Mid-century Modern Interiors – Design is always cyclical. Styles that have survived are resurrected in new ways. And while mid-century modern design isn’t the only lifestyle to experience a renaissance, it certainly has done so with unmatched staying power. The modern aesthetic is defined by clean lines, organic forms, an understated approach, and high functionality (think design icons like Florence Knoll, Herman Miller, and Arne Jacobson). It was popularized in the 1940s and, after a second wave of interest in the late 90s, has yet to leave the mainstream scene – much to the dismay of many designers.
In fact, a debate about the appropriateness of medieval design has been brewing among designers for decades. Some insist that if we don’t do it ourselves, we should go with it, while many testify to its uncircumcision. “We wouldn’t call it a mid-century modern style, but a design era,” says Piotr Paradowski, chief designer at Paradowski Studio. stay there.”
Mid-century Modern Interiors
Regardless of which side of the debate you fall on, it’s clear that the mid-century modern aesthetic has left an indelible mark on the world of design – function and form that we can all learn from. So whether you’re committed to a mid-century home update or want to bring the look into your living room with a few simple tweaks, we’ve pulled our favorite looks from ELLE DECOR pages to help you get moving. Read on for 48 mid-century modern living rooms that will take you back in time. We bet you won’t want to come back.
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In the living room of the Goldwyn house, an iconic residence in Los Angeles that is now home to the Future Perfect gallery, there is a bejeweled lounge covered in velvet and led by a rattan chandelier woven from by artist Chris Wolston. Although this scheme nicely mixes eras, the clean lines throughout and the dark-stained wood feel distinctly medieval.
Another spin on mid-century modern: this tranquil New York apartment with subtle nods to the vintage look. Organic and geometric shapes punctuate the space through lighting fixtures and seating arrangements. All are softened by a warm ivory color (Baby Fawn by Benjamin Moore) and parquet wood flooring. The designer, Augusta Hoffman, says that in such a small space, form over function was at the forefront of their minds. “Every surface has to be usable, and every chair has to be really, really comfortable,” she told ELLE DECOR.
If you like to mix styles and eras, this early Frank Gehry home is a study in contrasts. Gehry’s signature Deconstructivist style and spare palette work with the neutral tones, luxurious materials, and rounded shapes. Take, for example, the living room’s green Mario Bellini mohair sofa (an icon of 1970s design), the hand-woven Scandinavian wool rug balancing the concrete floors, and the concrete fireplace offset with warm wood grain patterns.
This sitting area in the same home is furnished with a series of found antiques, such as a 1955 Pierre Jeanneret office chair that pays homage to the modern look – with additions lively as the picture of Robert Loughlin, in which his trademark, square-chinned, cigarette. smoking figure he called “the brute.”
Embracing Mid Century Modern Style • Lider Electric
Built in the 1950s, this Johannesburg gem was designed by Eyvind Finsen, a South African architect inspired by Richard Neutra. Homeowners (architects themselves), Silvio Rech and Lesley Carstens designed this with one question in mind. “We asked ourselves, ‘What would be the natural progression of a Palm Springs bungalow today?'” Rech says. The answer? This living room features a leather sofa by Flexform, a vintage black leather chair (below left) by Joe Colombo, and a custom square cocktail table. Our favorite detail? Fun leaf chandelier by Xavier Clarisse. We are taking a walk on the wild side now.
For Pamela Shamshiri, leaning into mid-century beauty isn’t enough. In this Pacific Palisades home in Los Angeles designed by Paul László, Shamshiri looked to the famed designer’s quirky but functional furniture for inspiration on several custom pieces, including a stripped burl wood sofa down and blocked in the living room which is different from plush. , an unusual L-shaped sofa. Our favorite detail? The custom jewel-like tile bar cabinet, which is the decorative centerpiece of the living room – and proof that both tile and wood only belong on the floor.
In the same Pacific Palisades living room, two sitting areas were created to flank the original mid-century fireplace. Floor-to-ceiling windows look out onto the Pacific Ocean, while tinted mirrors reflect garden views. If this exploratory interplay between historical and contemporary isn’t evidence that this style of design can evolve, we don’t know what is.
