century modern

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.

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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FURNITURE

October 29, 2023

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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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FURNITURE

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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FURNITURE

August 15, 2023

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If you’re in the market for retro-feeling yet timeless home design, perhaps no style is as enduring–or as worth the investment–as the best midcentury modern furniture. This period of design, which began post-World War II and continued into the 1960s, is identifiable by its soft-edges and functional style. At the time, craftspeople, architects, and furniture designers were looking for a way to create new and innovative pieces that leaned minimalistic, using materials like wood, vinyl, and glass to create organically-shaped furniture. Rather than the angular shapes and straight lines that were seen before, midcentury modern furniture embraced funky seating, rounder tables, and unusual shapes. This era of design has continued to be popular today in part because of its balance of utility and eye-catching details.

Whether you’re in the market for a new comfortable couch or an angular bookshelf to store your coffee table books, midcentury modern furniture may be the best choice for you. These days, many luxury furniture brands create pieces that replicate the style, with a fresh twist. If you’re committed to the genre, you can also find iconic designs from the time period that are still being made today, such as the Eames Lounge Chair. No matter which room in your home you’re designing, there is a midcentury modern piece that will fit perfectly.

Here, shop the 25 best midcentury modern furniture that will instantly elevate your home.

End Table

Blend utility and style with this sculptural end table. Its flat top is the perfect spot to put down your morning coffee, while the flipped end doubles as a magazine holder (to store your vintage issues of Harper’s Bazaar, of course).

The GE1 Bench

This solid oak and leather lounge

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FURNITURE

August 1, 2023

I wouldn’t say I was an overly trend-led person when it comes to interior decor. I have liked the same slightly minimalist, slightly rustic style for decades.

However, that’s not to say I haven’t been drawn in by furniture trends that I convince myself will become classics. Plus, it doesn’t help that every few months I have a style crisis and question all the decisions I have made thus far and feel the need to buy one ‘trendy’ statement piece that will totally transform my space (and, by extension, who I am as a person).

So, for the purpose of helping you not make the same mistakes I have made over the years, I have listed all the once on-trend pieces and styles I invested in to try to make my home more like the rooms of Pinterest and Instagram. Some I regret because they don’t work with my current furniture, some I regret because that particular interior design trend lasted all of a few months, and some I regret because they are just so impractical.

5 outdated furniture trends to avoid

I’m not alone in thinking these are outdated furniture trends; I also got designers to back me up.

1. White bouclé couches

Neautral living room with white boucle sofa

See, looking at this space, I get why I did it. White bouclé couches are so chic, but firstly I have a dog, and secondly, they give a very summery vibe to a room. I loved that when I first bought my white bouclé sofa but when fall rolled around and I wanted to ditch the SoCal vibe and go for something cozier, the white bouclé couch didn’t really allow for that – it all of a sudden felt very stark and dated.

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FURNITURE

July 31, 2023

audo — 18 Luxury Furniture Brands Every Home Should HaveAudo

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Investing in the best luxury furniture brands ensures your home decor will stand the test of time. Over the years, the furniture in your home will see a lot of wear and tear, but when you buy a luxury couch, the time and materials that went into it guarantee its durability.

Kara Smith, principal of interior design firm KES Studio, tells Bazaar that luxury furniture blends sophistication and innovation. “It goes beyond mere aesthetics and encompasses a commitment to exceptional design, using superior materials,” she says. “However, what truly elevates the concept of luxury furniture, in my opinion, is the infusion of a designer’s unique point of view and distinguishable style. It is this added layer of artistic expression that transforms a piece into a truly remarkable investment.”

When you first decide to invest in luxury furniture, Smith recommends beginning with an accent chair, like bouclé seating. “An accent chair is a versatile gem that tends to effortlessly blend into various floor plans while offering the flexibility to adapt to evolving decor styles,” she says. Another investment Smith suggests is a smart console or dresser, “which not only adds a touch of character to your space but also serves a practical function.”

Don’t rely on the price to tell you whether a piece or brand is luxurious. Instead, read the fine print. “Craftsmanship is key. How a piece is built, from the choice of materials to the method of fastening, is so important,” Smith says. “I truly appreciate the unique features of the wood, the authentic touch of real metal, the premium grade of leather, and other elements that contribute

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FURNITURE

July 27, 2023

Ariana grande in gray at the grammy awards

In her announcement for the upcoming Wicked film with Johnathan Bailey and Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande gave us a sneak peek into her gray and cream kitchen. In recent months, fans have taken note of the ‘Positions’ singer’s muted color palette. From a series of black and white photos on her Instagram to her all-gray ensemble at Wimbledon, Ari has been celebrating decorating with neutral tones.

The Instagram photo below shows the former Nickelodeon actress overwhelmed with excitement. Her post is captioned with gratitude to her co-stars, but we couldn’t stop staring at the background.

Ariana Grande, who has lived between New York and Los Angeles, has a mid-century modern kitchen complete with rounded furniture, a chic retro pendant lamp, and tall windows to fill the room with natural light. Tall, leafy plants add texture to the space. An industrial bar cart and glossy table contrast nicely with the natural elements of the room, especially the green outdoors streaming through the home’s generous windows. The brightness offsets the darkness of the hardware in the room, giving the crisp room a warmer feel.

‘With their classic looks, simple shapes, and pared-back style, mid-century modern decor ideas are enduringly popular – and it is easy to see why this look is revered so highly, even now,’ says Jennifer Ebert, deputy editor of Homes & Gardens. ‘Although mid-century modern décor was driven by advances in technology, it was also inspired by the natural world, and wood is the most widely used material for furniture – a popular interior design trend today.’

