Whether You're Just Looking Or You're All In, These Are The Keys To Design For Your Home
Do you miss the simplicity of the 50s? Or maybe you're just tired of the cluttered look of modern decor? If you said yes to either of these questions, Mid-Century Modern decor might be for you. Don't fret if it's not something you're familiar with, though, as we're going to explain where Mid-Century Modern came from, what Mid-Century Modern focuses on, and ten tips for how you can implement Mid-Century Modern in your home.
Mid Century Modern was a concept that, unsurprisingly, rose to popularity in the middle of the 20th century. The world was changing at such a pace, and people were trying to carve out something that was new. It was heavily influenced by the German school of design and architecture, Bauhaus. At this time, the school emphasized clean lines, functionality, and a futuristic look.
These three components came to shape the core concepts of Mid Century Modern design, along with a few others. These included the fusion of the organic and manmade, muted tones and seamlessly combining the indoors and outdoors.
If you're looking to learn a bit more about Mid Century Modern, check out some of the designers who were famous for it.
Eero Saarinen
Charles & Ray Eames
Isamu Noguchi
George Nelson
Cara Greenberg
Arne Jacobsen
Herman Miller
Let's take a look at ten tips that you can use in your home today to start putting together the Mid Century Modern look of your dreams.
1) Fusion of Indoor and Outdoor
Bring plants into your home, not just on the edges or the porch. They should be incorporated throughout the decor, as MCM is all about breaking down the separation between inside and outside. Another way to bring that in is having window treatments that leave as little separation between you and the outside world as possible.
2) Use Size To Your Advantage
When it comes to space, having more space typically makes us more comfortable. So to bring that feeling to a room, use furniture that's smaller. Using smaller pieces in neutral tones not only highlights your statement piece but also allows the furniture to fade into the room, providing a more spacious feeling.
3) Vary The Height Of Things Within The Room
When you look into a room, you don't want everything to be at one equal height. Whether it's decor on the walls, furniture, or decorations, mix things up.
4) Natural Colors With Pops Of Color
It doesn't have to be all black, white, and wooden in order to be Mid Century Modern. Bring in some color! Use natural tones (again focusing on the incorporation of nature) and then add a splash of color.
5) Minimalism
Courtesy of StuBailey
This sounds like a very simple concept. 'Just chuck everything out and only buy what you need." Except... how many of us are good at living like that?
The thing is, minimalism doesn't have to be getting rid of everything. It's about reducing the clutter and having open, functional spaces. Furniture is simple with sleek lines, without much in the way of ornamentation.
6) Keep It Functional
Unlike some other styles, Mid-Century Modern wants everything to be functional. If it doesn't have a purpose, it doesn't belong. The flip side of that is that every functional item in your home is also uniquely beautiful because of that. It's a difficult balance to maintain in our fast fashion world, but when you're committed to the design, it's worth it to hunt down pieces that fit the concept.
7) Mixing Materials
Just like we want to bring in the outdoors, we want to bring in a balance of man-made vs. natural. Woods and metals, leather and velvets, the consistent interplay between the two is part of the fun.
8) Velvets
Courtesy of yaoyaoyao5yaoyaoyao
Picking right up from that last point is a material your Blogger loves, velvet. While texture can be said to be an important part of any decorating scheme, velvet holds a special place for Mid Century Modern. This is a lovely way to escape and relax while still holding to the minimal feeling of the design.
9) Build Each Room Around Statement Pieces
Courtesy of Steven Miller
For each room, pick 1-2 pieces that really stand out and fit the concept of Mid Century Modern as you see it. Work around those pieces for the rest of the room to mimic, contrast or highlight them. Bring in colors that complement or contrast them. Bring in other shapes that highlight that one. Bring in textures that are similar. It all ties back together to focus on the piece you’ve chosen.
10) Choose Statement Lighting
For our last point, make sure to choose lighting with some oomph for your rooms. Light, and the lighting we choose, is just as much a part of a room as the furniture or walls. So, the light fixtures that you choose should stand out just as much.
And that's a wrap! What do you think? Are you interested in learning even more about Mid Century Modern decor? Or have you decided it's not for you? Let us know in the comments below or over on our Facebook page.
While you definitely can fit your laundry room and kitchen into a Mid Century Modern design, we know that's not why everyone lands on our website. If you're having issues with your refrigerator or your oven, reach out! You can get hold of us on our contact page or by giving us a call at ((214) 599-0055). No matter which of your major appliances is on the fritz, Appliance Rescue Service will work with you to figure out what the problem is and work with you to get it running smoothly again.