Blog

If you are a fan of mid-century modern architecture, you will be happy to know that there are many places in the United States where you can go to see some beautiful examples. Below we have listed the top five places in the United States that you can go to find this type of amazing architecture.
[Read more…]

The cold, smooth clean lines that comes with midcentury furniture look fresh and elegant even when it’s 50 years past their introduction. The furniture livens up almost any type of contemporary design.

The style, which was born back in the 50’s is still relevant these days for the furniture’s use of material, proportion and texture as well as organic shapes. There are a variety of companies today that keeps this fashion going with new designs.

Adrian Pearsall

The furniture designs from Adrian Pearsall really stand out since they’re some of the most iconic classics of the mid-century. An avid designer and yachtsman, he created furniture that had shapes that were elegant and adventurous and had amazing fabric patterns.

His elongated, low sofas look inviting and comfortable and yet challenge everyone’s esthetic perceptions. The chairs have soft, thick upholstery and intriguing fabrics and it’s buttressed by woodwork that is sleekly sculptured. The furniture that he offers is comfortable and show a lot of imagination.

Herman Miller

The famous Herman Miller Company, which still is existence, created some of the most famous and finest midcentury furniture available. During the middle part of the twentieth century, Ray and Herman Eames’ design work lifted up the company to an iconic rank among the other brands in this type of style.

The creations are valued for good proportions and optimistic minimalism. A lot of the chairs have fiberglass seats that are brightly colored, which resist wear and easily clean up when a spill happens. The metal legs offer increased durability and give the piece a sophisticated airy look.

Knoll, Inc

When someone is looking for mid-century brands that are high in quality, they will often will go to Knoll. This company, renowned because of the alliance they have with Eero Saarinen, who is one of the most famous designers of the twentieth century.

The designs from Saarinen are valued for its architectural inspiration and unorthodox vigor. The tulip chairs made from fiberglass exceed all of the other chairs in the period in fame and popularity. The Knoll furniture line also includes things such as walnut and chrome credenzas, wire and glass coffee tables, and a lot of other unique designs.

Broyhill Brasilia

When someone is looking for furniture from a mid-century iconic modern furniture brand, they often will go to Broyhill Brasilia. The company’s well-made and highly attractive product line’s centered on items made from wood.

The specialties from the company include dining tables and chairs created in the modernistic, distinctively flowing lines the style is known for. Other things that are prized by buyers are sideboard buffets, credenzas, dressers, mirrors, headboards, and cabinets from the vintage range the company offers. The brand also offers amazing architectural design and sturdy workmanship.

Heywood Wakefield

Smooth designs offering rounded corners and clean curves are what characterize this furniture line. Buyers purchase chairs, tables, dining sets, and dressers from this well-known brand. Heywood Wakefield’s furniture often has a tinge that is bright yellow-brown and it’s a signature aspect of the line.

Woodite plastic and chrome chair provide lightweight, colorful seating that is easily moved.
These are just some of the brands that are famous for their mid-century furniture designs. If you are searching for a new furniture option for your home, one that is comfortable and unique, choosing furniture from one of these brands is an excellent idea.

There is a lot of modern homes that people have found these days and enjoyed using them for their own living spaces. But while many people think of modern homes as something that have been built more recently, there are many that were built a lot longer ago. . Below are nine of the most famous mid-century modern homes.
[Read more…]

One of the places that you can go that gives you the best ideas for mid-century modern decorating are interior design blogs. But how do you which ones have the best information?

Below are the top 8 interior design and decorating blogs that you can visit to get the best ideas and the latest news.

These are all run by people who are well versed in the interior design world and are ready and willing to help you with their expertise.

Take a look and you are going to find many options that you can use for your own decorating in these blogs.
[Read more…]

Mid-century modern (MCM) design is making a strong revival, and Charley Harper’s work is the perfect complement to that style.  Indeed, MCM architecture is often hailed as art, as much as architecture, today.

To understand why these two are such a great fit, we examine the core elements of MCM and discuss them in the context of Charley’s art.

What is Mid-Century Design?

First, let’s discuss MCM, to understand its essence, and what features make it so distinctive and attractive.   Mid-century Modern design is a refinement of the Modernism movement, which began in the late 19^th century.

For the two decades following World War II, this (MCM) style flourished, as new design ideas and materials were leveraged to create a new ‘modern’ look, in residential architecture, furniture and decorative arts.

