A great way to make your home stylish is to embrace the elegance of mid-century design. Here's how to bring this trend into your home.
A dining room table and four chairs with sage and beige as dominating colors.
Somewhere around the 1930s, furniture design has gone through momentous changes that have helped create the world of today’s interior design. A new trend came to life that ruled until the 1960s, which we call today the mid-century design. A new school of thought was born among the furniture designers that promoted clean yet organic lines. This became possible thanks to the emergence of new technologies and improved materials. The interesting twist to this story is that this trend has been steadily gaining popularity for some time now, so much so that it is among what most people consider modern. This is not surprising given that there are so many positive sides to the furniture made in this style. Here are a few ideas you should consider to embrace the elegance of mid-century design and bring it into your home.
Organic shapes and clean lines in your living room
One of the signature features of mid-century design is the organic quality in all the shapes of the furniture. The lines are clean, leaning more towards arching than the fjord-like intricacies that were present in older styles. Most pieces seem like they are the doing of mother nature herself.
If your question is where to incorporate more of these modern curvy designs into your home, the answer is – anywhere and everywhere. There is no rule saying which pieces can be organic in shape and which cannot, so approach this task open-mindedly. When you apply the principle of organic, clean lines to sofas, you get beautifully crafted pieces that are comfortable for the eyes and use as well. The curves will allow more relaxing seating for a larger number of people than would be the case with the sofa all in straight lines. After all, if perfectly straight lines were more functional than their softer, bending counterparts, nature would have used them in her work.
The elegance of mid-century design can be seen in organic shapes and clean lines of furniture.
Reimagined wood depicts the elegance of mid-century design
Wood, as a natural material, is unparalleled in conveying elegance. In the context of mid-century design, wooden pieces are usually made of teak with a sleek finish and soft edges but without ornate embellishments. TV units with such a design can become a centerpiece of the room. They are essentially unique elements that are highly functional yet beautiful from an aesthetic point of view. The same goes for the sideboards, which can be very useful for storage while adding to the stylishness of the room.
Those with office space at home can consider purchasing some cool mid-century design chairs. As with other furniture styles, their sophistication lies in polished, wooden sections garnished with soft leather cushions. Those characteristics make these chairs both functional and beautiful.
Take the best from the past and the present and mix it
Since this style originates from the mid-20th century, there’s a good chance you might already own some piece that belongs to it. You should go through your family’s old furniture and choose items you can insert into rooms together with new ones. They will do a lot to spice things up when it comes to your décor, even though they are technically old. That is one of the reasons why many of the clients from the moving and storage company Helix Move VA decide not to throw away their old furniture. It is likely that at some point, the time will come when you can use it as a stylish home upgrade.
Use the colors boldly
Being bold when it comes to the use of colors is another way to incorporate this popular style into your home. The color of teak usually dominates the rooms designed by this trend from the 20th century, but with a twist. That twist often comes in the form of decorative bits in vibrant colors such as turquoise, bright orange, and deep red. What this trend isn’t is monochromatic. It is popular to insert a signature chair into the décor in a different color (or in various colors if you like). Play with the palette and use colors that make you feel energized. In essence, if you want to achieve the proper effect, use one or two matching colors as a base that you will open up by having another unrelated color pop here and there.
Don’t be afraid to play with the color palette and use bold colors here and there.
Metal, glass, vinyl, plywood – let them spice things up
The designers of the 20th century have introduced materials that were not as common in the furniture industry before. Apart from wood and leather, which are important characters in any story about furniture, now we have metal, glass, vinyl, and molded plywood to play with. Cabinets made of metal and glass are wonderful additions to dining rooms and hallways. They are perfect as liquor storage units and dish cupboards. A good illustration of pieces made of molded plywood is the Eames chair which is the textbook example of what mid-century design actually is. It is the epitome of elegance without compromising usefulness and comfort. Getting a piece of furniture that varies in material from what you already have is a great way to spruce up your home design a bit.
Minimalism – elegance, and functionality joined in one
When you think of it, it is only logical for a style that praises functionality for leaning toward minimalism. Do not overfill the room with stuff. Doing that would make moving through it more difficult, for one thing. Also, the mind doesn’t like being overburdened with so many details waiting for processing. Choose a fantastic piece that will be the center of attention in the room and build the whole décor story around it. That way, your home will be tasteful in a restrained kind of way, and that is something modern home décor strives for these days.
Mid-century design embraces minimalism as it emphasizes functionality without losing elegance.
Bottom line
The elegance of mid-century design is rightfully worshipped. Its sleek beauty does not come at the price of functionality. That is probably the main reason why today we have so many furniture manufacturers reviving this style to such an extent it has become the leading trend of the 2020s. Another reason to introduce it into your home and enjoy its benefits.
Photos used:
https://www.pexels.com/photo/minimalist-design-of-a-home-office-8004011/
https://www.pexels.com/photo/round-brown-wooden-5-piece-dining-set-in-room-1571463/
https://www.pexels.com/photo/interior-of-modern-room-in-daytime-6180666/