Mid-century is a concept, popularized in the 1980s by Cara Greenberg - author of a book with the title Mid-Century Modern: Forniture of the 1950s, meaning mid-century modern: furniture from the 1950s. It is an attempt to describe a style that is easily recognizable, but extremely diverse and ambiguous. Entire arrangements from this period, do not quite match modern aesthetics, but individual designs, properly exposed, will delight with originality and inspire the creation of unusual combinations.
Mid-20th century interior by Rodney Walker. The furniture is a continuation of the Bauhaus style, but has a bit more subtle forms
The birth of the style in historical context
The movement was started by the designers of the Bauhaus school, who went to America as a result of economic changes in Germany after World War II. The post-war period, the changing economy and technological advances encouraged the implementation of new ideas in architecture.
Also, the expansion and suburbanization of cities in the United States created a demand for functional but uncomplicated furnishings for new homes built at a rapid pace. Solutions were sought that were inexpensive and quick to produce. Modern design became widely available. Also, after the time of the rich aesthetics of the 1930s and the then-fashionable art déco, the desire for moderation in design seems quite natural.
A number of new materials were produced, and thus also in design were discovered hitherto unknown possibilities. Modern textures, color effects and previously unusual shapes appeared. The use of strong colors and organic designs, was linked to the need to surround oneself with optimistic forms.
The furniture has gently curved shapes
Functional and simple style, with streamlined design adding lightness
Thepost-war reality required a new visual representation. Efforts were made to make interiors bright and airy. Stylistic proposals were intended to encourage contact between man and nature, so, for example, huge windows were relied on, allowing nature to peek into the building. Also characteristic was the lack of rigidly separated in the layout of the rooms, the purpose of which overlapped. This was necessitated by the small size, where the living room was often combined with the kitchen, which was also the dining room. The spaces were thus multifunctional.
Themid-century modern style uses the potential of geometric patterns, is based on elegant lines, love of a wide range of materials, colors and shapes, sometimes seemingly incompatible with each other. The modernist premise of form following function is continued here, but it is more subtle. The space is characterized by order and accents in the form of slender lines with organic-geometric shapes. We won't find ornamentation here, instead some objects take on rather bold forms. And by no means is this ignoring traditional solutions, but rather designs that mark the golden mean between antique classics and contemporary design.
The furniture has delicately organic forms
Ergonomic furniture on lightweight legs
Furniture filling the spaces - simple, elegant, functional and were mostly made of natural materials. They resembled plastic-organic forms and provided a link between the technical style of buildings and the organic shapes of the surrounding nature.
The idea of soft, rounded shapes could be seen mainly in seat designs. They were intended to improve the comfort of their use in this way. Their main designers, such as Eero Saarinen(Womb Chair), Charles Eames and Ray Eames (designers of the famous Lounge, DSR or DSW Chair), Verner Panton and Arne Jacobsen (designer of the Egg Chair), prominently explored the possibilities of new materials. Some of the design icons of that period are the ear chairs. Also noteworthy are the giant sofas of Vladimir Kagan or George Nelson(Marschall sofa). Many of these designs are still reproduced today, not only in their original form, but also as clear design inspirations.
Mid-century modern style interior. The furniture is visually relieved by slenderized legs
Thanks to the low seating on tapered legs, the hitherto clumsy-looking silhouettes of the furniture have acquired optical slenderness and lightness. Table tops rounded at the corners, often took the form of a kidney, boomerang or oval. Many pieces of furniture were designed as modules, capable of being part of a larger set, or to be used individually.
Common materials used were either wood or plywood, which were often juxtaposed with glass or vinyl. Construction was also provided by bent steel. Plexiglas and plastic also entered the arrangement quite boldly.
Colors in a mid-century modern style interior
Color scheme of the mid-20th century
It was a period that loved strong color and material contrasts. Printed fabrics, with a clearly visible structure, with graphic patterns or matte, often take on shades of slightly broken hues - mustard yellow, dim dark green, also lime green, smoky brick-red, mature red, pastel pink or deep navy blue. However, the base background for details and accents in these colors were neutral colors, such as whites, beiges and browns. Wood (with a clearly visible grain) also often appeared in the form of paneling , panels and various facings.
Lighting of the 1950s period.
Lighting as decoration
The search for simple forms completely eliminated the use of decoration. This function was taken over by lighting at the time. The famous Sputnik designed by Gino Sarfatti became a classic among chandeliers. Its name comes from the first satellite orbiting the globe in 1957. Designers from Denmark and Italy, such as Esben Klint and Gio Ponti, also created iconic lamps.
