| p>The era that gave us mass-produced furniture and | | | | mass-producing furniture. Their Lounge Chair Wood is |
| the opportunity to "experiment" with our decor is | | | | iconic of their work. |
| making a come-back in the lush set designs of AMC's | | | | Nelson Platform Bench |
| hit show, Mad Men. From Pete's chic apartment to | | | | Designed by George Nelson, the Director of Design |
| the Draper's domestic dream home, everyone seems | | | | for the Herman Miller Company, the Bench has a light |
| to be buzzing about mid-century modern, and rightly | | | | airy quality to it while maintaining the warmth of the |
| so. | | | | wood. Nelson was also known for his advances in |
| With whispers of clothing lines coming out based on | | | | creating modular furniture and shelving for both office |
| the fashions from the show, and online forums filled | | | | and residential. |
| with questions about where to find Dan Draper's | | | | Isamu Noguchi Coffee Table |
| office furniture, the trend towards mid-century | | | | Isamu Noguchi was a Japanese-American designer |
| modern is firmly in place. Mid-century modern | | | | and sculptor. His sculptural sensibilities can be seen in |
| furniture - your grandmother's furniture - is classic, | | | | his most famous furniture piece, this coffee table |
| cheap, and easy to find if you know where to look. | | | | designed in 1954 for Herman Miller remains a timeless |
| Outside of it being handed down from your relatives | | | | piece of design. |
| when you moved out of the house to go to college, | | | | Eero Saarinen Tulip Table and Chairs |
| you can find these "antiques of the future" in thrift | | | | Finnish-born architect and designer, Saarinen was the |
| shops, estate sales, antique auctions and online at | | | | father of the "Jetson's" look. He is most famous for |
| sites specializing in mid-century modern. | | | | his Tulip table and chairs. Coincidentally became the |
| Mixing these classics with your existing decor is easy. | | | | basis for the seating on the original Star Trek series. |
| In fact they look fantastic and add a lot of character | | | | Eero Saarinen Womb Chair |
| when mixed with other styles. Furniture of that era is | | | | Saarinen was also well-known for this piece of design |
| smaller in profile than many modern alternatives, so | | | | as well. The womb chair was said to have been |
| works really well in smaller spaces. You can even | | | | designed for Florence Knoll, who challenged him to |
| reupholster these pieces to match your color scheme | | | | create a piece of furniture that she could curl up in. |
| and still do it for less than the cost of new furniture. | | | | Marcel Breuer Wassily Chair |
| Danish Modern | | | | The Wassily chair is notable because it is one of the |
| The most abundant and easy to find mid-century | | | | first chairs to incorporate bent tubular steel. First |
| modern is Danish Modern, or Danish Teak as it is | | | | designed for Wassily Kandinsky, the chair widely |
| sometimes known. As Mad Men Set Director Amy | | | | gained popularity and has been mass-produced ever |
| Wells points out, when asked about her work on set. | | | | since. |
| "I want to make Mad Men look real, as if the people | | | | Mies van der Rohe Barcelona Chair |
| really have those pieces. It's important that they be | | | | The Barcelona chair was designed by Mies van der |
| imperfect, not iconic. A lot of people had Danish | | | | Rohe for the German Pavilion at the Barcelona |
| modern at the time because it was reasonably | | | | Exposition in 1929. The fluid lines of this chair make it |
| priced, and much of it still exists because it was so | | | | a classic that is as fresh today as it was then. Mies |
| well made." | | | | van der Rohe's signature is on the frame of each |
| Some designer's names to keep your eyes open for | | | | original piece. |
| would be Finn Juhl, Hans Wegner, N.O. Moller, Arne | | | | Arne Jacobsen Swan Chair |
| Jacobsen. | | | | The Swan chair was designed for the lobby of the |
| Finn Juhl was the first modern Danish furniture | | | | Royal Copenhagen Hotel in 1958. The chair, |
| designer to be recognized internationally. He created | | | | manufactured by Fritz Hansen, was innovative at its |
| a new style of Danish furniture that embraced form | | | | time because it was entirely made up of curving |
| as much as it did function. The world noticed, earning | | | | synthetic material covered with upholstery. |
| Juhl the unofficial title of Father of Danish Modernism. | | | | Eames Lounger |
| You can see more credenzas and mid-century | | | | This chair epitomised the height of status and luxury |
| modern furniture examples for sale. | | | | for a long time. Designed to be as comfortable as an |
| Top 10 collectible pieces of mid-century modern to | | | | old baseball mit, the chair certainly lives up to |
| start your collection | | | | expectations. |
| Eames Lounge Chair Wood (LCW) | | | | Finn Juhl Model 45 Armchair |
| The husband and wife team of Ray and Charles | | | | This chair typifies the Danish design sensibilities. |
| Eames really are American Modern Royalty. Together | | | | Beautifully proportioned, elegant sinewy frame and |
| they made advances in manufacturing methods for | | | | the warmth and comfort of wood and leather. |