Did I go a bit medieval – happy with the classic low slung sofa? Repurposed items, like this vintage Eames screen and tall floor lamps, help draw the eye up, as they do in Sophia Bush’s retro Hollywood chic home.
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Designer Pamela Shamshiri brings back all the midcentury green vibes in this Pacific Palisades loft, which features antique molding furniture alongside contemporary artwork and light fixtures.
Who said mid-century was all about earth tones? This colorful Long Island dig is sprinkled with graphic pops of bright green and yellow, creating an interplay between organic and splashy. “The house reminded me of a place Joni Mitchell would have lived in Laurel Canyon in the ’70s,” homeowner Linda Rodin told ELLE DECOR. “And that was my imagination.”
Drumroll, please, for the crowning jewel of a mid-century look: the crescent-shaped bed. As attractive as it is functional (no one is left hanging over the edge of the sofa in this rounded position), this Lejeune sofa, upholstered in Dedar velvet with a Maquis Scalamandre Tapestry in the background, a true blue-eyed wonder in this magnificent scene. tropical descent.
Living in and out is all the rage right now, but it’s really nothing new. In the formal family gathering space of this Malibu, California, home, sliding doors open to the backyard. Wood oak accents and lush foliage further soften the space and create a seamless integration.
Mid Century Modern: Interiors, Furniture, Design Details: Quinn, Bradley: 9781840914061: Amazon.com: Books
To say that this medieval house of a house has good bones is a huge understatement. Cynics, say your worst, we’d be hard-pressed to find an imitator of this three-bedroom in Beverly Hills. With an arched light fixture that transforms the slim architectural lines of the living room, the most difficult daily decision is whether to take your breakfast in the light-filled living room or just further off for some vitamin D.
If the latter beauty feels totally right now, it’s because midcentury architecture was ahead of its time, says the owner of this Beverly Hills home. “The proportions—low, moving—are about tapping into nature and being minimal,” he notes. “That’s how important we think about sustainability. How do we insert ourselves into the landscape without taking over?” Mission accomplished in this living room, which features a marble cocktail table by Antonio Citterio for B&B Italia and a quartzite wall above the home’s original bronze fireplace.
For Kovac Design Studio, a visual eye sometimes requires a quick approach. In the great room of Todd Feldman’s retreat in La Quinta, California, neutral furniture is paired with Warren Platner chairs that match the house’s wood accents. The muted color scheme allows it to draw attention, first, to the home’s elegant roofline.
Nothing brings back medieval nostalgia like a classic black-and-white flick. In this cinematic desert home, Jean-Luc Godard’s 1960 film,
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Projected on a custom motorized screen in the great room, which features a floating theater with glass rails over a curtained bar area – a seamless blend of old and new that harkens back to the old days without stepping too far out of the here and now.
This seven-bedroom, 9,200-square-foot vacation home at the private Madison Club in La Quinta, California, is a Palm Springs pad like boutique hotel, with
– cheat rate, and a discounted stand with stock for Fight Night. Designer Kovac Design Studio leaned into midcentury features like low-slung furniture and floor-to-ceiling wood paneling. Listen to the whole drama, on both sides of the screen!
Powerhouse set design duo David Wasco and Sandy Reynolds-Wasco salvaged and renovated a 1956 bungalow in Santa Barbara, California, and their interior composition is a contender for most stage sets. In this living room, a pair of Milo Baughman lounge chairs surround an Eames cocktail table covered in gold leaf. The walls and hearth are painted in a subtle green ground by Farrow Ball, and the roof is topped with Douglas fir.
Reasons Why The World Loves Mid Century Modern Design
This mid-century Palm Springs house goes way beyond the design playbook, and we’re not complaining. Give that retro look a contemporary twist with chic all-black seating and adding tall and proud wall bling—a red triptych by artist Ko Kirk Yamahira—that anchors the fireplace wall. The modern desert has never looked so luxurious.
In this living room, there are vintage Barcelona chairs, back-to-back sofas by William Haines, an Arco lamp by Achille Castiglioni, and a floor lamp by Dragonette; the wall is covered with Venetian plaster, the ceiling is cedar, and the floors are there