Mid-Century Modern Design continues to endure. The style's emphasis on function over form, organic shapes, and clean lines create a timeless aesthetic that appeals to many homeowners across the world.
If there's one way to capture this period's design essence, it's through furniture. But with so many furniture options available, it can be overwhelming to know where to start.
In this article, we'll delve into the mid-century modern furniture essentials that every design enthusiast should think about incorporating into their home. Whether you're aiming to completely transform your space or simply want to infuse a bit of this style into your current decor, we've got you covered.
1. A Super Comfy Lounge Chair and Ottoman
Why? Because of the Eames Lounge Chair. Even though it came out decades ago, it remains a mid-century style statement piece that still adorns many homes today.
The lounge chair and ottoman were introduced in 1956 and underwent some changes over the years, like the materials used to create the shell and other minor tweaks to make it comfier. But the look itself remains more or less the same.
Behind this masterpiece are Charles and Ray Eames, the wife-and-husband team who created some of the most iconic designs—architecture, furniture, and more—of the 20th century. The lounge chair is possibly one of their most defining and lasting contributions to the furniture-making industry.
So, what's the anatomy of an MCM lounge chair and ottoman?
- One is the sleek design. The chair is cushioned but still looks pretty compact because of the wooden shells, just like the Eames Lounge Chair.
- The legs are not bulky, creating a seamless look on your floors and allowing visual continuity.
- A chair with a mid-century design is all about function over form. Unlike ornate Baroque chairs that really go all out on the details (so, you see those first before anything else), you can tell from the get-go that a mid-century style chair is designed for a comfortable seating experience.
2. A Storage Piece with Sleek Design and Clean Lines
George Nelson is considered one of the most influential modernist designers. One of his well-known creations is the basic cabinet series, which is a modular storage system consisting of various cabinet designs that have a minimalist and straightforward look.
These cabinets are usually made from wood, with metal knobs and legs. They are incredibly versatile, fitting in just about any space, may it be at the office or at home, in the bedroom or in the dining room.
If you're looking for a George Nelson MCM-inspired storage piece, here are some of the things to look for:
- Go for a piece of furniture (a credenza, buffet, or dresser) that features clean, straight lines. The simpler, the better.
- You'd want that piece to have the most flexible design. Even if you're buying it for your bedroom, also think about how it may look in your living room. This is one way to check a piece's versatility.
- The George Nelson modular storage pieces may or may not have legs. But it can help when your unit does. Raised furniture, as in pieces with thin, tapered, or hairpin legs, was quite common at that time. Having this feature on furniture is one way to really showcase the Mid-Century Modern aesthetics in your space.
- Choose furniture pieces that highlight the natural material. If they're made of solid wood, go for those that emphasize wood grains, coupled with a very subtle decorative element like brass handles.
3. A Statement Furniture with Bold Colors
The mid-20th century was also a time of experimentation: new materials and construction methods. You can see this in Arne Jacobsen's Egg Chair, which first came out as a hard foam shell covered with upholstery, or the Eames's shell chairs originally made of fiberglass and bent wire.
Part of this experimentation involved combining bold colors with more natural ones. Mid-century style colors can be seen as a fusion of deep and subtle neutrals, along with vibrant pops of saturated hues. This palette includes mustard yellow, bold red, teal, olive green, and burnt orange, paired with rust, dark brown, navy blue, and other neutral tones.
To incorporate statement pieces with bold colors in your space, it can be:
- A Florence Knoll-inspired statement sofa (or the original one if you want), a modern sofa with a clean, geometric shape, with pops of color like yellow, orange, or lime upholstery
- The Egg Chair by Arne Jacobsen, or a version of it. Because of its organic shape that cuts lines and angles, it can definitely stand out in your space, more so if you choose one with a bold color
- Simple side tables with bold accent colors
4. Chairs, Chairs, Chairs
Furniture design really thrived in the Mid-20th Century, particularly in the realm of chairs and seating. It's quite challenging to encapsulate every design there ever was at the time. But there are designs that stood out from the rest, like, again, the Eames Lounge Chair or the Egg Chair.
But there are many more designs, which, if you can get the actual designer pieces or versions of them, can really elevate the Mid-Century aesthetics of your space. Here are some of these noteworthy furniture pieces:
- Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's Barcelona® Chair
- Eero Saarinen's Tulip Chair
- Marcel Breuer's Cesca Chair
- Hans Wegner's Wishbone Chair, also known as the CH24 chair or Y chair
- Eames' Molded Chair
- Pierre Jeanneret's Chandigarh Armchair
5. A Simple, Functional Dining Table
Mid-century modern tables often feature natural and man-made elements that create a charming retro-futuristic aesthetic. These tables embody geometric shapes through sleek lines, rounded corners, beveled edges, and tapered legs.
These are the major characteristics of a mid-century modern table:
- Simple and uncluttered design, often featuring geometric shapes and tapered legs
- Designed to be stylish and functional, often incorporating "hidden" features like built-in storage or expandable surface
- A blend of both natural and man-made materials, including solid wood, metal, glass, and plastic. Popular choices of wood at the time include the American black walnut, rosewood, and teak.
Here are some iconic pieces from the Mid-Century that are tables:
- Charles and Ray Eames' 1675 Round Table
- Eero Saarinen's Round Pedestal Table
- Isamu Noguchi's Noguchi Coffee Table
- George Nelson's X-Leg Table
6. A Minimalist Wooden Bed Frame
Large furniture can easily change the tone of a room. So, if you want to extend the MCM theme all the way to your bedroom, the first piece you need to start with is the bed frame.
Mid-century modern often features a blend of organic materials, sleek curves, and minimalist design. The straightforward design is a reflection of how people from different classes lived at the time, with many embracing a more natural, genuine, and contemporary lifestyle.
Mid-century modern bed frames typically share several common features, including tapered or angled legs, bare or tufted headboards, and wood frames. They feature sleek lines and a simple design, often evoking a Scandinavian design-style vibe.
Shop Mid-Century Modern Furniture at T.Y. Fine Furniture
With the incredible versatility of mid-century modern furniture, the shopping options are endless. You can easily score your dream mid-century piece at your local furniture retailer.
But for a truly extraordinary experience, visit T.Y. Fine Furniture. Our showroom has an array of Mid-Century furniture, from storage and tables to lounge chairs and bed frames.
All of our furniture designs are sleek and minimalist, prioritizing function over form. But we have two collections dedicated to Mid-Century aesthetics, these are the Apollo Collection and the Modern Collection. Explore them today online or in-store!