Mid-Century Interior Design: 7 Tips To Create A Timeless Modern Home (2024)

If you’re a design lover like us, then you know that mid-century interior design is a style that remains timeless, forever loved, always sought after. Clean and sleek lines, modern meets vintage, this style has remained unbeatable since the end of the 20th century when it made a resurface. If you want to add this style to your home, you’ve come ot the right place. Read on for our best tips to achieve the mid-century modern look as we dive into this style which is here to stay.

01. Understand its Origins: What is Mid-Century Interior Design?

Mid-century interior design marks the artistic era that spanned from the 1930s to the 1960s, an era of aesthetic cleanse, modernism, practicality and international influences, like the Scandinavian design. In this unique mix, this look became one of the popular styles of the era, and was finally coined ‘mid-century modern’ after its reign in the 1980s by writer Cara Greenberg.

Mid-century modern interiors are visually light and stick to the form-follows-function principle. Anything unnecessary has got to go, so all that is left is functional and stylish pieces with a revolutionary and luxurious twist.

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02. Pair Mid-Century Interior Design With Your Personality

A mid-century modern home is for anyone. Yet, those who have a deep appreciation for authentic vintage styling will enjoy such an interior even more. The furniture also adapts well to even the smallest of rooms, while practicality and durability make them perfect for families. However, even within this style, you can customize it to fit your needs and your personality.

03. Spot Mid-Century Home Interiors, Room by Room

So you can better understand mid-century design, it’s important to recognize it room by room. Homes with this style are bolder, brighter and comfier without feeling outdated or tacky. Before attempting to create a retro modern interior design, familiarize yourself with the look of a mid-century modern house.

Mid-Century Kitchen Interior Design

Clean lines and door cabinets with simple pulls are among the top features of mid-century kitchen design styles. When paired with slim bar stools and a few select colorful accessories, a retro kitchen comes to life.

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Mid-Century Bedroom Interior Design

Thanks to its gender-neutral look, the mid-century design isn’t that hard to insert in your home. Clean lines and muted colors prevail when adding this design in your bedroom, as well. Make sure to use contrasting textures and be playful, especially considering this room is supposed to be for relaxation and unwinding.

Mid-Century Modern Dining Room

With an artisanal dining table and dining chairs in velvet and brilliantly shaped, it’ll be easy to create a beautifully cohesive mid-century modern interior. Add a contemporary twist with a statement pendant light or chandelier dangling above the table.

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Mid-Century Modern Living Room

The purpose of modern interior design was to steer the focus toward what’s natural and away from human-made. A combined living and dining room chiefly opens more avenues for social interaction and provides an area to showcase a retro modern interior design’s furniture.

04. Add Elements of Mid-Century Modern Interior Design Ideas

As one of the most enticing styles of the 20thand 21stcenturies, retro modern interior design is here to stay. After attending to a few key elements, you can also successfully create your mid-century home.

  • Simplified Form: simplified form and clean lines are vital to perfecting this vintage style. At times, as form follows function, shapes can be geometric or organic. Keep in mind that the aesthetic focuses on the essential.
  • Open Plan Layout:Architects and mid-century interior designers made sure attention shifted from the interior to outdoors, focusing on nature instead. They did this by using an openhome floor plan, sliding doors, and glass panes.

  • Mid-Century Modern Art:Artists were among the driving forces behind modernism. So, it’s only natural that artwork from this period is as remarkable as the furniture and architecture. Color is a big part of mid-century modern art.

  • Minimal Window Dressing:If you have large windows, you’re in luck. These expansive windows bring more natural light and blur the line between interior and exterior spaces. And what better way to show off great glass panes with minimal or no dressing?

  • Retro Colors for Modern Interior Design:Mid-century modern interior decorators and designers surely embraced color. Surprisingly, the retro color spectrum is vast. This wheel ranges from neutral to bright and bold, and even feature stark contrasts of black and white.

  • Retro Furniture:An absolute must for a mid-century modern house is vintage furniture. Slender legs and straight lines are characteristic of the era and make these pieces ooze sophistication. Despite their apparent simplicity, mid-century furniture is still highly sought after in contemporary homes.

05. Get to Know Retro Modern Furniture in Interior Design

There is more to mid-century furniture than hairpin legs and straight-edged silhouettes. Plush, cocooning curves and dreamy shapes also form part of this trend-setting era.

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06. Meet Iconic Mid-Century Modern Interior Decorators, Designers & Artists

As with any other style, a few creatives push the trend further than ever thought possible. The mighty minds behindmid-century modernhomes include architects, decorators, artists, and interior designers.

Philip Johnson is among the leading architects, while Charles and Ray Eames designed everything from buildings to furniture. The Eames Lounge Chair is one of their most popular pieces. George Nelson, the maker of the Marshmallow sofa, took great strides in bringing Scandinavian modern design to the global arena. In the meantime, artists like Andy Warhol and Isamu Noguchi (who also dabbled in furniture design) pushed art boundaries to create awe-inspiring pieces.