Ariana’s kitchen perfectly fits the bill. The style of Ariana’s room is deeply minimalist, with only a few pieces of neutral furniture visible. It also closely follows the mid-century modern tenet of mixing

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FURNITURE

July 26, 2023

If there’s one style that’s an absolutely constant in interior design trends it’s Mid-century Modern. Sure, it might take on a slightly different look from season to season, sometimes it’s more true to its 1940s roots and has a reel retro feel, sometimes it’s more in line with the minimalist Scandi aesthetic. But our love of tapered legs, low-slung silhouettes and the sleek, less-is-more approach is going nowhere.

The staying power of this style says a lot about how adaptable it is. It’s been on trend for over 80 years, with resurges coming every decade or so, and we see it used over and over again by designers the world over. So to pay homage to this ever-in-favor style, we’ve asked designers to talk us through their favorite mid-century modern spaces, and how you can bring the look into your home, whether you want to commit to the whole look or just add a touch of mid-century.

What is mid-century modern style?

‘Mid Century modern references the type of furniture and design that was being produced in, you guessed it, the middle of the last century,’ explains designer Bethany Adams. ‘There was an air of utilitarianism, simple forms and new ways of using materials. We automatically think of the 1950s, but actually, the mid-century period stretches from the 1930s to the 1970s.’

In terms of shapes and styles, it was all about form and function. Bold color was about, and key to the style, but there was just as much of a focus on the structures and sculptural shapes of mid-century spaces. There isn’t much in terms of fuss with this style, think clean lines, almost utilitarian. And the focus was very much on materials, lots of solid wooden pieces – particularly teak. Metal, glass,

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FURNITURE

July 15, 2023

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Ballin’ on a budget is less than ideal, all the time but especially when it comes to furnishing your home. Couches, beds, dressers, coffee tables, you name it—they’ll all cost you a pretty penny. And as much as we love owning nice things, we also love not totally wrecking our bank accounts. So, enter this list of the best Amazon furniture to shop in 2023.

I’m! Just! Saying! The retail giant is your best bet if you want chic yet affordable furniture with quick delivery times. Another pro of browsing Amazon’s seemingly endless inventory is the ability to compare prices and read up on customer reviews. But you don’t have to worry about that all because I’ve already done the hard work for you.

Below, you’ll find 34 top-rated furniture pieces (four stars and up!) that are seriously so stylish and so ready for you to freshen up your space with. Whether you’re looking for a new couch, a cheap dresser, a better work-from-home setup, or what-have-you, I’m sure you’ll find it here. Happy shopping!

Modern Bouclé Fabric Accent Chair

You can tell people you got this bouclé chair for $1,000 from Restoration Hardware or Lulu & Georgia. Trust me, no one will know you got it from Amazon for a third of the price.

<p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BXH8VW6G?tag=syn-yahoo-20&ascsubtag=%5Bartid%7C2160.g.44534794%5Bsrc%7Cyahoo-us" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:Shop Now;elm:context_link;itc:0" class="link ">Shop Now</a></p><p>Modern Bouclé Fabric Accent Chair</p><p>$339.99</p><p>amazon.com</p><span class="copyright">Amazon</span> — Shop Now

Modern Bouclé Fabric Accent Chair

$339.99

amazon.com

Amazon

Rattan Wooden Platform Bed Frame with Adjustable Headboard

Let’s be real: bed frames are freakin’ expensive. Never mind the cost of the mattress, sheets, and all the other accessories. But somehow, this black wood frame with an adjustable rattan headboard is under $200, and I for one

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FURNITURE

June 22, 2023

Design is cyclical. Once-popular movements often find their way back into mainstream trends, and midcentury modern furniture is one of the styles experiencing an unparalleled resurgence in popularity. Emerging during post-war America in the mid-1940s, the design movement is defined by clean lines, a somewhat futurist aesthetic, and an emphasis on functionality—think earthy wood tones, sleek lines and organic shapes, and leather and plywood textures.

But let’s be real: Not everyone can afford an Eames lounge chair or a Florence Knoll couch, especially if you’re a recent graduate or on a tight budget. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy midcentury modern aesthetics—precisely why we’ve rounded up 28 midcentury modern best sellers from a range of stylish and affordable decor and furniture stores below.

Under $50

Walker Edison Mid Century Hairpin Metal Frame Square Modern Side Accent Table

If you’re looking for a catchall to organize your magazines, vases, or cups, this metal and wood side table does the job while adding just the right amount of texture to a small space.

Mid Century Modern Rectangular Pillow

No home is complete without a few good throw pillows. Dress up your couch with this simple retro-styled design that will instantly make your minimalist space feel homier.

Hearth & Hand Metal & Faux Leather Mail Sorter Tan/Brass

This understated mail sorter is ideal for cluttered spaces. The faux-leather compartments and brass-finish metal frame make it feel both elegant and timeless.

West Elm Mid-Century Wood Lanterns

Light up your deck this summer with these smartly designed mango wood lanterns. They’re ideal for creating an ambient setting so you can enjoy those leisurely summer evenings while sipping a cocktail outdoors.

APICIZON Black Rattan Nightstand Bedside Table

The rattan detailing gives this mini side table an airy and organic feel. And at under $50, we

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FURNITURE

century modern

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

History & Evolution of Mid-Century Modern Style

7 Accents for a Mid-Century Modern Bedroom

Sleek and Low Furniture

Iconic Lighting

Vintage-Inspired Artwork