Some home decor ideas are just like fine wine: they only get better as they age.
Seriously, is there anything more fun than incorporating a few “blasts from the past’s” into your home’s interior layout?
One of the most enjoyable pieces you can add has to be mid-century modern decor.
It’s simplistic, yet sophisticated, and will give you a few welcomed moments of deja vu to the days of visiting Grandma and Grandpa’s house. Whether it’s in one room or the entire house, adding a few mid-century pieces will make you smile.
Here are a few fun ways to integrate more mid-century modern decor pieces into your house!
Table of Contents
1. Surround Yourself with Wood Detailing
While the only wood that all of your neighbors, friends, and family members have in their furniture is on their patio, bring yours inside.
One of the best ways to capture a mid-century look (without bringing out the bright red shag carpet) is to find some pieces with beautiful wood detailing.
Don’t be reserved about the number of wood-detailed pieces that you have… show them off!
Find the rooms in your house with a neutral wall coloring so that the wood detail can stand out all the more. Your guests will be reminded of simpler times whenever they take a seat in your house.
2. Long Live the Wallpaper!
Is it even possible to fully capture the mid-modern look without bringing back the entrancing wallpaper of the day?
Wallpaper can completely transform a room from “simple” to “snazzy” and be the missing link to a room full of simple pieces.
For example, say you’re looking to make an impression in your bathroom. Invest in some easy peel wallpaper designs (in case you ever want to tear it off) to set the room ablaze with style.
From there it’s just a matter of finding the right shower curtain, sink appliances, and towels to tie it all together.
3. Fewer Complicated Pieces
Thinking back to it, what was the signature aspect of a mid-century piece? It probably had something to do with their simplistic style.
These designs threw out over-complicated designs and opted for pieces with fewer parts. This gives the simple, more aesthetically-pleasing look that you’re going for.
If you’re not sure what that looks like then hiring a residential interior design studio may be your answer. They can help with things like custom furniture design, consultations, and creating a budget for the design you’re trying to pull off.
4. Leave Your Walls Spaced Out
Yet another signature aspect of the ’50s and ’60s was the spaced-out walls of the day.
You’d never find a wall that was overcrowded, except that one wall your grandma may have had for her cuckoo clock collection.
Do your best to leave as much space on the walls and let signature oil canvas paintings and do the talking for the entire room. You’ll find it far easier to set a theme for each room this way. Fewer things for you to attempt to match.
5. Lamps Galore!
In addition to adding more wood pieces to your home, it’s important to find old-timey designed lamps to go along with them.
The best part of this trick? You can find them at thousands of thrift stores across the country. There’s an art to thrifting that, if you master it, can help you find unique pieces at an amazing price.
Keep your eyes peeled for sleek and smooth lamps to really pull off the mid-century modern look that you’re going for. Don’t overcomplicate the nightstand with a lamp that doesn’t match the ’50s design you’re going for.
6. Find Eye-Catching Furniture Pieces
Every mid-century home had a piece of furniture or two that stood out from all the others in the house.
While there’s no definitive definition for what that looks like, you know it when you see it.
Look for chairs that have repeated-shape print designs on them and will boldly stand out amongst the rest of the furniture in any given room.
7. Neutral Wall Colors
This was mentioned a bit earlier in the article, but it’s worth dwelling on to set the tone for any room you’re wanting to give a mid-century modern look to.
Painting your walls neutral colors, preferably white, will make everything else stand out that much more.
It’s how simplistic pieces such as your Grandpa’s old rocking chair where the focal point of the room back in the day.
That’s incredibly important to accomplish since the furniture you’re adding will be far less complicated. They’ll be sleek and won’t take up much room, so different measures need to be taken for them to take control of the living room.
8. Pattern Is as Pattern Does
If you remember nothing else about the mid-century homes you’ve stepped into before, you definitely remember the use of wild patterns.
In fact, mid-century houses were a staple for finding a healthy balance between flat tones and eye-popping patterns.
Whatever can have a pattern in your desired room should have a pattern. This means things like couches, pillows, chairs, and walls are all fair game!
Achieve Your Mid-Century Modern Decor Look with These Tips
Now that you’ve seen a bevy of ways to incorporate that mid-century modern decor look, it’s time to bring your ideas to life.
No more staring at those rooms in your house and waiting for them to redesign themselves. Start by adding one element at a time!
Be sure to read our other articles that pertain to both this topic and others just like it.