07. Balance Your Mid-Century Modern House

Decorating a home with strictly retro style furniture, like mid-century modern, is a challenge. If you go too far, it may look too kitsch and outdated, so it’s important to keep in mind some basics. Playing with opposites in textures, heights, colors and materials is a must, as well as layering levels, which is a typical element of mid-century. Mixing textiles like velvet, silk, twill, wool, jute, and cotton is a big yes! Make sure to incorporate some nature elements, personality and get that perfect color palette for your home.

READ MORE: THIS ALL-WHITE LIVING ROOM SPACE BY KATERINA RUSSKIH IS SERIOUSLY SOOTHING!

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Mid-Century Interior Design: 7 Tips To Create A Timeless Modern Home (2024)

FAQs

How do you make a new house look mid-century modern? ›

If you're building a new home and looking for a mid-century modern feel, consider accent colours on feature walls or decorative upholstery. Stone backsplashes or bold shelving can change the game in custom luxury homes. You also may want to think about popular mid-century accent colours, like pale green or pewter grey.

Is mid-century modern style timeless? ›

MCM is timeless, contemporary, and looks good in almost any space. In case you were wondering which are the most iconic Mid Century Modern Furniture pieces, here are some of the ones you definitely need to know: Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman (Charles and Ray Eames)

What style of home decor is timeless? ›

Embrace natural materials in your finishes, fixtures and furniture such as timbers, stone, marble, cottons, linens and wool. It is balance that is the essence of timeless interior design. By embracing timeless designs in your home, you are transcending trends and fads that will become old very quickly.

What does mid-century modern interior design look like? ›

Mid-century design is an uncluttered style that combines clean lines, gentle and organic curves, and a poppy and fun color palette. It has a “form follows function” approach—aka, functionality is key when it comes to furniture and layout.

How do you blend modern and mid-century modern? ›

Mid-century Modern vs Contemporary Design: How to Mix these...
  1. Muted tones or vibrant colors (avoid the in-between)
  2. Clean furniture lines.
  3. A mix of both natural and manmade materials. ...
  4. Geometric shapes or lines.
  5. Mixing indoor and outdoor themes (for example, a chaise lounge in the living room)

How can I make my house look timeless? ›

#1 Mix Modern, Antique and Vintage

One of the easiest ways to create a timeless home is to mix modern, antique and vintage elements. Even in a brand-new home, filling the entire space with contemporary artwork, furniture and decor can make a house feel cold and uninspired.

Is mid-century modern in style 2024? ›

We took a little break from midcentury modern, but Kropovinsky says he sees it inching its way back in—though with a fresher take this time around. There is a new focus on organic curves and classic charm, and that will come back in 2024.

Is MCM out of style? ›

Midcentury modern bedrooms are calm, tranquil, timeless spaces that never seem to go out of style. Midcentury modern refers to the decorating style that rose to popularity in the 1950s and 1960s.

What color is mid-century modern? ›

Combine organic, warm colors and sleek, industrial white and blue-gray hues with pops of red to capture the spirit of midcentury modern style.

What color sofa never goes out of style? ›

Neutral Colors: Classic and neutral color palettes, such as whites, creams, grays, and earth tones, stand the test of time.

What color furniture is timeless? ›

If you want timeless furniture, go for a timeless color. Yes, a color! A blue, yellow, or black sofa will be a lot more timeless than the popular gray. The gray sofas of today are just the brown leather sofas of 10 years ago.

What styles can you mix with mid-century modern? ›

Art Deco design exudes luxury, glamour, and ornate detailing. To seamlessly combine it with the timeless appeal of Mid-Century Modern, consider incorporating MCM furniture with clean lines and bold shapes. Accentuate the fusion with Art Deco elements through lighting fixtures, mirrors, and decorative accents.

Why do Millennials like mid-century modern? ›

Mid-Century modern allows Millenials to personalize with unique pieces to fit their lifestyle. And, want to know the best part of all of this? Guess where else you can design a space that is unique and tailored to your lifestyle?

What is mid-century modern home decor? ›

Mid century design features soft curves, modern shapes with minimalist materials that evoke a sense of nostalgia for a time gone by. It typically includes furniture pieces like armchairs, sofas and dining tables made from wood or metal frames with upholstery in bold geometric prints or solid hues.

How do I update mid century modern exterior? ›

Simple things like changing up the trim and paint colors will make a noticeable impact — try to pick a neutral primary color, like beige, brown or gray. If you want to stray from the norm with bright accents, try painting your front door or garage door something bright, such as red, green, blue or yellow.

How do you mix mid century modern and farmhouse? ›

Bold colors: While farmhouse interior design often uses a neutral color palette, adding pops of bold color inspired by midcentury modern design can create a more modern and playful look. Consider adding bold-colored throw pillows or a colorful rug.

Do people still build mid century modern homes? ›

Even some 60 years since its heyday, the style has endured and serves as the inspiration for many of today's most prominent trends. Instantly recognizable, homes built with midcentury modern designs continue to attract buyers who are looking for a contemporary layout with stylish finishes.

How much does it cost to build mid century modern home? ›

A mid-century modern home costs $200 to $500 per square foot to build because you may need custom materials and features, like windows or roofs, that cost more per square foot. A true MCM home typically has around 1,500 to 2,500 square feet, so your total project cost could range from $300,000 to $1,250,000.

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