What makes a house mid-century modern?

The mid-century modern style gained popularity during the 1930s and 40s yet never became unfashionable. Today the term mid-century modern is more omnipresent than any time in history and matches both vintage and modern houses. Characterized by natural shapes, minimal stylistic theme, and concentration on functionality, this inner style design is undoubtedly ageless and generally easy to imitate at home.

Fundamental characteristics of mid-century modern house

1. Natural and geometric shape

While designing a mid-century modern style, the focus has always been on the clean line with a mixture of natural and geometric look. The dining room, sofas, coffee tables, and chairs are essential for mid-century modern houses. If you plan to have them,  go for simple and designed with minimal embellishment.

2. Functionality over form

Mid-century modern style is not only beautiful and adoring, but every piece of it, undeniably, has its purpose, and that’s the beauty of mid-century modern (MCM for short) style because you will never find anything useless in this architecture design. This focus on practicality also describes why the vintage pieces are still circulating from this period—they are designed to last longer!

3. Minimal Embellishment

Mid-century modern is similar to the Scandinavian design, which shows real beauty without any clutter or superfluous embellishment. Statement pieces such as massive sculptures or plants are more usual, while little knick-knacks or assortments are commonly far out. Mid-century modern houses have simplistic living rooms and focus on purposeful pieces and avoid clutter or anything useless.

4. Negating Material and Textures

Even though wood and wood façade are distinctive elements of mid-century modern style, designers of that time conducted all kinds of experiments to blend the new material for them. So, you won’t have to be afraid of mixing this all-new kind of material such as Formica, plastic, and acrylic. You can mix and match the natural and synthetic materials to create the best mid-century modern look.

5. Fair and Bold Colors

Neutrals never become unfashionable, and such is the situation in this sort of design. Generally, the mid-century palette went from radiant hues during the 1950s to warmer natural tones during the 1960s, leaving a ton of space for adaptability. For a modern look, neutral tones with sporadic splashes of color, such as a gleaming accent chair, will give a more natural look.

6. Using the Natural Elements

The integration of natural elements with the mid-century modern is not a new thing for this style because mid-century modern is known for its natural and original characteristics. Natural elements are the essence of mid-century modern. Using the houseplants or raw material to the living pieces as décor, will give it a unique and natural look.