has one! It's just a little sunken in living room or seating area. Just make sure you don't have to many drinks and fall into it!
Another element I love is all of the windows! Mid century modern homes are great at making the line between inside and outside blur.
MCM Materials
Some Mid Century Modern materials include: Natural Walnut and Maple woods, Terrazzo Tile, unique brick work to create interesting textures. Below are a few examples of each.
You can't have Mid-Century without fun color pops!
The mid century color palette consists of multiple bold colors. Don't let that scare you away! Color is used strategically, and feels intentional and natural.
Organic Elements
Soft curves and natural inspired elements can be seen in just about ever aspect of Mid- Century Modern design, from lighting, to furniture, even to structural elements like room dividers. The Eames Lounge chair (photo on the left) is not only my favorite chair of all time, but it was revolutionary for its time because of its plywood construction. This construction method made it possible to achieve organic curves and soft edges. (This chair is also SO comfortable. I am lucky enough to own one!)
In Review
Mid-Century Modern has stood the test of time and is a staple design style. I love it so much that I am currently remodeling my 1960's home to its original glory!
Comments