She adds that Danish Modern is a particular style of note from this era, known for its sleek, minimal lines along with quality materials. Its design was considered groundbreaking and has been replicated many times over.” She says, “Designed in 1956, their Eames lounge chair is one of the most recognizable pieces of the mid-century era. For example, Audrey McGill, who has dressed up her 1960s home in authentic mid-mod finds, shares that Charles and Ray Eames are particularly iconic designers. There are several mid-century buzzwords you can learn about and locate during your quests. She recommends going on websites like Chairish or 1stDibs to start learning about names and prices and scoping out what you actually might want to look for-and own. “If you want to start collecting any kind of authentic vintage decor, you need to be educated so that you can spot the good stuff and not overpay,” says designer Emily Henderson. Good vibes and mid-century decor-here we come. Instead, you can start small and build from there (think: a single light fixture instead of an entire living room filled with mid-century furniture).įor some truly special mid-mod inspo, these tips from five top mid-century experts will start you on your way.
Don’t worry-tour entire house doesn’t have to be an homage to the 1950s. If you’ve been thinking about starting to collect bits of mid-century decor of your own, now’s as good a time as any-our collective love for mid-mod style shows no signs of fading out. Little acts of bettering our homes have proven to be a healing salve throughout these tough times, and decorating does its part to help us feel like we’re in control of our own little universes. While interior design certainly won’t save the world, it can make us feel more joyful. In its own way, mid-century decor answered that call. Much of the world had just gone through the challenges of war, and was yearning for something fresh and encouraging. Its modern visuals, sleek lines, vibrant colors, and nods to everything space-age was more than just a new design style-it was hope for the future represented through home decor. It was these chairs that brought the Space Age into the terrestrial living rooms.Mid-century modern decor first arose in the late 1940s, right after World War II. Fantastic white and silver space worlds with softly rounded plastic furniture were shown in movies such as Barbarella (1968) and 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). As they create a “room in the room” similar to a futuristic space capsule, they quickly became very popular and appeared not only in ‘60s living rooms but also in science fiction films. Not only do these chairs both look simple and unconventional at the same time, but they are also irrational and rational in an almost schizophrenic way. With the Sixties Revival at the end of the 20th century came the creations of the ball chair by Finnish furniture designer Eero Aarnio in 1963 and the egg chair by Danish industrial designer Henrik Thor-Larsen in 1968.
The question of how one wanted to live in the future brought forth futuristic designs and manifested itself through geometric shapes. The race for the conquest of space had a great impact on people in the mid-1960s and thus also on fashion and design.