Large Windows, Open Plan Living, and Iconic Furniture, This is Mid-Century Modern.
The background and beauty of an interior design style that has stood the test of time.
I recently wrote an essay for a history unit in my Interior Architecture degree that gives an overview of Mid-Century Modern. I found this assignment really enjoyable, and it was fun to see what trends are still trending and which furniture pieces are still in production. Perhaps you’ll enjoy it too!
Please be sure to tell me what you think.
Mid-Century Modern design started in the mid twentieth century “with an ambition to mass-produce housing that was affordable, efficient, and driven by an indoor-outdoor lifestyle”. It was quickly embraced by leading architects and wealthy clients to produce houses that were simple, functional, and portrayed an untouchable perfection. The design style focused on creating a seamless transition between the interior and the natural surroundings through light filled open plan living spaces, large windows with uninterrupted views, and raw materials including wood and metal. Mid-Century Modern was a post war design movement that revolutionised interiors with seamless indoor-outdoor environments and simplified layouts and furnishings, it was embraced by many from the general population to the wealthy and continues to be a popular design style today.
Mid-Century Modern design was popular amongst the general population in Western Society for its more functional and less formal interiors, that also gained popularity among top Architects and the luxury market during the design styles reign. The style gained momentum in the mid twentieth century, following the end of World War II. In an interview with Sarah Lyon1, designer Liza Khun describes the movement as "Designers and architects [being] eager to develop new ideas that married the mass production and technology invented during the first half of the 20th century with a more optimistic outlook for the future." Simplicity, functionality, and clean lines are some of the defining aspects of the Mid-Century Modern design style. Notable Mid-Century Modern architects and designers include Le Corbusier, Walter Gropius, Mies van der Rohe, Frank Lloyd Wright, Rudolf Schindler, and Richard Neutra. Despite Mid-Century Modern design being born of a need for accessibility and mass production, many of the notable architects of the Mid-Century Modern era worked with wealthy clients to create luxury primary residences and holiday homes. Although architects were working to a brief to suit the clients use of the space, houses were staged and often possessed an air of unattainable luxury and perfection. Richard Neutra was a Mid-Century Modern architect who was passionate about learning from the Mid-Century Modern house designs of his wealthy clients, and using the knowledge he gained, worked on designs for more affordable housing for middle class society that could be easily replicated. He referred to these designs as prototypes for mass industrial reproduction. Socialists of the time disagreed with the architects and designers working with the wealthy, and despite his time working for wealthy clients, Neautra also believed that luxury was a social issue and that the average modest house could be improved to benefit everybody. Some of the more famous Mid-Century Modern Houses include Kaufmann Desert House by Richard Neutra, Case Study House No. 8 by Charles and Ray Eames, and Farnsworth House designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. World War II was over and people in the West were ready for change and simplicity in their homes, embracing a modern style that was unfussy and charming. Mid-Century Modern was not only accessible, but also embraced everything from mass produced furniture to bespoke custom homes.
The materials that characterise Mid-Century Modern design are functionality over frills, organic shapes, geometric lines, materials such as wood, vinyl, glass and metal, and colours such as red, sage, blush pink and yellow. Influencing designers, and the Mid-Century Modern movement as a whole, Frank Lloyd Wright was believed to have been an incredibly significant inspiration for a lot of the design and material choices of the Mid-Century Modern style as through his work he began to treat the building’s structure as a whole rather than separating the interior and exterior, as was previously the norm. This led to a greater use of wood during this time, alongside natural colours, and textures. While Mid-Century Modern design is a lot less decorative than earlier interior style trends, it still lends itself to playful ornamentation, such as pops of colour or decorative screens, that is really what sets it apart from what is considered to be the Modern Design style today. The relationship between the furniture, architecture and the outdoor environment are all integral elements that are considered in relationship to each other. From the colours chosen for specific pieces, to the materials left exposed, they served to enhance something, make a statement, or camouflage completely. Mid-Century Modern popularised materials of teak, rosewood, oak, vinyl, glass, and metal which were often used in both the interior finishings of the building and in pieces of furniture. Some of the more famous Mid-Century Modern furniture pieces are still influencing interior designers and furniture designers today. Notable furniture pieces include the Eames chair, which was designed by Charles and Ray Eames in 1956, using plywood, rosewood veneer and leather, and is still in production today; The Mushroom, Tulip and Ribbon chairs designed by Pierre Paulin are also still in production now and are popular pieces prioritising both comfort and beauty; and George Nelsons original Bubble Lamp is still being sold by Herman Miller, this popular design has proven itself over and over having many replicas recreated since. These stylised furniture pieces both make a statement and compliment natures shapes and colours.
