Mid-Century Modern Design Elements to Achieve the Iconic Look

A few of my favorite tips for incorporating this style whether it’s a room or an entire home.  Add a piece of iconic furniture, such as a Flag Halyard Chair or a Tulip Dining Table. Incorporate a Mid-Century Modern vibe through decor like Walnut Wood or Scandinavian Teak candleholders, chrome accents, colorful pop art. Don’t forget to add the textures through velvets, leather, and woven materials. Start with one piece at a time. One thing about this style is it’s a collected and curated look. Don’t rush it, enjoy it. – Holli Rodrigues, Bees ‘N Burlap

Make it your own

The best interiors are highly personal, and I love to layer them with furnishings of various styles, textures, and forms. Mid-Century architectural thinking inspires me with clean lines and honest use of materials. I usually use a single Mid-Century furnishing as the punctuation mark in a space – they’re so easy to adapt with a change of material (think super patterned, or super subtle) that at the end of the day, the room’s otherwise collected furnishings are perfectly contrasted by a chic, yet playful silhouette. – Alex Woogmaster, Founder + Creative Director of Woogmaster Studio

Keep it simple

Mid-Century vibes are easy to capture when you take a minimalist approach to your decorating scheme. The furniture you introduce should be vintage, and some true antiques actually work as well. The key is to be very discerning and price-conscious. Be sure to compare past auction prices realized before buying a statement piece of Mid-Mod style. – WorthPoint

Don’t sacrifice form or function

One thing that we love about Mid-Century Modern design is the breadth of design aesthetics that this style supports while maintaining certain key elements such as simplicity of form and emphasis on function. From Bauhaus to bohemian, you can stay true to the core virtues of this design style while making it your own. We recommend that you showcase natural materials – splurge on beautiful stone and wood elements – let these be the stars of the show. Incorporate a wide range of textures – this adds to the warmth and character of a place. Use restraint when it comes to color – neutral colors work best with the aesthetic and natural materials, and will stand the test of time. – My Modern Home

Embrace thoughtful practicality

Mid-Century Modern architecture is all about thoughtful practicality. Homes embrace the surrounding landscape, even when designed with clean, abstract lines and angles. For example, large overhangs allow for expansive windows without increasing solar gain. Post-and-beam construction makes spacious, open floor plans possible, and makes the most of views and natural light in every room.

What’s really exciting about Mid-Century Modern architecture today is that recent studies and psychology experts are finding that that connection to nature is incredibly powerful when it comes to our wellbeing. We are more creative, generous, kind, and energized, not to mention all of the physiological benefits like lower blood pressure and cortisol levels.  A thoughtfully designed and constructed home is literally good for you. – Apchin Design & Build

There’s no need to break the bank

If you’re looking to add a little Mid-Century flavor to your home, but don’t have the fortune to spend at West Elm fret not. Mid-Century Modern furniture is still easy to find in your local thrift store and with a little bit of labor, you can make it a truly unique piece. The spirit of the times was democratic and affordable construction methods so a refinished veneer wood record table is perfectly in line with the spirit of the times and it’s a sustainable approach to furnishing your home. Add a plant and a simple geometric print or wallpaper above as an accent and you’ll be the cool cat in your circle. – Om Design

Create an open, airy space

Iconic Mid-Century Modern homes were designed with open floor plans and floor-to-ceiling glass windows to integrate the settings with the interiors. The furnishings are understated and minimal to create expansive open airy spaces. Many Mid-Century architects designed the furnishings for the homes and built-in furniture was innovative for the time.

The simplicity of design exemplified by the furniture created by many architects was first marketed by Knoll and is reproduced today. Clean uncluttered simplicity is the central focus for Mid-Century aesthetics. – Mid Century Modern Hudson Valley 

Vintage pieces are a must

Mid-Century furniture adds timeless, classic warmth to any space.  Adding vintage pieces to your home will create depth and character to your interior that is rarely seen in new production, contemporary design.  Each original piece tells a story and has lived its own unique life.  Your vintage pieces tend to be the ones that start conversations amongst guests. – Mid Century Mobler

Aim for a feeling as opposed to an aesthetic

Mid-Century Modern homes are characterized by lower ceilings, full-height glass walls, and spaces that are more horizontal and linear. Furnishings and artwork that are low profile, simple, and transparent are great compliments of this style of architecture. Natural materials like woods, concrete, and steel can be used to create a warmer contemporary feel, or clean whites can transform the style into sleek modern. It’s a style with a lot of versatility. – Structure Home

Keep scale in mind

If you love Mid-Century Modern design but it doesn’t seem right with your home’s style, don’t despair. Here’s how to incorporate Mid-Century design into any home. Choose a classic piece or two, like a Noguchi Table, a Barcelona Chair, or a Saarinen Dining Table. As long as you keep the scale in mind, these simple pieces can blend with almost any room and will never go out of style. – A. Klein Interior Design

Find balance between inside and out

Mid-Century design is all about the indoor/outdoor connection, so be sure to integrate natural materials into your design plan – from woods like mahogany, teak, or walnut, to different types of stone such as terrazzo, travertine, or flagstone, for example. Bonus points for layering in live natural elements such as various exotic houseplants or creating built-in planters. – Mid Mod Dream Homes

Bring it to life with sustainably sourced materials

Mid-Century modern straddles the line between minimalism and maximalism, clean lines and minimal ornamentation are coupled with diversity in materials and an infusion of plants and nature. As with most trends, the key to this is finding a personal and contemporary version of it for your home. Exposed wood can be combined with slim steel frames to create pieces that have a Mid-Century vibe updated for a (typically smaller) modern home. Bespoke is our approach to creating pieces that look the part but also represent the homeowner. – Design Kraft

Be bold

Don’t be afraid to add a touch of Mid-Century Modern style to your current home decor – it doesn’t need to be a total makeover. The great thing about Mid-Century Modern decor is that it incorporates well with other styles. Try adding a bold, metal-frame mirror to lighten up rustic rooms that are wood-heavy in their design. – Modern Home Warehouse

Focus on curation

When choosing furniture, three simple words can help you add the Mid-Century vibe to your home: Curation overmatching. Select unique pieces of furniture to build a cohesive – rather than overly-matched – look. By focusing on curating, design elements such as minimalism and geometric forms can be artfully incorporated in varied and interesting ways. – Michael Madley Design