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In the United States, designers adopted the improved technologies and materials coming out of World War II. They embraced mass production and frequently used fibreglass, bent plywood, aluminum, steel, foam, and plastic laminates. In furniture design, Charles and Ray Eames used fibreglass and molded plywood for many of their chairs, while Eero Saarinen used fibreglass-reinforced polyester and cast aluminum for his Tulip chairs and table.
More Examples of Mid-Century Modern Furniture
Indoor-outdoor living is all the rage right now, but of course it’s nothing new. In the formal family gathering spot of this soothing Malibu, California, home, sliding doors open to the backyard. Wooden oak accents and lush foliage further soften the space and create a seamless integration. Repurposed objects, like this vintage Eames screen and tall floor lamps, help draw the eye upward, as they do in Sophia Bush’s stunning retro Hollywood home.
Mixed Materials
"This is due to its iconic look featuring clean lines, organic and geometric forms, minimal orientation, and high functionality." By incorporating these elements, you will be able to create a mid-century modern interior that not only embodies the essence of the design era but also caters to the practical needs of today's living. Echoing Sims' thoughts, Dave Adams dives deeper into the importance of function in this design style. According to Adams, mid-century modern design "emphasizes function over decoration." It's more than just creating visually appealing pieces; it's about crafting items that "serve a purpose, and in many cases – especially today – can serve multiple purposes."
27 Contemporary Midcentury Modern Furniture Ideas That Don't Cost a Fortune - Architectural Digest
27 Contemporary Midcentury Modern Furniture Ideas That Don't Cost a Fortune.
Posted: Wed, 14 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Lots of Glass For an Infusion of Light & Views
“In college I studied business and industrial design, so I learned to approach business from a design perspective and vice versa. It made me realize that interior design is where my true passions lie,” Tagliaferri says. Check out these midcentury modern living room ideas in a range of sizes and settings for inspiration. White Eames shell chairs sit around a streamlined wooden table in the dining area, which also has a graphic "Modernist" lamp from Z-Lite. BC Arquitetos designed this Brazilian apartment to look like an art gallery, filling it with decorative sculptures and classic furniture designs by Brazilian masters of the 1950s and 1960s.
A Soothing Space
Advances in construction methods and materials made it possible for the likes of Richard Neutra, Philip Johnson, and Pierre Koenig to create the simplified long and low flat-roofed homes that came to define this period. Floor plans were created with an organic flow and multipurpose spaces in mind, with one room seemingly melted into the next. Many architects also constructed split-level homes, which allowed for several stories while retaining the horizontal planes. The result was exquisitely made pieces that were as celebrated as much for their quality as for their simplified, modern forms — think Hans Wegner’s Wishbone Chair or Alvar Aalto’s gently curving birch-and-beech wood chair. While some people argue that midcentury modern has become more of a term for modern design in general than a specific look, part of the struggle to define it may come from how wide-ranging the style is. Part of that is due to the two diverging (yet complementary) directions things took.
Interior spaces were restructured to maximize natural light and openness while framing surrounding views, echoing the essence of the original design ethos. To say that this midcentury gem of a house has good bones is a massive understatement. Cynics, say your worst, we’d be hard pressed to find a naysayer of this three-bedroom located in Beverly Hills. With an arched lighting fixture that adds variation to the living room’s sleek architectural lines, the most difficult daily decision would be whether or not to take your breakfast in the light-filled living room or just beyond for some vitamin D. In the same Pacific Palisades living room, two seating areas were created to flank the original midcentury freestanding fireplace.
Mid-century modern dining room ideas from interior design experts
Pratt and Schwarzenegger's midcentury demo draws dismay - Los Angeles Times
Pratt and Schwarzenegger's midcentury demo draws dismay.
