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In the United States, designers adopted the improved technologies and materials coming out of World War II. They embraced mass production and frequently used fibreglass, bent plywood, aluminum, steel, foam, and plastic laminates. In furniture design, Charles and Ray Eames used fibreglass and molded plywood for many of their chairs, while Eero Saarinen used fibreglass-reinforced polyester and cast aluminum for his Tulip chairs and table.
What is the mid-century modern style?
Instead of intricate posters or logos, many Mid-Century Modern graphic works broke down images into shapes or abstractions of the original image. For example, Joao de Camara Leme's poster for The Last of the Mohicans featured a man in a horse who is simplified into dynamic triangles and rectangles. While slight curves are still used, large areas of detail are simplified into recognizable geometries. For example, the horse's body is simplified into a rectangle, the eagle is a pyramid with slices cut out to signify wings, and the feathers on the man's hat are ovals rotated along the black shape of the headpiece. Though much detail is lost, the image remains clearly understood in an elegant composition. Creating the impression of a running creek, the architects devise a narrow bubbling blue water feature at the front of the home.
Bold Form or Shapes
The stage was set for midcentury-modern design by visionary architects and designers that preceded the period. Hallmarks of his buildings—site-specific designs, the consideration for flow between the spaces, and his dedication to the use of wood paneling—are all prominent features of midcentury-modern homes. Pieces by mid-century modern designers such as Ray and Charles Eames, whose lounge chair sits next to a floor-to-ceiling window, and Isamu Noguchi decorate this Los Angeles loft that was designed to nod to Japanese minimalism. The movement spanned from about 1933 to 1965 and included architecture as well as industrial, interior, and graphic design.
Midcentury-Modern Architecture: Everything You Should Know About the Funky and Functional Style
There’s also great appeal in its timelessness, versatility, and strong functionality. The style is so recognizable and specific - organic shapes paired with geometric shapes. It's hit such a mainstream appeal that it's been deemed the "Pumpkin Spice Latte of design," with the style sold everywhere from Design Within Reach to Target. It's everywhere, and for that very reason, the term's meaning can get a little diluted. A striking windowless brick cylinder set inside a shallow concrete moat, topped by an aluminium spire, the chapel is widely celebrated as a successful example of architectural mid-century modernism. Saarinen created texture by deliberately selecting bricks that were rough and imperfect.
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This is the latest in our series of lookbooks providing curated visual inspiration from Dezeen's image archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing home libraries, minimalist bedrooms and Shaker-style interiors. Frost House has also retained its original Knoll furniture, including a gridded-steel Bertoia side chair, as well as its distinctive built-in cabinetry. "The color palette of mid-century style tends to include a lot of whites, muted orange tones, smoky blues, deep yellows, and olive green," says Laura Hodges of Laura Hodges Studio.
Acrylic Furniture

This cultural, technological, and aesthetic convergence gave rise to an era of design that still resonates today, in our desire for simplicity, functionality, and a connection to the past that feels refreshingly modern. It originated in the mid-1940s to the late 1960s and has become popular again in recent years as people seek out the simple, timeless style that can add a touch of sophistication to any space." He has worked with world-class agencies including Superunion, Wolff Olins and Vault49 on brand storytelling, tone of voice and verbal strategy for global brands such as Virgin, Pepsi and TikTok. Nick launched the Brand Impact Awards in 2013 while editor of Computer Arts, and remains chair of judges.
“The proportions—low, hovering—are all about inserting into nature and being minimal,” he notes. ” Mission accomplished in this living room, which features a marble cocktail table by Antonio Citterio for B&B Italia and a quartzite wall above the home’s original brass fireplace. If you’re looking to mix styles and eras, this early Frank Gehry home is a study in harmonious contrast. Gehry’s signature Deconstructivist style and spare palette works with the neutral tones, luxurious materials, and rounded contours.
Open floor plans
The ABCs of Midcentury Modern Architecture in Palm Springs - Palm Springs Life
The ABCs of Midcentury Modern Architecture in Palm Springs.
