Mid-century modern is having a moment. In fact, to say that it is just having a moment would be something of an understatement – the furnishings and interior designs of the 50s and 60s in particular are being reprised with such gusto that it is beginning to look more like a full-scale revival.
While it tends to be easy to spot the comeback of a given decade or period, what prompted its coming back in the first place is generally far less clear. Certainly, to put the popularity of mid-century modern down entirely to Mad Men would be disingenuous, though the show has very likely introduced some of its audience to the clean, functional designs that define the style. The current obsession with all things Scandinavian may also go some way to explaining this new wave of demand; the Danes, in particular, distinguished themselves in the field, with designers such as Arne Jacobsen and Finn Juhl incorporating elements of the De Stijl and Constructivist movements, as well as the ideas of Bauhaus school founder, Walter Gropius, into their products. And this is the intrinsic appeal of mid-century modern – no one, really, will ever own a Mondrian or a Kadinsky, but you can get your hands on beautiful pieces of furniture and other objects bearing their legacy.
Clearly, the modernist design maxim “form follows function” has been turned on its head. The conversation is now centered on the lineage and ideas behind the mid-century look far more than whether one chair or another is really all that functional. All of this makes the details and colours you choose when decorating your space in the style warrant that extra bit of consideration. Here’s where to start:
Contrasting, but complementary
A major theme to bear in mind when decorating in the mid-century modern style is its use of contrast. Whether it’s pairing luxuriant shag pile rugs with clean, metallic lines or using pops of bright colour with calmer tones, the trend was a more grown-up and sophisticated expression of the brassy, celebratory style that typified the post-war aesthetic.
If you have been lucky enough to bag a beautiful vintage sideboard, coffee table or lounge chair in teal or walnut, make the most of tones of their dark wood by using rich earth colours on your walls – think burnt orange, moss and sage green, charcoal grey or cherry red. These shades not only enhance the gorgeous natural grain (wood oil will be your best friend when it comes to this) but they also add warmth to the mid-century’s functional and often angular designs.
Vintage pieces in lighter wood such as oak and ash are perfect for achieving a simple, laid-back Scandinavian style room and work best when complemented by simple pastel colours such as sea foam or flamingo pink. Give your Scandi style an edge with the use of graphic upholstery paired with masses of houseplants.
If you’ve found a piece of mid-century furniture with original fabric, then allow the colours in it to influence the palette of the room, picking out accents in your soft furnishings such as curtains, cushions and rugs. This is a chance to utilise one of style’s reoccurring themes – playful meets calm. Interior decorators in the 1960s loved pairing bright, bold, graphic prints or furniture in vibrant colours like orange with calmer tones like light turquoise that managed to both calm the item and bring out its cheerfulness.
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