The combination of geometric or organic forms with upholstered colourful cushions, has something magic that attracts our attention. Within many materials and colors, however, we have a real passion for the wood and blue/turquoise contrast; somehow it always works very well. Today we decided to show you five Mid-century Modern seats with upholstered blue cushions to prove that, doesn’t matter the shape, this combination always works!
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5 Mid-Century Modern Seating Areas that We Love
We selected five seating areas from iconic mid-century modern houses, to make you dream a bit or to get inspiration from. Check the notes for more details.
A Brief History of Italian and Scandinavian Mid Century Glassware
Mid century glassware is special, the sculptural and organic forms create an amazing effect capturing the light and decorating the room all alone. It often had a sculptural look, even if designed for a daily-use as table-wares, paperweights, platters and so on.
From the late 20s and across all mid century, designers began to replace craftsmen becoming real glass artists while manufacturers created series of functional
6 Mid Century Modern Kitchens We Like
Mid-century modern houses focused on two spaces: living rooms and kitchens.
Today we have selected six mid-century kitchens that we like and, we hope, will inspire or just make you dream a bit.
Dark wooden -sometimes covered by bright colours like turquoise or light yellow- cabinets, together with big windows and polished countertops and floors create those contrasts that we like
Jamie Hayon homage to the Iconic Jacobsen Hotel in Copenhagen.
In 2014 the eclectic furniture designer Jamie Hayon re-imagined one of the rooms of the first ever design hotel in history: the Royal Hotel in Copenhagen, designed by Arne Jacobsen.
The remodelling was made in collaboration with the Danish brand Fritz Hansen(which manufactures most of Hayon’s iconic pieces) to celebrate Jacobsen’s Drop Chair 50th birthday.
Lights up: Iconic 50s Lamps Get an Update
2014 was a prolific year for 50s lamps re-editions. Below, we selected some of our favourite updates. Enjoy!
The George Nelson Ball Clockr
The post-WWII period was a new starting point for many people. The Americans embraced the decade of optimism by following the new trend of buying new objects to replace the old ones which brought bad memories of the difficult period.
Isamu Noguchi: The Freeform Sofa
Isamu Noguchi was a sculptor-designer with a predilection for the language of biomorphism that is clearly represented in the Freeform Sofa designed in 1946.
The sculptural background hugely influenced his works as furniture designer as it is also clear with the Freeform that looks as made of two large stones even with a dynamic and light appearance.
Mid Century Modern Icons: The Eero Saarinen Organic Chair
Eero Saarinen is internationally recognized as one of the American modernist designers that most of all contributed to reinvent the domestic and industrial design and spaces. Not only Saarinen was known and appreciated for his architectural works but he had a fundamental role within the furniture designs of the 1940s.
Mid Century Findings in San Diego by Boomerang For Modern
Occasionally, you meet someone that made of preservation and love for mid-century design his life and job: David Skelley is one of them.
David is a passionate collector of mid-century modern design that over 30 years ago opened a beautiful store in San Diego, to turn his passion into a business: Boomerang For Modern.
Hans Wegner: The Halyard Chair
The use of contrasting materials as rope, painted and chrome-plated steel, sheepskin and a linen-covered cushion to design the Halyard Chair have not precedents in the mid century modern design.
Hans Wegner goal while designing this chair was not to prove the textural interplay of the materials used but his ability to create practical and innovative furniture in any other material than wood.
4 Affordable Alternatives To Famous Mid Century Lights
We all love mid-century design but some of you probably think that mid-century furniture is overpriced.
If you can’t really afford to buy expensive design pieces but like to have good-looking furniture, which is going to stay in vogue for some time, we’re sure that you’ve been to IKEA at least once. The good thing about IKEA is that it deliberately takes its inspiration from the best mid-century modern – usually Scandinavian – design.
