October 2023

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What is Mid-Century Modern Style? Here’s Everything You Need to Know

  • October 30, 2023

A quick lesson on mid-century modern style, including its advent, evolution, and defining traits.

<p>Scott Van Dyke/Getty Images</p>

Scott Van Dyke/Getty Images

At first glance, a mid-century modern home or building may seem fairly straightforward with its simple lines and low profile. Look closer, though, and you’ll quickly see that this style has a way of seamlessly connecting to nature and infusing playful touches throughout. There’s also great appeal in its timelessness, versatility, and strong functionality.

“Mid-century modern’s minimal look and clean lines allow for the design to transcend time,” says interior designer Adriana Hoyos. “It also allows for the design, whether it’s a building, an interior design concept or a furniture piece, to blend well in different places and with different personalities.”

Below, we’re offering a quick history lesson on mid-century modern design and architecture, how it’s changed over the years, and what characteristics set it apart from other types of design.

Related: 13 Different House Styles to Know if You’re Shopping for a Home

History & Evolution of Mid-Century Modern Style

Perhaps one of the most interesting facts about mid-century modern architecture and design is that it didn’t truly originate in the “mid-century.” The style actually dates back to Germany’s Bauhaus era, which was founded by architect Walter Gropius in the late 1910s.

This newfangled “modern style” emerging from Germany slowly began catching on. Scandinavian designers helped catapult it to greater fame in the ‘30s and ‘40s, and by the time the true mid-century hit it was wildly popular across the world.

“Both mid-century modern architecture and interior design became popular during the mid-20th century,” says Hoyos. “They share similar aesthetic goals and traits, characterized by minimalistic designs, and a focus on functionality. They both also emphasize the use of natural materials like wood and an integration with the surrounding environment.”

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7 Accents for a Mid-Century Modern Bedroom

  • October 29, 2023

We may earn a commission if you make a purchase through one of our links. The newsroom or editorial staff was not involved in the creation of this content.

Mid-century modern design has seen a resurgence in popularity due to its enduring appeal. With clean lines, organic shapes, and timeless sophistication, it’s a fantastic choice for transforming your bedroom. Whether you’re starting from scratch or updating an existing space, choosing the right accent pieces is crucial for achieving that iconic mid-century modern look.

In this blog, we’ll delve into seven accent pieces and design ideas that can elevate your bedroom’s aesthetic to a mid-century modern masterpiece. From iconic furniture choices to color palettes and decor elements, you’ll discover how to infuse your bedroom with mid-century charm and create a stylish haven of sophistication.

Sleek and Low Furniture

Mid-century modern design is all about simplicity and functionality. When selecting furniture for your bedroom, opt for pieces with clean lines and low profiles. A platform bed with tapered legs and a simple, minimalist design is an excellent choice. Look for dressers and nightstands with angular shapes and warm wood finishes like teak or walnut to complete the look. The absence of excessive ornamentation creates a sense of openness and elegance in your bedroom.

Iconic Lighting

Lighting is a crucial element in mid-century modern design. Consider adding iconic mid-century modern lighting fixtures to your bedroom, such as a Sputnik chandelier or a George Nelson pendant lamp. These fixtures not only provide functional illumination but also serve as eye-catching design statements. The playful yet elegant designs of mid-century lighting can instantly elevate the overall aesthetic of your space.

Vintage-Inspired Artwork

Adorn your bedroom walls with vintage-inspired artwork that reflects the mid-century aesthetic. Look for abstract paintings, geometric prints, or framed vintage posters from the

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These Modern Living Room Ideas Are Far From Boring

  • October 28, 2023
modern living rooms

50 Modern Living Room Ideas You’ll LoveJanis Nicolay

Defined by clean lines, natural materials and minimalist decor, modern home design is one of the most well-known interior design styles. In the living room, the aesthetic translates to a space that feels airy and uncluttered, yet cozy and welcoming. Here, we’ve rounded up dreamy modern living room ideas that showcase steal-worthy design trends and functional layouts for casual family time.