These design ideas grew out of the International and Bauhaus movements led by such famous designers as Gropius, Le Corbusier and Mies van der Rohe.  The Bauhaus school, founded in 1919 emphasized functionality in design.  And, the International style integrated ‘industrial’ materials, such as concrete, steel and glass to create open and geometric spaces.

In the U.S., famous modernist architects included Ray and Charles Eames, Frank Lloyd Wright and Joseph Eichler.  During this mid-20^th century period there was also a strong Scandinavian influence on design.

Mid-century modernism, applied to residential design, incorporated these features to create living spaces intended to enhance the lives of their residents.

Characteristics of Mid-Century Homes

“Mid-century modern homes are characterized by their sleek lines, angular appearance, flat or gently sloping rooflines, and walls of glass. Construction often included a steel framed structure, extensive use of glass, concrete floors, as well as the use of plain masonry products. Ornate, decorative elements in these homes were rare as minimalism was the predominant design rule. Interior living spaces were typically large, and the partitioning of rooms was minimal compared to traditional homes in that spaces were often divided by half-walls or screens.

A major design aim in mid-century modern homes was to create openness to nature and the outside world. Even traditionally private, intimate spaces such as bedrooms and even bathrooms were often opened to the outside with floor to ceiling windows. Furnishings such as furniture, art, and appliances were also minimalist in style, with a focus on functionality rather than elaborate decorative qualities.

In short, mid-century modern homes represented a distinct departure from the warm, welcoming traditional homes of the day, with their ornate wood-trimmed interiors, soft cloth-covered furnishings, and distinctly partitioned, intimate rooms. “¹

 

Key Elements of Mid-Century Design

So, the key elements of MCM design included sleek angular features with a minimalist look and openness to nature.   The idea was to ‘bring nature indoors’, typically through siting of the home, and through the use of large sheets of glass as exterior walls.  Art accents extend and enhance implementation of that concept

Beyond the structure of the home itself, MCM design extended to furniture and decorative arts.

“Furnishings such as furniture, art, and appliances were also minimalist in style, with a focus on functionality rather than elaborate decorative qualities.”²

Thus, MCM homes tend to stress an elegant simplicity of design, and this is carried throughout the structure and its decorative elements.

Another goal is to improve the resident’s connection with nature.  These principles define the overarching aim of MCM Design.

These fundamental elements are essential to understand when discussing how Charley Harper’s art complements MCM design.

A first aspect to appreciate is that Charley was a young adult at the time of MCM ascendancy, and, following his military service, and just beginning his career as an illustrator.

He was coming of age as an artist while MCM was developing momentum, and at, perhaps, his most prolific during the 1950’s and 60’s, precisely the years MCM had the most impact on residential architecture and design.

It was also at this time, that Charley developed his own distinctive minimalist style, which he called ‘minimal realism’. The feature of this ‘minimal realism’ was the capturing of (only) the essence of a subject, without all the detail.

Charley’s most quotable line is probably that he was not concerned with counting feathers, but of counting only the wings, alluding to the minimalist nature of his designs.  So, similar to MCM’s abandonment of the detailed warmth and charm of Victorian design in favor of clean simple lines, Charley forsook detail and realism, choosing instead a geometric and uncluttered simplicity in his art.

Charley’s work is flat and hard edged, with simple geometric lines. The draftsman’s tools, of straight edge, compass, French curve and protractor were his instruments of creation.

So, we see a strong parallel between the design imperatives of MCM architecture and design, and Charley’s minimal realism.

         

Charley Harper Designs:  Early Risers,  Generation Gasp(Family of Chickadees) and Herondipity(Great Blue Heron)

A second key aspect of Charley’s work, which complements MCM greatly, is his choice of subject matter.  A stated goal of MCM design is to enhance closeness to nature.   Charley’s work is focused squarely on birds, insects, and fish, and includes many other natural and animistic themes, such as Biodiversity and ecology, in general. Another alignment with MCM!

Charley’s exquisite color palette further complements MCM design in that it often includes rich earthy tones.

So, the minimalist nature of Charley’s work with its simple elegant lines and hard edges, its rich color palette and natural subjects is the perfect complement to MCM homes, design spaces, and furniture.  The principles of MCM and Minimal Realism intersect and complement each other to a great degree, and even more so when the art is focused on natural subjects.   As MCM continues to be appreciated, Charley’s distinctive designs will continue to grow in popularity for their appeal and simple elegance.

¹ Lipscom, Dan, “People in Glass Houses: A Psychological Analysis of Mid-Century Modern Residential Architecture”, http://iws2.collin.edu/lstern/SG-Lipscomb.htm, 2006.

² ibid.