Mid-Century Style is defined by several factors. The style gives us clean lines, gentle organic curves, a passion for different materials and shapes. Mid-Century Modern Interior Design is the design movement which took the world in its grip between 1945-1975.

There is a distinct timelessness associated with the clean lines, gentle corners and a love for variety of materials which make this popular design in architecture an enduring topic for the contemporary designers. In the world of design and décor, style patterns are cyclical. So, it is not surprising that in the first half of 21st century, the mid-century Modern style is being majorly revived.

The mid-century modern interior design has a fresh vibe with a retro feel. Aesthetic design coupled with comfort and functionality makes it timeless and still in style. In mid-century modern interior design, there is a seamless flow from the inside to the outside with sliding doors, patios, skylights, etc.

Signature features of a mid-century modern home
The distinguishing feature of this particular style is simplicity, which renders itself in the usage of clean lines and neat finish coupled with a classic, subtle look, bordering on minimalism.

• The highlighting feature of a mid-century modern style is an expressive and expensive piece of canvas as the focus of the room.
• A mid-century modern home is clutter-free and is more focused on large pieces of furniture as opposed to small ornamental pieces. Vintage pieces like an antique coffee table, etc. are used to add character to rooms and plants and organic forms are used to create the desired ambiance.
• Clean lines and minimal fuss with spare surfaces and simplicity are the distinguishing features of a mid-century modern style
• Marble is used extensively in this mid-century modern design style and is commonly found on countertops and backsplashes.
• Keeping in sync with the merging of indoors and outdoors as a core element of the mid-century design, window treatments, blinds, and sheer drapes are used in mid-century modern homes too
• Graphic shapes in colors that remind one of the 50s and 60s, sculptures that speak about those times, decorations in saturated colors, etc. are used to offer bursts of color to the living room

To summarize, here are a few guiding principles to design your mid-century modern home :
• Simple and Minimal décor.
• Use of conventional and non-conventional materials.
• Neat and precise lines and usage of geometric and modern forms.
• Functionality is the key.
• Use of contrasting materials to lend impact.
• Novelty in the usage of Colours and Materials

Mid-century modern styled home

Cost
A bid to emulate the entire Mid-Century Modern Style en-bloc can be a tad overwhelming and intimidating, given the fact that it can be quite expensive and difficult to procure the authentic stuff in today’s age, though there are many designers who still produce or revive that style, the cost involved will blow the entire thing out of proportion.


Focal Piece:
The key is then to understand the nuances and the feel of that period and incorporate its essence in the décor which resonate with its vibe. So, while classic pieces of that era are constantly being revived and copied, there is scope to get hold of a few that would blend seamlessly with our preference and fit within our budget.

In particular don’t have an abundance of accessories as it has little clutter and focuses more on big expensive pieces of furniture over smaller, cheaper knick-knacks. There are instead minimal simple vintage accessories in particular places such as the coffee table. It depends on the project but the plants and the biophilia at the space, give more character and charisma for the ambiance.

If you can lay hold of one signature vintage piece, you can build the theme of the room around it without investing in the complete set. However, care must be taken to avoid too many colour or pattern clashes and stick to the seminal theme.

Lighting ideas:
When you look at a mid-century modern home, you will rarely find wall-mounted lights or the contemporary down-lighters. Instead, hanging lights adorn the living area. Further, most designers prefer using several lamps like table lamps and floor lamps that are artistically made to suit the theme of the home. During the day, the designer allows natural light to flow into the house allowing a mesmerizing blend of the indoors and outdoors.

An important detail about the lighting, are always bold and creative. For this style, the lighting tends to be hanging lights (as opposed to wall-mounted or contemporary downlighters) with an artistic purpose. Using multiple lamps is also encouraged, whether they be floor lamps or table lamps, as an example you can use tripod floor lamps fit in well with this style of décor.

Keeping in sync with the core theme of this style – creative and bold, designers tend to often use creative mirror frames or pendant light shades. These add an element of creativity and timelessness to your home.

Play of Colours:
With so much talk of simplicity and minimalism, one needs to balance the aesthetics with a pop of colour. Whether be it monochrome shades or bold usage of neon shades which bring cheer and vibrancy to the room, one needs to be brave enough to experiment with choices but keep it limited to the focal piece and not splatter it about the room.In mid-century modern interior design, the materials used are wood, metal, vinyl, glass, and plywood. Mid-century style is all about large shapes, patterns, and strong textures. The colors used can be neutral to gold or graphic, like black and white.

As for color schemes, you can combine white and pale neutral walls with bold, colorful accents. The pale walls accentuate ay bold features to the room, making them appear more expensive and luxurious. The accents that you can use need to be bright and contrast against the neutral walls.

A mid-century modern living room can be imagined in moody colors like orange or rust. Other rooms allow for more playful hues like sunny yellow, turquoise, and other primary colors. Designers ensure that they do not oversaturate any room and ground the vibrant hues with some neutrals.

Furniture:
The Mid-Century Modern designers quite often made use of whimsical combinations to lend an exotic element to their décor. Think out of the box and bring in some eccentric shaped furniture, abstract pattern upholstery to exude that esoteric feel. The signature theme of this style is space and minimalism. Hence instead of cluttering up space with heavy, ornate stuff, the trick is to keep open spaces bordering on one central focal point which shall lay down the theme of that room. A statement corner table or a signature seating arrangement is promising.

Wood is the go-to material for furniture to this style. The best part is that the furniture doesn’t even have to match exactly with each other. The furniture must include bold fabrics with graphic patterns and clean lines. However, the sofas tend not to pattern, so instead choose to include patterned cushions to continue the style.

For an interior design style that talks about simple, practical, clean, and sumptuous designs, wood is the material of choice. Interestingly, mid-century modern design does not require you to have furniture that matches with each other. While clean lines, bold fabrics, and graphic patterns are a must, if sofas or lounge chairs are included, then patterned cushions are used to ensure adherence to the design style. The best part is that the material used for mid-century modern furniture is not confined to merely wood. Designers use new-age materials like plastic, acrylic, etc. too.

Talking about upholstery, designers prefer retro designs with some fun geometric shapes, stripes, and fabrics like neutral wools. In a mid-century modern living room, you will find furniture with hairpin legs that add character to your home decor. Low seating, lounges that allow you to cocoon, shell chairs made from plastic, and consoles that have plain surfaces with punctuations that add character.

Connect with Nature:
The windows are meant to be kept large and open to let the fresh air waft inside without being encumbered by heavy drapery. If possible, a touch of green elements can be introduced indoors to accentuate he deign and opt for light wood and cotton textile to keep it floaty and airy.