Mid Century Modern Icons: The Ej Corona Chair
The Ej Corona Chair has been designed by the Danish architect Poul Volther in 1961 and symbolizes the change that the Scandinavian mid century modern furniture industry was going to face in the 60s, even though it represented important ideological and manufacturing principles of the previous decade.
Charles and Ray Eames: Lounge Chair And Ottoman
Initially made as a one-off prototype design, the Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman quickly became fashionable and well-liked by a wider public after the design was improved and eventually put into production. It was seen as a 20th-century rebirth of the old English Club Chair.
Arne Jacobsen’s Swan Chair
The original Swan chair was designed by Arne Jacobsen as part of a project for the Radisson’s Royal Hotel in Copenhagen that also included the Egg chair. Arne Jacobsen’s design consisted of a curved hard plastic seat on a polished aluminium stand.
The aluminium swiveling base was not part of the original design for the Swan chair. It previously had a set of cross-shaped legs made from laminated beech wood.
George Nelson Studio: The Ball Clock
Because of its unique design, the Atomic Clock became one of the most recognizable pieces of the mid-century design. Its shape reminds of an atom’s molecular structure, resembling the modern age and technology innovations. The missing numbers may also indicate the representation of time as a metaphysical state in which it passes without reference.
A Piece of Mid Century Modern Design Born In Spain
Reading one of my magazine today I spotted an amazing lamp that looked like had an interesting story. I decided to make some research about it and it turned out to be -unexpectedly- a piece of mid century modern Spanish design!
The lamp is called TMM and is a floor lamp designed by Miguel Mila’ in 1962.
The Eames LCW Plywood Chair
In 1941, the New York Museum of Modern Art opened a design competition named: ‘Organic Design in Home Furnishings’. The competition’s main goal was to find new ideas which were aimed at improving the mid-century interiors. Charles Eames and Eero Saarinen together achieved two 1st positions within the furniture category.
The Colours of Mid Century Modern. Part 1
Even though I am used to show mid century modern houses decorated with natural textures and materials, the typical 50s and 60s houses often had rich and bold colours that helped to highlight, unify and divide the inner spaces.
The monotonous palette of the war period interiors were replaced by dazzling tints during the 50s.
The Gerrit Rietveld Hanging Lamp.
Even though not part of the mid-century modern period, the Dutch designer and architect Gerrit Rietveld was within the ones that most influenced the aesthetic of the postwar modernism -or mid century modern- period; that is why I decided to dedicate a post to one of his iconic works.
The 10 Best Mid Century Modern Chairs. Part 2
Last week I published the first part of The 10 Best Mid Century Modern Chairs and today I will complete the list with other five amazing and iconic mid century modern chairs. Be sure to read the post until the end…there’s a surprise.
The Eero Saarinen Womb Chair.
The 10 Best Mid Century Modern Chairs. Part 1
We all admire them, desire them, dream about them but what do we really know about the most iconic mid century modern chairs ever?
Today I will start to answer to this question with the first of two posts about 10 of the best chairs ever designed during the mid century period.
The Jean Prouve Compass Desk.
After writing about the Antony Chair, today I investigated a bit about another icon of mid-century modern: the Jean Prouve Compass Desk.
Jean Prouve considered himself a constructeur rather than an architect, designer or artist due to his training as blacksmith and the involvement in the manufacturing process of the products he designed.
Jean Prouve’: The Antony Chair.
Jean Prouve’ was one of the most important French -and international- designers and architects of the twentieth century.
He started his career as metal worker in Nancy and craftsmanship always had a preeminent role in all his projects.
In 1931 he opened his workshop -the Ateliers Jean Prouve’-
Jens Risom is back!
Our last short visit to London for the Design Festival was extremely interesting and rich with nice designs and furniture. One of our discoveries was the Rocket Gallery.
Although the current exhibition is about post-war Dutch design, we spotted few contemporary pieces with a clear Mid-century inspiration: we found out to be reissues of Jens Risom’s 50s and 60s designs.