Posted: Mon, 22 Apr 2024 22:51:37 GMT [source]
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s Plano, Illinois, structure is a steel-and-glass house that invites the natural surroundings inside. The house also proves just how wonderful a feature can be even without sunny Southern California weather. Probably the most minimalist among the midcentury-modern homes included here, the Farnsworth House was first built as a country house for Edith Farnsworth, a doctor, violinist, and architecture patron. Jason Statham—hero of action-thriller films like the Fast & Furious franchise, Snatch, and The Transporter—may not be the first name that comes to mind when you think of midcentury-modern design fanatics.
Designed by Arne Jacobsen in 1958 for the Radisson SAS hotel in Copenhagen, the Egg chair is an iconic example of mid-century modernism. Making use of state-of-the-art materials at the time, it was thought to be inspired by Eero Saarinen's Womb chair. Another icon of mid-century modern architecture is Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's Farnsworth House, completed in 1951. However, the influential design movement never dropped out of favour, and today continues to confound critics by remaining on-trend in a big way. Those designers whose style were closer to Bauhaus ideals tended to have more unique typefaces that played with shapes and unique serif styles.
Read on to discover 15 iconic examples of mid-century modernism across furniture, architecture, products and graphics... Rooms were integrated into nature by preserving views of the outside world and orienting the room towards this direction. Living spaces were often designed to encourage users to go outside and to appreciate the natural world in order to lead a healthier life. Though difficult to separate from the qualities of Mid-Century Modern architecture, furniture and other products of the time were designed with a similar minimalistic ideology. For many, design was not necessarily about creating a piece of art, it was about solving a problem in the best way and doing so elegantly and honestly.
What began as an arduous and almost vertical plot of land resulted in, perhaps, the acme of midcentury-modern residential architecture on the West Coast. With this home, Lautner leaned into the primal state of nature, demanding that his audience turn their preconceived notion of domesticity on its head. It was a bold statement of how humans once lived—among the trees, the rocks, perched atop a hill—and the architect stamped his thumbprint on it. Palm trees and Pacific Ocean views aside, California’s spectacular midcentury-modern homes are one of its most memorable sights.
This is the latest in our series of lookbooks providing curated visual inspiration from Dezeen's image archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing home libraries, minimalist bedrooms and Shaker-style interiors. Frost House has also retained its original Knoll furniture, including a gridded-steel Bertoia side chair, as well as its distinctive built-in cabinetry. "The color palette of mid-century style tends to include a lot of whites, muted orange tones, smoky blues, deep yellows, and olive green," says Laura Hodges of Laura Hodges Studio.
For our latest Dezeen lookbook, we have collected 10 projects from the Dezeen archives that showcase elegant mid-century modern interiors with a contemporary feel. “Identifying midcentury pieces isn’t always easy,” according to Meghan Lavery and Daniel King, the founders of Home Union, a Brooklyn-based boutique specializing in homeware from the era. “Midcentury furniture functions very well because of its simplicity and fine craftsmanship.
There’s also great appeal in its timelessness, versatility, and strong functionality. The style is so recognizable and specific - organic shapes paired with geometric shapes. It's hit such a mainstream appeal that it's been deemed the "Pumpkin Spice Latte of design," with the style sold everywhere from Design Within Reach to Target. It's everywhere, and for that very reason, the term's meaning can get a little diluted. A striking windowless brick cylinder set inside a shallow concrete moat, topped by an aluminium spire, the chapel is widely celebrated as a successful example of architectural mid-century modernism. Saarinen created texture by deliberately selecting bricks that were rough and imperfect.
The stage was set for midcentury-modern design by visionary architects and designers that preceded the period. Hallmarks of his buildings—site-specific designs, the consideration for flow between the spaces, and his dedication to the use of wood paneling—are all prominent features of midcentury-modern homes. Pieces by mid-century modern designers such as Ray and Charles Eames, whose lounge chair sits next to a floor-to-ceiling window, and Isamu Noguchi decorate this Los Angeles loft that was designed to nod to Japanese minimalism. The movement spanned from about 1933 to 1965 and included architecture as well as industrial, interior, and graphic design.
