Mid-century modern style is a very broad design category. The term “modern” has been applied to styles of furniture furniture, clothing, art, and architecture for more than 100 years now. “Mid-Century style literally just means style from “the middle of the century.” That’s not particularly helpful to those of us trying to nail down the style for our own purposes!
Forbes Magazine, of all places, has a very clear breakdown by Regina Cole of Mid-Century as a style. She explains when the “modern” design craze took off in various parts of America and why.
Mid-Century Modern architecture made such an impact […] because so many new houses were built during the post-war building boom, and the newly streamlined style lent itself to the mass production of housing.
So now the question is: what we DO with this pervasive housing stock in the MCM period. The possibilities are many. As popular as Mid-Century Modern style is today, it covers the waterfront.
It is ESPECIALLY helpful for me to identify the internet voices and experts who share my particular design sensibilities most closely! I think that’s true of pretty much everyone!
First, Let’s Celebrate the Diversity within MCM Style!
There are sometimes strong differences of opinion within the Mid-Century style community! Do you believe that if you buy a mid-century home you owe it to the house to restore and preserve it in perfect harmony with its original era? Or are you looking to make dramatic updates to any older home.
On the spectrum of Mid-Century lovers, some people are dyed-in-the-wool preservationists who celebrate every aspect of vintage MCM cool. I salute them. They have picked a challenging task and they work it hard!
On the other hand are many who love a few elements of Mid-Century style but don’t feel committed to it. They may feel more like just a few pieces of furniture or adopting a bright 60’s Mod color scheme is cherry picking the best elements of the era. To be clear, this is ALSO just fine!
Most of those who declare ourselves to be Mid-Century enthusiasts fall somewhere in the middle between those two extremes. We’re excited to find vintage details in our MCM era homes. But we are also willing to make changes and updates when necessary to bring an older home up to the standards of modern living.
My own motto: helping people match their mid-century homes to modern lifestyles, suggests a middle ground approach!
Then, Find your Mid-Century Style Type
Finding your own path through the woods involves a selection process that can be really fun! For example, which of these mid-century houses speaks to you more? They were all built within five years of each other but reflect very different design personalities!
When I scroll through my Instagram and Pinterest feeds, I see almost universally Mid-Century style images. I love what a broad range of influences it still reflects under that MCM heading. But I also think it helps people to get a more detailed breakdown of where they fit within the larger world of MCM love!
To help people figure out where they fall on the Mid-Century spectrum, I’ve developed a fun quiz. In two minutes you can ID your personalized preferences and then get a personalized Mid-Century Style Guide popped in your in-basket.
Customized Mid-Century Style Guides
The Mid-Century Style Guides include resources like:
- Design Philosophy
- Keywords
- Research and Shopping Resources
- Recommended Instagram Accounts
- And a Curated Pinterest board for each style
Once you know where you “belong” you’ll be better equipped than ever to plan an amazing remodel for your Mid-Century home!
What are you waiting for? Take the Mid-Century Style Quiz NOW!
So What is YOUR Mid-Century Style?