The jewel-like custom tiled bar cabinet, which provides an ornamental focal point for the living room—and proof that both tile and wood don’t belong only on the floor. Built in the 1950s, this Johannesburg gem was designed by Eyvind Finsen, a South African architect who was inspired by Richard Neutra. The homeowners (architects themselves), Silvio Rech and Lesley Carstens, designed this with one question in mind. “We asked ourselves, ‘What would the natural progression of a Palm Springs bungalow be today? This living room flaunts a leather sofa by Flexform, a vintage black leather chair (bottom left) by Joe Colombo, and a custom angular cocktail table. In Mary Weatherford’s landmark midcentury-modern home in Los Angeles, art and architecture work hand in glove.
Indoor-Outdoor Living Room
Midcentury modern can be considered a subset of modern design, defined as the style that became popular in the early 1900s. However, when compared to the traditional definitions of modern design, midcentury modern design tends to be unashamedly retro and often makes use of bright accent color to emphasize this point. Modern design, by contrast, typically has a more understated, utilitarian, industrial look. "Midcentury modern design evolved in response to a post-World War II environment," designer Liza Kuhn explains. "Designers and architects were eager to develop new ideas that married the mass production and technology invented during the first half of the 20th century with a more optimistic outlook for the future."
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Like Lucienne Day, he combined distinctive colour palettes with simple geometric shapes to communicate a message in a stylised, graphic way. Danish architect and designer Poul Henningsen is perhaps best-known for his contribution to lighting design, with one standout example in the mid-century modern style being the PH Artichoke Pendant. American pottery designer Edith Heath founded Heath Ceramics in 1948, which went on to produce an extensive range of mid-century modern ceramic tableware, as well as architectural tiles. His work encompassed architecture, furniture, textiles and glassware, as well as sculptures and paintings. Perhaps the most famous example of mid-century modern furniture is the Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman, designed for Herman Miller in 1956, which combine curved outer shells in moulded, veneered plywood with soft leather.
Midcentury Modern fans: Don’t miss these 13 events at Modernism Week in Palm Springs
Every new shape or color is only added if it serves an important purpose, sometimes to contrast another or sometimes to add a new relevant layer of information. Lessons in minimalism and typography carried over when the New Bauhaus School of Design was established in the early 1940s. Design everywhere was also abandoning decoration or any unnecessary lines or patterns.
Midcentury Modern Living Room Ideas That Explain Why This Retro Style Endures
So whether you’re committed to a full midcentury home renovation or looking to infuse the look into your living room with a few simple tweaks, we’ve pulled our favorite looks from the pages of ELLE DECOR to help sway you. Read on for 48 midcentury modern living rooms that will take you back in time. “I was in my late teens when I first came across John Lautner’s work in a coffee table book, and it completely fascinated me,” Rønning says. The fireside composition in the living room encompasses an Oscar Niemeyer Alta lounge chair and ottoman, a Ciuingam sofa by De Pas D’Urbino Lomazzi, a Ribbon chair by Cesare Leonardi and Franca Stagi, and a Jean Claude Dresse cocktail table. Artworks include a Lillian Florsheim sculpture (left) and a Lucio Fontana print above the fireplace.
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The project, led by SHED Architecture & Design, breathes new life into the home by delicately balancing innovation with preservation. Enjoy a rare opportunity to meet Josh Agle, the Southern California artist and designer popularly known as Shag, whose candy-colored works immortalize Midcentury hipsters and Tiki kitsch. After the event, Agle will sign books and the Modernism Week 2022 commemorative posters he designed, pictured above.
Many designers were also influenced by the Swiss International Typographic Style which resulted in simple sans serif text with neat organization. Much of these influences can be seen in certain lowercase sans serif logos for companies that still exist today like ABC. "Other unique shapes took hold through curved and almost round sofas, odd-shaped coffee tables, and even geometric shapes that felt angular and clean." But wood was by no means the only material present in the creation of midcentury modern pieces.
