Mid Century Modern Decor & Style Ideas

With the year 2022 lurking over our heads, believe it or not, but the ingenious interior decor of the 1950s is still a fad today. Homeowners are flooring the furniture market to grab mid-century modern decor, hunting for the most unique gems, and getting all the style ideas they need. However, getting ideas can be difficult to do so especially if you are not aware of what exactly you need to look out for. So in order to learn everything about mid-century modern decor and how to style your house accordingly, read on below.

Mid Century Modern Style; Ideas and Tips

Mid Century Modern style is defined as a contemporary, aesthetic, and extremely functional interior design. This style became the talk of the town in the 1950s and 1960s and then started to lose the hype. In the mid-80’s it again rose to prominence and has since had designers and architects obsessed with it. So how can you hop on the mid-century modern style bandwagon? Well read the tips below and enjoy the ride.

• Mix Of Colors

The mid-century style revolves around a wide color palette which makes it stand out and even bold for some people. Whether it is the walls, furniture, or even small accessories, you can never go wrong with a bright captivating color such as yellow or green. A mix of primary colors such as yellow, red, blue, and white with soft pastel colors like mint green, light turquoise, and baby pink is an ideal mid-century combination. Accent walls are in along with bright-colored accessories and statement pieces in order to give a pop of color to your overall sophisticated and pastel-colored home.

• Functionality Is Cardinal

Mid-century furniture was designed by keeping functionality in mind. The architectural motto behind these furniture pieces was “form follows function”. Functionality does not apply to purely decoration items but apart from that, every piece has a function. A chair, for example, made from decent-looking leather and teak gives a very sophisticated vibe and can curl up and provide you space to place a drink on the sidearm. You can relax and enjoy the chair to its fullest and also give your home a mid-century modern decor with it. Similarly, a desk can act as a shelving system as well whereas a coffee table can provide you with storage space for small things. Mid-century modern decor requires furniture to be simple, practical, stylish, and very useful.

• Allow Wood Into Your Life

Today, most furniture pieces are made using pressed wood and so for mid-century modern style to stand out, real wood must be used. Furniture made during mid-century times focused on clean lines of rosewood, teak, walnut, and oak wood, but finding original pieces can be difficult to do so. This is why you can opt for replicas that follow these elements and are not as pricey and difficult to find.

• Quality Over Quantity

The reason why mid-century modern decor is still a trend today is due to its excellent craftsmanship and high-quality material. This allows the pieces to be incredibly resilient and worth every penny. However, as mentioned above, finding these authentic pieces can be very tricky but if you opt for replicas then you need to get the right quality. Some features to look out for include mixed materials, wood such as elm, maple, teak, and walnut, and good craftsmanship and that’ll fit in mid-century decor perfectly.

• A Lot Of Sunlight

One thing that mid-century modern decor focuses on is ample natural lighting. Now if your apartment has large windows then natural lighting won’t be an issue. You can accentuate your windows by placing sheer and unfussy curtains that do not stop the light and also provide you with a clear view. You can also opt for no blinds and let your windows stay in their natural habitat. For people without windows in their houses, stylish curved or geometric-shaped lighting is a great option.

• Don’t Forget A Bar

Back in the ’50s, mixing drinks or a small bar cart in houses was a common occurrence. In order to enjoy the mid-century modern decor completely, you need to be open to mid-century culture and get a bar. Fill your bar with expensive drinks, gorgeous liquor glasses, and don’t forget a cocktail shaker to enjoy whenever you have guests around.

• Modernised Kitchen

In order to modernize your kitchen, you need to opt for unfussy designs. Going for slab cabinets or simple flat front openings will work great; anything too unique or fancy should not be used. You can also go for striking bold color and organized counters for a true mid-century modern kitchen decor. Another way to amp up your kitchen according to the 50’s decor is by replacing your ornate cabinets with basic flat wooden ones. The easiest tip to modernize your kitchen is by keeping the lines uncluttered, straight and clean.

• Quirky Artwork

When it comes to artwork, avoid basic drawings of lions, horses, or any other animal/human shapes. Instead, opt for bursts of colors, abstract painting, plain geometric designs, and different artwork patterns. Mid Century artists played in graphic prints, bold and bright shapes, and various geometric combinations to make their homes stand out. So in order to channel these mid-century decor vibes, geometric, floral, and abstract patterns is what you need to go for.

• White Paint Is The Right Paint

This is a very important step because mid-century modern decor involves a pop of color and to help make your colored statement pieces stand out, white is the perfect backdrop. Whether you have an abstract colorful painting, yellow-colored flower pots, or a dark green dining table, white is the right paint. It will make it easy for you to make your colorful pieces stand out without doing much.

• Even The Smallest Details Matter

You may think you can only channel mid-century decor through large pieces and this is where you are wrong. With mid-century decor, even the smallest things matter. A simple oil canvas, a few bright-colored table pieces, or even corner lamps can be details worth paying attention to if placed correctly. However, you can easily mess these details up if you add a lot of small pieces at the same time. Try to focus on a minimalist look to achieve a sophisticated outcome.

• Take A Risk With Wallpaper

Now wallpapers are a risky step to take but in order to fully embrace the mid-century modern decor, they are a must. You can add a touch of glamour to your coffee corner or living room with a graphic bold and bright colored wallpaper with ease. Mid-century modern decor wallpaper is usually very stylish and can be a great photography corner for you. However, if you do not want to opt for something permanent, then you can go for peel-off wallpapers that can be taken off when you no longer want them.

Bottom Line

The mid-century decor style is not just a trend that you follow, it is a whole culture that you embrace. It consists of modernized, minimalist, and bold decisions which are not everyone’s cup of tea. So if you are planning on joining this trend, follow the tips above to make yourself fully prepared for it!