Mid century home decorating can make your home look beautiful and be a great investment as you age. This style represents an artistic approach to designing that focused on the harmony and balance of furniture, color, shape, and line. The emphasis was on clean lines that emphasized proportions and shapes. Mid century home decor was also characterized by a focus on light. This meant fixtures were often made with more glass, metal, or other light-reflecting materials to reflect the light around the room and give it a beautiful soft glow.
One of the main features of mid century modern style is the use of simple geometric patterns and shapes. Using dark and heavy unpainted wood pieces with dark woods for furniture, such as mahogany or walnut, gave mid century home interiors a unique look. Cushions were also made out of heavy fabrics like velvet, satin, or jute. Simple patterns were usually avoided. Colors used were earth tones that ranged from pastel colors to yellow or beige. White was also used very sparingly and decorating accessories were minimal.
Since most home furniture in the mid century had rounded edges, it was important to have lines using complimentary colors to give the rooms a flowing and balanced look. Use contrasting colors for accent furniture pieces, such as artichokes. Shapes were also key. For example, curved or square corners were best for a modernistic look, while equilateral and rectangular shapes gave a country feel to the interior. Mid century furniture designs also used clean cut lines that highlighted the furnishings, walls, and floors.
Basic shapes that were frequently used included rectangles, ovals, and rounded corners. Other shapes, however, were less common such as polygonal, oblong, and pentagons. The best way to design and create mid century modern interiors was through combining bold geometric patterns with clean lines. Elements were always kept together so the home always looked balanced and well-planned. Clean cut edges were emphasized by using lighter shades for wall paint, curtains, and lamps.
The biggest influence for mid century modern interior design was a new concept called “line and shape” which was later on expanded to “theme and color scheme.” This concept involved using basic shapes, like squares, to form the basis of the room’s interior design. Rooms would then be decorated using lighter and darker hues to compliment the main color scheme. Textures were not applied until much later.
Mid century decorating influenced many other designers too. This includes the birth of interior design theory called “line and shape.” John Richard and Charles Le Corbusier are often credited with developing this concept. Together they created concepts of organic forms and geometric shapes that were later used in modern design. Organic forms, or geometrical shapes and lines, have become a popular aspect of mid century modern decorating.
A mid century modern home has no sense of humor whatsoever. The main purpose of this type of interior design style was to create an atmosphere that was highly functional. In other words, everything should be thought about ergonomically, making each item easy to move around. Everything, from furniture to floor covering to rugs, would be designed with efficiency in mind. In this day and age, modern furniture is often made with strong fabrics that can withstand years of use.
The beauty of a mid century modern style home is that the walls are painted in neutral colors, the floors are marble or granite, the kitchen countertops are gleaming stainless steel, and every item imaginable is within your reach. However, if you’re the type of person who hates having things that are too large to move around, mid century modern design might not be for you. In this case, a more basic style of interior design will do just fine.