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Ten timeless mid-century modern interiors
In this style, the text could begin to take some of the characteristics of the works they were describing and even paint mini pictures within titles. This is a further example of the subtractive process that tried to fit information into a minimal design move. With a style so influenced by the Bauhaus, typography is sure to be an important component.
Take, for examples, the living room’s lush Mario Bellini mohair sofa (an icon of 1970s design), the handwoven Scandinavian wool rug balancing out the concrete floors, and the concrete fireplace counteracted with a warm woodgrain patterns. In the living room of the Goldwyn house, an iconic residence in Los Angeles that’s now the home of the Future Perfect gallery, a jewel-toned lounge is swathed in velvet and overseen by a handwoven rattan chandelier by artist Chris Wolston. Though this scheme deftly mixes eras, the clean lines throughout and the dark stained wood feels distinctly midcentury. Whatever side of the debate you fall on, it’s clear that the midcentury modern aesthetic has left an indelible mark on the design world—a function and form we can all learn from.
But, generally, you can look for the obvious clues such as peg legs or hardware. Another great tip is to search for the country of manufacture—Denmark, Yugoslavia, Japan, Italy, and the U.S. are often authentic midcentury.” To put it simply, do your homework before you make any investments. Nearly anything — beds, dressers, consoles, desks — can get the mid-century modern treatment, says Fragali, because the designs themselves were incredibly efficient, minimal, and angular. A combination of higher home loan limits during this time period—and a desire to simply spread out a bit more—led to big, ranch-style floor plans. “Residences could sprawl out within a single story, spanning the width of the lot,” Garcia explains.
Combine these rich tones with crisp whites and neutrals to create a balanced and inviting space. Don't be afraid to experiment with bold pops of color in your accessories and artwork. Eero Saarinen's design for the non-denominational chapel on the campus of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) can be found next to the Kresge Auditorium and Kresge Oval – which Saarinen also designed.
“It’s a beautiful symphony of interwoven diagonals, verticals, and horizontals,” the artist says of the experimental structure, built in 1948 by architects A. Quincy Jones and Whitney R. Smith in collaboration with structural engineer Edgardo Contini and landscape designer Theodore Payne. We had to figure out which piece of wood is which color, the elaborate interplay between the posts and beams with the floor and ceiling, how certain volumes and forms interact.
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. Perhaps the ultimate example of mid-century modern design, designer couple Ray and Charles Eames' eponymous house is filled with the couple's own creations. Here, we have gathered images of 10 projects where mid-century modern design has been used to create interiors that are elegant without feeling cold or stark.
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. Inside, floor pans remained wide and open to create easy flow from one space to another. This approach creates a more communal feel, but also improves light flow throughout the house and allows for better sightlines outdoors. At first glance, a mid-century modern home or building may seem fairly straightforward with its simple lines and low profile. Look closer, though, and you'll quickly see that this style has a way of seamlessly connecting to nature and infusing playful touches throughout.
Meanwhile, in northern Europe, designers created a distinctly Scandinavian style by handcrafting their furniture and using such natural materials as wood and leather. Examples of this include Hans Wegner’s Wishbone chair, made from beechwood and paper cord, and Alvar Aalto’s Paimio chair, made from bent plywood, bent laminated birch, and solid birch. Chris Kinlaw, furniture designer and founder of MIXMA Studios, adds that mid-century modern interior design very much drew inspiration from the architectural movement. “It focuses on clean lines, minimalism, and a functional approach to design, incorporating similar elements into interior spaces," he says.
Sculptural furniture is displayed against a backdrop of walnut panelling that wraps the apartment. A black and white Akari light by Isamu Noguchi for Vitra peeps into the living space from an adjacent room. This two-storey residence in San Francisco's Diamond Heights neighbourhood features post-and-beam structures, an open floor plan and glass walls.