The indoor-outdoor relationship, minimalist layouts, and the recognisable tones and textures of Mid-Century Modern are still popular among homeowners today, whether building new, or renovating an original home. Floor plans are designed to maximise natural light with large windows often framing the landscape around the house, such as in Farnsworth house, where the large windows surrounding the entire exterior create a seamless transition between the indoors and the outdoors allowing the residents to feel immersed in both at once. Mid-Century Modern layouts were often open plan where the kitchen, dining, living, and even outdoor areas were all contiguous to reflect a simplified lifestyle. This was a stark contrast to previous design trends where a maximalist approach was often taken to the design and style of interiors. Although beautiful and impactful, these designs had some limitations around what is considered sustainable housing today, and a large amount of glass resulted in buildings with limited thermal regulation. To mitigate this, builders and renovators are now finding ways to bring these buildings into the twenty-first century through new technology and solar passive design. Farnsworth house is another example of limitations to Mid-Century Modern design and an extreme example of open plan living where there are minimal walls and partitions resulting in a lack of privacy for the residents, Mid-Century Modern design ideas were taken literally and completely with a disregard to the client’s ability to live in the space. This created a conflict between the client and the architect, as the architect wanted the space to remain pristine and untouched, like a work of art, while the client needed the space to function as their home. Mid-Century Modern design elements also extended beyond housing design in positive ways, inspiring designers such as George Nelsons displays for the Herman Miller showrooms. The showroom layouts featured open plan spaces with moveable partitions that allowed the furniture to be displayed in an impactful and effective manner, while also allowing the whole interior to move and change with regularity and ease. Natural light filled open floor plans, emphasis on indoor outdoor living, and simple accessible housing made Mid-Century Modern design popular during the twentieth century, and the character and lifestyle these homes represent have resulted in them continuing to be a favourable choice with homeowners today.
Mid-Century Modern design is undeniably still influencing modern interior design choices. The practicality and simplicity of a Mid-Century Modern layout was reflected in the furnishing and use of the interior, without skimping on elegance. The style period produced ground-breaking architecture in the likes of Kaufmann Desert House and Farnsworth House and celebrated furniture designs that are still in production, or have inspired many reproductions, since. Mid-Century Modern is a design style that catered to the general population with its affordability and mass productions, and yet became loved by the wealthy for the simple elegance it permitted. From stripped back materials against block colours, clean lines and unfussy dressings, the Mid-Century modern style was a protest to the decades before where more was more and could often mean cluttered interiors and unnecessary furnishings. Post-World War II, people were ready to embrace something modern and organic, with greater consideration of the home’s ecology. It is evident that these design elements are still highly regarded now, along with the continuing popularity of the Mid-Century Modern design aesthetic.
While I personally am not drawing on Mid-Century modern ideas in our new house build, there are a number of design elements from this style that I love. For example, the bubble lamp, I have a big ass oversized one in a beautiful cotton fabric ready to hang as soon as I get the chance. The window walls, use of timber, and framing of the outside gardens are all a big tick from me.
Tell me, what’s your favourite part of Mid-Century Modern design?
And, would you like to see how I’d style a Mid-Century Modern home?
This could be a fun future post!
https://www.thespruce.com/things-you-should-know-about-mid-century-1391827