Vintage charm is found throughout mid century design. We are obsessed with the subdued mustard, lime and charcoal tones featured in the mid century aesthetic.
Mid century homes have a funky underlying tone you experience the moment you walk through the door. What the first thing that usually catches your eye in one of these eclectic homes? The sofa! Arguably, the couch is your living room’s foundation– the focal point and piece of furniture that will gather guests to the area.
Check out the mid century couches we are swooning over this season– simplistic, minimalistic, yet undeniably funky!
Ready to transform your living space with one of these vintage charmers? We are too! Show us your style by using the hashtag #enlightenyourhome on your next home feature.
If you’ve enjoyed this article, make sure to check out Mid Century Modern Consoles You’ll Love to get more mid century furniture inspiration for that room redo!
Sleek lines, understated elegance, and warm functionality are the key elements in Scandinavian design and architecture. Utilizing natural light and neutral color palettes gives a warming essence to illuminate interiors in even the coldest climates.
In a region where winters are long, and daylight can be scarce, we often see a luminous glow of bright whites in Scandinavian homes. It is common for it to be a bit darker and less spacious in Nordic countries, so their design and architecture have a tendency to create environments aiming to be airy, cozy, and maximize the number of windows and skylights in each space. Adding accents like house plants, furs, area rugs, and plentiful pillows and blankets gives modern Scandinavian homes a warmly inviting appeal.
We adore our selections from these elegant modern homes, notice the hints of color that bring out the bright whites and give such a sense of openness!
Mid-Century Modern, a revolutionary movement that began in the late 1930s that has never left our homes or our hearts. Reflecting the international and business movements with global influences from the likes of Scandinavian and Brazilian architects, with a style characterized by clean simplicity and integration with nature.
With advancements in technology and resources, and a global shift in philosophy, our idea of furnitures functionality being mostly ornamental has declined. We have been emerging with modern ideals of sustainability, accessibility, and practicality, and straying farther from a strictly decorative intention. Though Mid-Century designs are sleek and functional, there has been no lack of sophistication and beauty in the aesthetic.
Here are some of our top picks for Mid-Century Modern pieces for your modern home!
After over half a century, the world is still infatuated with Mid-Century Modern architecture, design, and decor.
Following an article she wrote for Crown, Cara Greenberg coined the phrase “midcentury modern” for the title of her book, Midcentury Modern: Furniture of the 1950s, published in 1984. This term encompasses the modernist home decor, design, and architecture spanning between 1947 and 1957, although some will say the time period stretches a bit in each direction of time from the 1930s to the 1960s.
The architecturally innovative oasis of Palm Springs, California has long been revered as a pinnacle for the Mid-Century Modern style, having the highest concentration of the design in the world. With it’s dramatic geographical landscapes of colorful deserts, striking mountain ranges, and intense climate, architects embraced a sleek, cool way of integrating the homes into the extreme environment. Unlike Los Angeles or Miami, palm trees are in fact native to Palm Springs. After the last ice age, a freshwater lake covered the Coachella valley and created an underground aquifer enabling rich plant life to emerge.
The Desert Inn health resort was the premier hotel, opened in 1909 by female entrepreneur Nellie Coffman. Not long after, the hotel with it’s modernistic features complimented by the backdrop of natural wonders, soon made Palm Springs a popular film location, drawing celebrities and filmmakers away from Hollywood to make their homes.
Check out the lustrous glamour of these interiors!
The details of the sunburst fisheye mirror and clock, luscious philodendron, and cool Caribbean glaze of the floor, make the spaces in these two images have a smooth, natural flow.
Beautiful blush walls in a pattern reminiscent of topographic mapping, antique brass accents, maple and ash furniture with both geometric and oblong characteristics, and modern art makes this bedroom completely fascinating.
The deep moss velvet sofa along with the lavender velvet armchairs create delightful symmetry to frame the unusual love seat. Crisp cobalt lamps and a collection of colorful handblown glass vessels are brilliant accents to contrast the white brick wall.
Have you visited Palm Springs or another hotspot for design from this era? Share links to your favorite Mid-Century Modern design and architecture below!
When we first moved to Asheville, we met Todd + Megan of Atomic Furnishings. We bonded over all things natural and mid century furniture. Growing up, I would go to garage sales and old school warehouses to search for mod pieces to refurbish for our home. I loved that each piece told a story. The fabrics were usually old and needed an updating. My Step Dad would take me to the Knoll fabric store and I fell in love with the colors, textures and possibilities! I think those memories have a big influence in my current career as a textile artist and home decor designer. I appreciate well curated moments within a home, small silhouettes that can change your mood. You can tell Todd + Megan are in the industry for searching for beautiful pieces because they love the stories as well. I really appreciate their hard work salvaging pieces while taking awesome product shots and creating a store that provides hours of inspiration!
Atomic Furnishings is our only stockist in Asheville and we are proud to send customers their way! Take a peak into their showroom and mid century modern home – featuring bunglo pillows!
African samba meets tropical mid century. D R E A M Y.
Rainbows! I think bunglo pillows really do have good vibes 🙂