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Advances in construction methods and materials made it possible for the likes of Richard Neutra, Philip Johnson, and Pierre Koenig to create the simplified long and low flat-roofed homes that came to define this period. Floor plans were created with an organic flow and multipurpose spaces in mind, with one room seemingly melted into the next. Many architects also constructed split-level homes, which allowed for several stories while retaining the horizontal planes. The result was exquisitely made pieces that were as celebrated as much for their quality as for their simplified, modern forms — think Hans Wegner’s Wishbone Chair or Alvar Aalto’s gently curving birch-and-beech wood chair. While some people argue that midcentury modern has become more of a term for modern design in general than a specific look, part of the struggle to define it may come from how wide-ranging the style is. Part of that is due to the two diverging (yet complementary) directions things took.
“In college I studied business and industrial design, so I learned to approach business from a design perspective and vice versa. It made me realize that interior design is where my true passions lie,” Tagliaferri says. Check out these midcentury modern living room ideas in a range of sizes and settings for inspiration. White Eames shell chairs sit around a streamlined wooden table in the dining area, which also has a graphic "Modernist" lamp from Z-Lite. BC Arquitetos designed this Brazilian apartment to look like an art gallery, filling it with decorative sculptures and classic furniture designs by Brazilian masters of the 1950s and 1960s.

What began as an arduous and almost vertical plot of land resulted in, perhaps, the acme of midcentury-modern residential architecture on the West Coast. With this home, Lautner leaned into the primal state of nature, demanding that his audience turn their preconceived notion of domesticity on its head. It was a bold statement of how humans once lived—among the trees, the rocks, perched atop a hill—and the architect stamped his thumbprint on it. Palm trees and Pacific Ocean views aside, California’s spectacular midcentury-modern homes are one of its most memorable sights.
Indoor-outdoor living is all the rage right now, but of course it’s nothing new. In the formal family gathering spot of this soothing Malibu, California, home, sliding doors open to the backyard. Wooden oak accents and lush foliage further soften the space and create a seamless integration. Repurposed objects, like this vintage Eames screen and tall floor lamps, help draw the eye upward, as they do in Sophia Bush’s stunning retro Hollywood home.
One of Day's best-known pieces, Japanese-influenced design Sunrise uses a sophisticated palette of gold, pumpkin and petal pink. Lucienne Day's graphic pattern work was hugely influential on the mid-century moderism aesthetic, and was applied to everything from wallpapers and carpets to ceramics and mosaics. They often include light, bright and vivid hues such as sunshine yellow, mint and fuchsia, as well as warm, rich and earthy hues such as gold, paprika red and olive green. Having joined the National Register of Historic Places in 2004, the Farnsworth House was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2006 and is currently operated as a historic house museum. Curt Teich in Chicago was the most prolific publisher of these postcards, and pioneered lithographic printing in the process.
Read on to discover 15 iconic examples of mid-century modernism across furniture, architecture, products and graphics... Rooms were integrated into nature by preserving views of the outside world and orienting the room towards this direction. Living spaces were often designed to encourage users to go outside and to appreciate the natural world in order to lead a healthier life. Though difficult to separate from the qualities of Mid-Century Modern architecture, furniture and other products of the time were designed with a similar minimalistic ideology. For many, design was not necessarily about creating a piece of art, it was about solving a problem in the best way and doing so elegantly and honestly.
"The need and desire for functional, simplistic furniture and decor in our homes was a rebellion against the ornate traditions from decades before, and a way for families to embrace a more modern, organic way of living," designer Eleanor Trepte comments. Architect Ken Ungar, whose portfolio largely features high-end modern farmhouse-style residences, will design a home for the couple, Architectural Digest reported. The property, which is just across the street from Schwarzenegger’s mother, Maria Shriver, will also feature a three-car garage and a secondary unit near the pool. H3K Design has completely reimagined this stunning midcentury modern ranch house that is ideally situated in the vibrant city of Palm Springs, California. Enhancing its curb appeal, a lushly landscaped lawn with large stones and a stone slab walkway welcomes visitors to this magnificent dwelling. The design team meticulously assessed each space, discerning where minimalistic alterations would suffice and where more comprehensive changes were warranted.