Whether you’re designing a family-friendly living room or looking for small living room ideas, there are many design avenues that can be taken to achieve a fresh and elevated space. Sleek sky-high shelving, custom fireplaces and grand architectural elements can create a modern living environment filled with both visual interest and functionality. The right accessories, like stylish area rugs, colorful accent chairs or statement lighting fixtures can quickly modernize a simple interior. Patterned wallpaper, pops of colorful fabric and a fresh coat of paint can all result in a modern, chic and inviting space.

As you scroll, you’ll find there’s something for everyone — even if your design style strays a little more traditional, rustic, boho or coastal. There are endless ways to infuse a touch of modern design into your living room design, no matter the overall feel of the home. For those designing an apartment living room, we’ve sprinkled in plenty of renter-friendly ideas (think artwork, peel-and-stick wallpaper and ultra-modern furniture).

Decorate Sky-High Shelving

Not only do these striking shelves take advantage of vertical space, they showcase collectibles, books and artwork and infuse color into the interior. Here, JAM Interior Design uses a mix of modern, traditional and vintage pieces for a curated look.

living room with high built in shelves, built ins, bookcase, white walls, ladder, storage, library

TORY WILLIAMS

Go Glam

Designed by Ali Budd, this elegant living room is outfitted with a statement chandelier, blue

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Le Shoppe Modern is an Antique Store for Modern Times

  • October 24, 2023

For several weeks this past summer, visitors to Le Shoppe Modern in Keego Harbor were greeted by a monumental painting by renowned pop artist Roy Lichtenstein.

The colorful, showstopping piece — hung over classic 20th-century furniture arranged in eye-catching vignettes — is just one of countless special objects sold by Le Shoppe over the years. And it’s a fitting introduction to the 25,000-square-foot showroom, which feels closer to a lovingly curated museum than your average antiques store.

Until earlier this year, Le Shoppe Modern was known as Le Shoppe Too — so named for the two businesses (consignment and estate sales) operating under its one roof. But as the company’s list of services grew, co-owners Julie Sundberg and Deborah Slobin decided it was time for a rebrand. The new name reflects the shop’s focus on rare, iconic objects from the Midcentury Modern era to the present.

What is now metro Detroit’s largest upscale home goods consignment store started in 2013 in a 3,000-square-foot storefront in Walled Lake, close to Sundberg’s home. Before opening the shop, neither Slobin nor Sundberg had much retail experience, but Sundberg had always loved fixing up and reselling antique furniture, and she knew Slobin to be a great resale shopper in their circles.

“When I saw that the space was available, I called Deborah up and asked, ‘Hey, you maybe want to open a store?’” Sundberg says. “Neither one of us had a lot of extra money, but the beauty of consignment is that people bring things to you, so you don’t have to purchase a lot of inventory. We just got started and busted our butts.”

Le Shoppe Modern’s 25,000-square-foot showroom feels closer to a lovingly curated museum than your average antiques store. // Photograph by Sophie Dwoskin

“We had a passion and were going

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Contemporary meets comfortable at this luxury furniture showroom

  • October 23, 2023

As a Vancouver staple, INspiration Furniture has been providing West Coasters with stunning, multi-brand contemporary pieces since 2002. Featuring clean lines, minimalistic designs and a sleek, functional aesthetic, INspiration’s showroom, located at 1275 West 6th Ave. in Vancouver, transports visitors to southern Italy while showcasing striking pieces from designers all over the world.

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“We’ve conducted a major renovation of our top floor and relocated the Natuzzi Italia brand to occupy this new 6,000-square-foot space, which is light and elegant with tone-in-tone Italian tile flooring and light walls with backlit images of the Apulia region of southern Italy,” says INspiration owner Steen Skaaning, a third-generation cabinetmaker by trade. “The area’s raw, barren landscape is featured, as well as accent arches representing the ancient architecture of the region. The latest collections, furnishings and accent pieces are on display, making this a must-see shop where visitors should allow time to lounge, relax and take it all in.”

The extensive renovations have allowed Skaaning and his team to introduce additional fine Italian brands to the store, including Arketipo Firenze, which is among Italy’s top-10 furniture fashion brands. 

