Among the most inspiring and timeless design themes are mid-century designs. Hugely popular among vast sections of society the designs belong to a bygone era which is best known for radical transformation of designs. There are distinct characteristics that are associated with mid-century modern decor – functionality, minimalistic, natural materials and designed for all. In other words, this line of furniture is intended to be used by everyone and not just by a particular section of society. This is in sharp contrast to the furniture of earlier eras where furniture was designed for particular classes of society. Here is a brief overview of mid-century modern decor.
What constitutes mid-century modern decor?
Mid-century modern decor refers to designs, materials, and colors that are used in a particular way, inspired by the designs of the period between 1933 to 1965. This is a throwback to the styles that were prevalent in that era. Retro styles have undergone many changes over the years. This is perhaps one of the most inspiring and has withstood the test of the times, blending perfectly with outside influences to create furniture, decor, and styles that are unique ok and distinct.
Bold colors and intricate detailing have often been the hallmarks of different types of styles in furniture and decor. However, mid-century modern style is in sharp contrast, with muted and subdued designs. Minimalism and straight elegant lines are the main design theme that runs through which century modern designs and decor. Let’s dive into the defining characteristics of which century decor.
Organic – one of the most important characteristics of mid-century modern decor is the focus on remaining organic. In other words, the decor relies very heavily on the natural dimension. For instance, rooms built-in mid-century modern style typically had larger windows and doors. This permitted more natural light to flow inside. The similar mid-century modern style also relied on natural materials. This is effectively meant that materials such as wood, leather, glass, and metal were used.
Durable – one of the advantages of using natural materials was the durability achieved. While synthetic materials are relatively inexpensive, the durability of synthetic materials is sometimes lesser than that of natural materials. Mid-century modern style offered uses the advantage of extended durability, with minimal maintenance due to the simplistic and clean design elements.
Multipurpose designs – this was also the era when there was a need for bringing in space-saving designs. In other words, furniture and decor helped in optimized use of space. The use of sofas as beds with a slight modification found more takers during this period. Mid-century modern decor also helps to create the impression that space is very large and spacious with the right use of color combinations and minimalism. For instance, more detailing is bound to cramp up spaces, whereas minimalistic designs help to create the impression of more space.
Design elements of mid-century modern decor
There are different design elements that constitute mid-century modern decor. For instance, the architecture is flat, rooms appear spacious, designs are geometric, materials are natural, and all design elements integrate smoothly and seamlessly. Nothing looks out of place or different. This is in sharp contrast to certain design themes of later eras.
The patterns need to be geometric and graphic, with simple, clean, elegant lines. It is hard to come across mid-century modern style or decor with intricate detailing and designs. The whole design is based on minimalistic and functional elements.
The only exception when it comes to low profile furniture is the kitchen/bar stools. These are the only objects that have higher profiles; everything else is typically low profile with tapering legs that are generally canted. Distinct design elements include the following.
Colour – as most of the materials are natural, the choice of color is also natural. Most of the colors used in mid-century modern decor are colors that appear to be a transition to or from wood. For instance, dark shades of wood and light shades of wood are the predominant colors used in mid-century modern decor. Other colors generally used to create the contrasting look include muted shades of orange, mustard, olive green, and grey. The most commonly used colors in mid-century modern decor are grey and white.
Natural integration with surroundings – it is hard to find mid-century modern styles standing out differently from the surroundings. There is an increased focus on natural integration with the surroundings. This effectively means that the homes would blend in perfectly with the landscape surrounding it. This explains the choice of colors and minimalistic designs. The shades of wood and natural materials combine with the simple straight lines to create this natural integrated look and feel. If you were to sit in a room that sports the mid-century modern decor and look outside the window, you will not find it to be a huge change. The same natural feel is what you would experience inside the home. This is what natural integration with surroundings is all about. This is achieved with great care without making it appear rustic or basic but stylish and elegant.
How
to transform your home with mid-century modern decor
If you want to give your home a makeover with mid-century modern decor, you need to focus on certain design elements. The first is the need for ensuring that you use natural materials. Ensure that furniture, beds, sofas, coffee tables, nightstands, TV consoles, dining tables, dining chairs, kitchen tables, kitchen chairs, patio chairs, and any other design element it has more natural materials. In certain designs of furniture, it may be necessary to recreate the natural look with synthetic material.
An important characteristic of mid-century modern decor is the low profile of furniture. This effectively means that you need to pick furniture that is relatively low profile. Take care to ensure that all furniture in the rooms has a low profile. This will be combined with the other design elements and colors to give the mid-century modern look. You could also choose furniture that has splayed legs. Not only does this automatically give a lower profile, but it also helps to make the furniture more stable.
Contrasting color combinations need to be used imaginatively to recreate the retro look. Overdoing the contrast will take away the minimalism and subdued flavor. It is, therefore, necessary to choose contrasting colors within furniture only to a certain extent. For instance, a TV console for a nightstand may have different cabinets. The doors may sport one color, while other sections may sport in a different color. It is important to ensure that this contest is not too marked.
When you select any object to fit into your home and create the mid-century modern decor, it is important to look closely at the functionality. Never choose an object to be used as a prop, if it has no functional value. Every single object in your home needs to offer functionality. The mid-century modern concept is all about maximum utilization of resources in a design that is elegant and simple. This makes it necessary to choose furniture or any articles that adds value in some way without adding complexities in terms of design or appearance.