4 Characteristics of Mid-Century Modern Design

Mid-century modern is an interior design movement that rose to popularity in the United States in the middle of the twentieth century. Elements of mid-century modern interior design include clean lines, muted tones, a combination of natural and manmade materials, graphic shapes, vibrant colors, and integrating indoor and outdoor motifs.

Mid-century modern home decor originated in America in the twentieth century. It was heavily influenced by the German Bauhaus design and architecture school of the early twentieth century, which emphasized clean lines, functionality, and a futuristic look.

Many German designers emigrated to America following World War II, bringing new and modern design ideas with them. Starting in the mid to late 1950s, the retro-futuristic design became widespread in American design. Mass production made it possible for furniture to be made in large quantities out of a wide variety of materials in a bevy of different colors.

Designers including Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller, George Nelson, Arne Jacobsen, Isamu Noguchi, Cara Greenberg, and Eero Saarinen became famous for their decorative works during this era. The style remained popular throughout the 1960s and 1970s, until the 1980s when design philosophies like the Memphis design school came into fashion.

Here is an overview of some of the characteristics you might find in the interior of a mid-century modern home.

1. 1. Minimalist: Mid-century modern furniture is often very simple with sleek lines and a focus on functionality and uncluttered spaces. Chairs and tables will often consist of simple pieces of material held up by wooden or metal pin-style legs.
2. 2. Mixing materials and aesthetics: Manmade materials (like vinyl, plastic, lucite, and fiberglass) and natural materials (like wood, glass, metal, and marble) are often used together in mid-century furniture design. You also see modern pieces staged with vintage statement pieces in mid-century modern design.
3. 3. Fusion of indoor and outdoor: Mid-century modern architecture emphasized the fusion of manmade structure and nature, and mid-century design does the same. Plants are often incorporated into this kind of decor, as are window treatments that encourage a sense of continuity between indoor and outdoor.
4. 4. Natural hues with pops of color: Mid-century modern decor uses bright accent colors against primary neutral tones of white, black, and wood tones. In keeping with the idea of combining indoor and outdoor, the mid-century color palette is rooted in nature, with earthy greens, bright fall oranges and yellows, muddy browns, sea blue-greens such as aquamarine and teal, and deep clay red.

Whether you’re decorating a mid-century modern living room, a modern bedroom, or a kitchen, here are some tips for decorating the interior of your home.

1. 1. Build your room around statement pieces. Choose one or two signature mid-century modern pieces of furniture to build your design around. This can be a kidney bean-shaped dining table, an Eames lounge chair, or a metal sunburst wall hanging. Use the rest of your design elements—from the color palette, to artwork, to window treatments—to complement and highlight those statement pieces.
2. 2. Play with color. One of the things that distinguishes mid-century modernism from minimalism is the playful use of color. Experiment with where you might want to highlight color in your furniture, whether in a bright rug, accented dining room chairs, or graphic artworks. Prioritize retro colors, like sage green, robin’s egg blue, and butter yellow.
3. 3. Keep it natural. Find a way to ground your design in nature. If you have large windows that look out on a natural landscape, choose interior colors that complement your view. Potted plants are also a great way to introduce nature into your interiors.

Master everything from color theory to pattern mixing with the MasterClass Annual Membership and exclusive lessons from award-winning interior designers like Kelly Wearstler and Corey Damen Jenkins. From shopping for statement furniture to designing a lighting scheme to choosing the newest member of your plant family, the skills you’ll pick up are sure to make your house, apartment, or condo feel even more like a home.