Table Of Content
Low pool loungers, a stylish umbrella, and an oversized planter add understated decorative touches that complement the streamlined structure. One characteristic of midcentury modern architecture is connecting the indoors with the outdoors, and a good way to achieve that is through large window panels. This ranch-style home has panoramic views of the backyard and pool, bringing elements of water and greenery inside. Rocks and desert plants outline the rectangular pool, and minimalist white pool loungers pop against the beige exterior that incorporates wood, glass, and concrete.
Opt for sleek, metal legs on furniture
With a focus on natural, biomorphic shapes, it follows that the most important material to use in mid-century modern furniture is wood. Mid-century modern living rooms are a timeless trend with a stylish and enduring appeal. There are so many variations as it's changed through the decades and lots of different ways you can let it influence your interiors. In fact, the most interesting and intriguing rooms are one that doesn't just stick with one style but bring in aspects of lots of different looks. An easy way to establish cohesiveness is to source pieces of furniture with similar finishes and to use colors of varying intensities within the same color family. Balance the delicateness of, say, a diminutive tapered-leg piece from the midcentury with a larger antique Chippendale or Biedermeier case piece, for example.
Midcentury Color Scheme
Check out these midcentury modern living room ideas in a range of sizes and settings for inspiration. 'I love the clean architectural lines of my brownstone living room in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn. The vintage Arne Norell Sirocco chairs from Sweden and George Nelson slat bench paired with the new modern Striad Lounge chair and Matter Made 3-legged stool give the room a mid-century vibe,' says interior designer Jamie Nesbitt-Weber. As well as living room paint ideas, another simple and effective way of introducing color into a mid-century modern living room is through accessories. It is a joyful way of adding to and altering the feel of a room, without committing to redecorating whole spaces.
Midcentury Modern Bar Cart
Not everything you buy must date back to the era or be made by an important designer to create a midcentury modern space. By all means, splurge on a large statement-making piece but fortify it with lower-cost vintage and modern-day pieces in fun period-specific shapes and colors. The light green color of these living room walls by Ashley Maddox bring in the midcentury modern spirit. It's a classic hue of the time, and paired with the same era furniture in this room, it really brings the whole space together. You might not think the classic log cabin look and midcentury modern aesthetic can work together, but Thom Filicia proves they do renovation.
Add Contemporary Touches
Midcentury modern design takes cues from the Scandinavian design movement's democratic principles of creating practical yet innovative, durable yet economical objects. "Materials that didn't seem to belong together were also combined into one organic whole," adds Myers. "Midcentury design supports the way we want to live today," explains the Los Angeles-based interior designer Natalie Myers, of Veneer Designs. Add this popular design style to your home with our inspirational guides and expert-approved tips.
Rachel Silva, the Assistant Digital Editor at ELLE DECOR, covers design, architecture, trends, and anything to do with haute couture. If proof were needed that you can inject character to a new build, this beautifully inviting living space above is it. Real Homes is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher.
Decorate in a primary color palette
If it wasn’t obvious from all the pastel pink sofas and Danish sideboards lingering on your newsfeeds, midcentury-modern decor is still having a moment. Although sleek and timeless, the style can quickly monopolize a room (or make it appear dated) if it isn’t executed with care. The key to making the aesthetic look decidedly non–Brady Bunch is understanding its history and creating an effortlessly modern mix. Learn all about it and get tips from the experts on how to add a Mad Men vibe to your space with midcentury-modern decor. If you want to add a little bit of quirk, pair midcentury modern with an unexpected aesthetic.
Celebrate Wood Grain
Midcentury modern decor ideas include clean lines and sleek forms popularized in the mid-20th century. Today, midcentury modern continues to be one of the most desired design styles for interiors, and it's easy to get this look with both vintage and new furniture and accessories. Use these midcentury modern decor ideas to seamlessly incorporate retro furnishings, nostalgic color schemes, and classic, iconic silhouettes into your space. From clean lines to nature-inspired color palettes to retro accessories, classic midcentury modern design elements add warmth and personality to today's homes. Adding some midcentury whimsy to your cooking space doesn't have to feel kitschy—unless that is your thing.
