We recently bought a mid century home with this gorgeous great room. Need to spruce up the hearth and mantle but am at a loss for what to do in front of the window. Any ideas? Only thinking of decor – we won’t be changing the structure in anyway.
Our facebook group were very keen to offer their opinions on this one. Here’s a selection of some of the comments on this topic that were shared in our exclusive Facebook Group dedicated to midcentury modern home owners. If you own a midcentury house and are not already a member, join us now!
- “Some nice big potted plants would look great in the window on the right and some Blenko glass on the mantel/ left window ledge”
- “A huge area rug with some color and a large art piece over the fireplace. Would love to see that telescope sitting out even more as an art object”
- “Love the asymmetrical character. I might suggest arranging the furniture to face the fireplace and the view.”
- “That hearth is a feature on its own. Take down items off mantle and the picture above. Just a couple of retro candle sticks maybe. Structural and “clean” looking Curved Move telescope to big window. Do not put anything in front of window which obstructs view. I’m also wondering why the chairs are facing away from the fire.”
- “Colorful area rug, perhaps a round one, large potted plants on the right, maybe a few hanging on the left, and above the fireplace maybe a large MCM clock or metal brutalist wall sculpture. Great room!”
- “MCM is all about openness and spare decor. I’d put a big, bold plant there, maybe on an artful rug draping over the edge, and leave it at that. I’d also remove the mantel. It’s killing those beautiful angles.“
- “The huge windows are there for a reason – don’t fill them up. The scenery is your pictures and ambiance.“
- “Time to start a mid century blown glass collection. Looks like perfect display windows.”
- “I’d remove the mantel (I promise you it was added after the house was built) and put a beautiful abstract painting there. Fig tree on the right side of the right window.”
- “A very low, long bookcase would be fab and anchor that space. If you made it seat height for a single layer of books it would be stunning and functional. It can always be dressed up with a stack of books on top, a tall table lamp, and cushion.”
- “What about a collection of LE Smith swung vases in a bunch of different colors? It would be like a MCM version of a stained glass window. They are beautiful when the sun hits them.”
There’s so much more to this discussion in our facebook group. If you own a midcentury home you can see photo examples and read more ideas for this member here.