“Edgy solutions, unique designs and uncompromising quality — Arketipo takes style where few dare to go — and yet, comfort is really the focus,” says Skaaning. “Each sofa features a feather/down cushion fill, soft and subtle leather and the best fabrics from European mills, all rolled into one. You must see it to believe it, and you must sit in it to feel it.”

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INspiration Furniture 2
INspiration’s showroom, located at 1275 West 6th Ave. in Vancouver, transports visitors to southern Italy while showcasing striking pieces from designers all over the world. SUPPLIED

Also new to INspiration is the Ditre Italia line, offering a full range of high-end contemporary pieces with unique and

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How Art Lee Created a Lifestyle Movement with Furniture Brand Rove Concepts

  • October 22, 2023
Art Lee

Almost every business in the modern economy faces the tension between brick-and-mortar and e-commerce. The luxury furniture industry is no different.  

Traditional brick-and-mortar stores have historically been the cornerstone of the luxury furniture industry. These physical showrooms offer customers a tactile and immersive experience, allowing them to touch, feel, and assess the quality of luxurious materials and craftsmanship. Customers often value the personalized service and expertise associated with these upscale retail environments. Unfortunately, these stores have high overhead costs, including rent, utilities, and staff salaries. As consumer preferences change, however, becoming more and more comfortable purchasing everything online, the traditional model is being challenged. 

The rise of online shopping has introduced new opportunities and challenges to the luxury furniture market. E-commerce platforms have enabled furniture brands to expand their reach globally and connect with a wider audience. From newcomers like Wayfair to online arms of traditional industry players like West Elm, online platforms are enabling customers to browse, compare, and purchase furniture from the comfort of their homes.  

Rove Concepts is a modern furniture brand marrying high-quality luxury furniture, modern e-commerce convenience, and various innovative digital tools, with traditional brick-and-mortar showrooms. Rove is more than just a furniture brand, it is a lifestyle movement that curates how people feel at their most intimate and personal moments at home through physicality.  

Over ten years ago, Art Lee founded Rove Concepts as all great entrepreneurs do, by solving a problem he encountered in his own life. Lee quickly saw a massive gap in the market when looking to purchase furniture for his own apartment. Generally speaking, the industry leans towards two extremes: expensive luxury furniture or cheap furniture with dubious durability. Simply put, Lee couldn’t find furniture in the “Goldilocks zone” — something that looked sleek and wouldn’t break the bank, or

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This furniture trend is the ultimate trick for small spaces

  • October 21, 2023

The Y2K revival trend continues to reign over all facets of lifestyle as new (or should that be old?) micro trends of the era keep popping up. One of the noughties interior styles that we’re most excited about having a resurgence is the transparent furniture trend. Which as it happens is a great small living room idea to maximise on a small-scale living space.

It might be a retro trend, but it still manages to look super modern. Plus the use of clear glass, acrylic or perspex in this trend is a surefire way for making a small living room look bigger.

See-through furniture isn’t the easiest trend to style – things can get tacky real fast with these Y2K trends. However, we’ve spoken to design experts to find out how to get the look just right, and the best pieces to snap up now to nail the look at home.

Transparent furniture trend

Umbra Magino Side Table

(Image credit: Wayfair)

The noughties-inspired trend was made popular in the early 2000s with the release of the Kartell Louis Ghost Armchair, sold at Heal’s for £294, which is now considered a design classic.

‘Whilst transparent acrylic furniture has been around since the 1960 and 70s, it was Phillipe Starck’s Louis Ghost Chair that really propelled the trend into people’s homes in the early noughties,’ says Lucy Mather, design expert from Arighi Bianchi.

Sabina Miller, buying director at Heal’s, agrees, ‘Some of the most iconic furniture designers of the last century have paid homage to this trend, from the iconic Noguchi coffee table designed by Isamu Noguchi in 1944, to the iconic Louis Ghost chair designed by Philippe Starck for Kartell in 2002.’

Kartell Louis Ghost Armchair

(Image credit: Heal’s)

And it’s not just the current noughties obsession that’s fuelling this latest home decor design trend. It’s influencers like

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16 Most Expensive Furniture Brands in the World

  • October 18, 2023

In this article we will discuss the 16 most expensive furniture brands in the world. If you want to skip our detailed analysis of the global furniture market, you can go directly to see 5 Most Expensive Furniture Brands in the World.

