The Elegance of Mid-Century Modern Furniture

The persistent march of time has a funny way of changing the way items are perceived.  We are all familiar with this phenomenon, and it usually is marked with negative connotations, thanks in large part to the speedy progress of technology.  The ground-breaking first wave of personal computers, a symbol of power and success when they hit the market some thirty years ago, now serve as nothing more dust magnets at your local thrift store.  The smart phones we carry around today were bought with the full knowledge that we will consider them to be dumb as doorknobs by the end of the decade.  Our children may never see a working television with a tube inside.

However, when you take electronic gadgets and gizmos out of the equation, a little age is not a bad thing in the least bit.  In the world of furniture, in fact, time has the opposite effect.  The items that may be assessed as trendy, post-modern, or even kitschy today has the potential to transform into something considered stylish, polished, and elegant as a few decades pass.  We know this to be true because in the past decade, we have witnessed this very perceptive makeover occur to the world of Mid-Century Modern furnishings.

You may not be familiar with the term, but you absolutely know what the style looks like:  Streamlined, geometric, slightly curvy and space-aged.  Think “Mad Men.” For that matter, think any romantic comedy starring Doris Day.  If you are looking to define the style through a timeline, the good rule of thumb would be to seek out a piece of what was then considered “modern” furniture built between 1945 and 1965.   When they first rolled out, their atomic-age inspired design made them appear as if they were doomed to be lodged in time.  However, as the romance of this era of American history has continued to swell, the pieces have evolved into something rather timeless.  As a result, these types of furnishings may look the same, but they now represent something entirely different.  Back when the Mid-Century Modern style dominated furniture stores (primarily in their 1950s heyday), their look, feel, and vibe represented hope, prosperity, and the future; of trips to the moon and the infinite possibilities of this new medium called television.  In today’s era, these same pieces of furniture represent substance, accomplishment, and the reward for goals that have been met; a trophy for having devised ways to get to the moon and utilizing television to promote your brand. 

At its core, the reason for this paradigm shift is a simple one.  Namely, Mid-Century Modern furnishings are stunningly beautiful.  Consider the basic elements of a vintage end table by Paul McCobb or a vintage chair by Heywood-Wakefield:  Sleek, sturdy wood; eye-catching geometric shapes; a subdued, uncluttered appearance.  They don’t need to scream at you because their construction lures your attention naturally.  When the rest of their makeup is applied – things like color and fabric – they are done so to add a depth and complexity that pulls you into their beauty even further.  They are forged from a straight and simple aesthetic, which in turn makes the rooms that they reside in warm, accessible, and vibrant.  Perhaps this is why the Mid-Century Modern style has never been looked upon as having the pretentious vibe that has unfortunately plagued other high-end furniture styles in the past.  Frankly, it is hard to see them ever suffer such a fate.  The outright simplicity of their design will not allow for such accusations.

Even if Mid-Century Modern furniture knows no stuffiness, it used to suffer from a rather large problem that admittedly made it a little tough to fully embrace the style.  That is, they were for the most part all vintage pieces.  As such, decorating a home in this style typically involved a little more sweat equity on the part of the buyer; since new production of the style was scarcely found in traditional showrooms the best ways to secure pieces in this design was to seek out antique dealers and serious furniture collectors.  However, thanks in large part to the influence commanded by Don Draper and the rest of his “Mad Men” associates, this is no longer the case.  Indeed, a lot of modern furniture manufactures – and some companies that were around when the first generation of this style made its initial splash – have made the decision to bring this inimitably chic style back to the masses, and they are doing so by adhering to the same metrics of quality and integrity that was a hallmark of the original pieces.  So don’t expect this new generation of Mid-Century Modern furniture and accessories to do anything but last a long time.

This is important to note.  Seeing as how the Mid-Century Modern look has successfully entered the arena of timeless home décor, it is rather comforting to know that all of the pieces, both young and old, will be around to age gracefully and beautifully.  Unlike the Apple IIe you purchased for $1,000.00 in 1986.

By Rich Manning