Focus on Decor
Hunt for handmade, vintage architectural pots by Gainey Pottery and Willy Guhl and shop for ultra-affordable midcentury-inspired planters at Ikea, Target, West Elm, and even Home Depot. This 1950s house in the Pacific Northwest was originally built for cartoonist Irwin Caplan. Today, it is a modern home, with an interior that nonetheless respects the bones of the building. This two-storey residence in San Francisco's Diamond Heights neighbourhood features post-and-beam structures, an open floor plan and glass walls. Window frames were painted yellow to match the facade of the building, their bright hues matching the polished wood used for both the floor and much of the furniture. Studio Paradowski's renovation of a hotel in Kraków, Poland, was informed by the city's interwar cafes as well as the "clean functionalism" of its mid-century modern cinemas.
Powerhouse set-design duo David Wasco and Sandy Reynolds-Wasco saved and restored a 1956 bungalow in Santa Barbara, California, and their interior composition is a contender for most stage sets. In this living room, a pair of lounge chairs by Milo Baughman surround an Eames cocktail table covered in gold leaf. The walls and hearth are painted in a subtle Green Ground by Farrow & Ball, and the ceiling is lined with Douglas fir.
What's more, the timeless appeal of this style lends itself to more recent design styles and trends such as the Retro Revival trend, or Modern Organic trend, offering new looks enduring qualities and endearing charm. Although mid-century modern style was driven by advances in technology, it was also inspired by the natural world, and wood is the most widely used material for furniture. Designer Pamela Shamshiri is bringing back all the quintessentially midcentury green vibes in this Pacific Palisades den, which boasts shapely vintage furniture alongside contemporary artwork and light fixtures. 'Always opt for a warmer color palette with a variation of natural materials and mixed textures that create a warm and inviting ambience. An iroko side table by Arno Declercq sits alongside vintage tessellated coffee tables, a pair of 1968 Pulkka lounge chairs by Ilmari Lappalainen, and a vintage Turkish rug for a beautifully curated and eclectic mid-century modern scene.
Wood and stone echo the natural elements in the front yard and provide a neutral backdrop for all the greenery surrounding the house. Solid-wood and wood-veneer doors that show natural wood grain, as well as painted-wood cabinetry, as seen in this all-blue Ashe Leandro-designed kitchen, are all great, modern options. If you're searching for a good way to start your style journey, add an iconic piece of midcentury modern furniture. Summer Thornton chose this vintage leather chair, and you can tell immediately by looking at it what era it comes from thanks to the clean lines and interesting stitching. Timeless and stylish, mid-century modern living room ideas are enduringly popular. Characterized by clean lines, a pared-back palette and sinuous, biomorphic forms, the mid-century-modern look pairs well with many other styles and remains contemporary today.
These straight lines contrast the organic shapes and colors in the front yard, including rustic pavers, round grass patches, and wispy bushes. A large front porch has an open view of the yard and a white slatted sliding door on the second level echoes the exterior. It's easy for midcentury modern items to feel like untouchable pieces of art because they're so sculptural, but you can make them more approachable by sticking to an earthy color palette. Blair Moore of Moore House Design had custom furnishings made for this home so her clients could get their desired styles in their desired color scheme. A large, geometric light fixture is the perfect main light source for a midcentury modern living room. Nina Garbiras drew attention to the industrial elements of this New York City loft with the ceiling light, then brought in contemporary furniture to complement it.
Give that retro look a contemporary spin with chic all-black seating and juxtaposing loud-and-proud wall bling—red triptych by artist Ko Kirk Yamahira—that anchors the fireplace wall. In the same Pacific Palisades living room, two seating areas were created to flank the original midcentury freestanding fireplace. Floor-to-ceiling windows look out onto the Pacific, while tinted mirrors reflect garden views. If this studied interplay between historic and contemporary isn’t evidence that this design style can evolve, we don’t know what is.
20 Smart Ideas from a Stunning Mid-Century Remodel - Sunset
20 Smart Ideas from a Stunning Mid-Century Remodel.
Posted: Tue, 06 Oct 2015 07:00:00 GMT [source]
But vivid primary colors are at the heart of the original mid-century modern look. Midcentury modern bedrooms are calm, tranquil, timeless spaces that never seem to go out of style. Midcentury modern refers to the decorating style that rose to popularity in the 1950s and 1960s. It's characterized by lots of natural wood, simple lines, a mostly muted palette, and a less-is-more, form-meets-function aesthetic. Wood in various tones and forms mixes with glass paneling and gray concrete to create this modern exterior.