The Growing Furniture Market

The global furniture market has managed to grow exponentially over the years owing to the rising interest of the masses in high end brands and curating pieces that match their aesthetic. Such trends in the furniture market are largely driven by social media and rising disposable income, driving people to invest their money into such luxuries. 

According to a report by Research and Markets, the furniture market was valued at around $652.4 billion in 2023. The market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.57% during 2023-2028, pushing the market to reach around $855.49 billion by the end of the forecasted period. The global expansion of the e-commerce market has made it easier than ever for the masses to gain access to furniture products and services. High end furniture companies provide services that allow designing furniture online based on customers’ personal preferences.

Social media is the backbone of any successful e-commerce market as social media platforms stimulate the most response through various marketing strategies. Furniture companies have started leaning towards innovative and eco-friendly designs to gain the attention of their target audience. The combination of social media marketing and high quality eco-friendly furniture is expected to drive sales and positively influence the global furniture market.

What are Some of the Top Furniture Companies Up To?

IKEA is a Swedish multinational ready-to-assemble furniture chain that also houses other home accessories such as textiles, lighting and home decor. It is one of the world’s largest furniture retailers and has stores

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A fresh paint job gives this mid-century modern dresser a new life [Video]

  • October 17, 2023

Watch this mid-century modern dresser transform with just a little paint and some maintenance

Video Transcript

BRE BRINGIER: Hey, people, and welcome to Yahoo In the Know Furniture Flip. I’m your host, Bre. And I’m going to teach you how to take your old and outdated furniture and turn it into something new. Let’s get to it.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

I got this piece of furniture from my favorite place, Facebook Marketplace. I paid around $40 for it, and this piece is what I would call a mid-century modern piece. This dresser is really old and really outdated. And all I’m going to be doing is painting this dresser. So I’m going to show you how the magic of paint can make a dresser look completely different.

I’ll be using my sander to scuff sand, and I’ll be using a 150 grit. And I’ll be using this blue paint. I’ll be using my roller to paint, the gold spray paint to paint the knobs, Bondo to fix any damages. The first thing I’m going to be doing is cleaning the piece. You want to get all the dirt off of the piece before you start sanding.

This dresser has a few spots with damages. We have this corner and this bottom corner, where the wood is missing. And I’m going to be filling that in with Bondo. I like to use Bondo because it gets really hard, and it won’t break off. To apply the Bondo, you have to use a hardener to the Bondo. But when you do this, you have to work with it within 10 to 15 minutes because then it dries up and you’re not able to spread it on. This should be plenty of Bondo for these two spots.

And then now we’re going to add

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This Furniture Is Made Of Fungus

  • October 14, 2023

There’s a fungus among us—and it could invade our homes. But that’s nothing to worry about.

K5 Furniture in Melbourne commissioned the design department at nearby Monash University to craft furnishings from fungus as part of the company’s push to create inventive sustainable goods made in Australia. The result? Phenomenal Fungi, a collection of lighting fixtures, wall tiles and space dividers crafted from mycelium, the subterranean network of single-cell fungal threads that grow into mushrooms.

Don’t expect to see shroom caps dotting these 100% biodegradable objects. They do, however, have a decidedly organic look that reflects mycelium’s varying hues and textures.

“Most of the time, they feel velvety,” Gyungju Chyon, director of spatial design at Monash and lead on the project, said of the items, speaking in an email interview. “Some of them feel like human skin, and some feel leathery.”

The eight-piece Phenomenal Fungi collection made the longlist in the consumer sustainable design category for the 2023 Dezeen Awards, run by online architecture and design magazine Dezeen. Winners will be announced in November.

To create the prototypes, the interdisciplinary Monash team mixed mycelium spawn with organic waste the fungi could use as nutrients: rice husks, charcoal, wood chips, used coffee grounds and discarded textiles. They cultivated the mycelium in a lab in temperatures between 68 degrees and 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

“One of the exciting characteristics of mycelium is that the texture and colors vary depending on their growing temperature and substrates,” said Chyon, whose work explores the relationship between design and the environment, with an emphasis on natural, living materials.

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