Mid-century is Modern - Again!

The era that gave us mass-produced furniture and
the opportunity to "experiment" with our décor isNelson Platform Bench
making a come-back in the lush set designs of AMC'sDesigned by George Nelson, the Director of Design
hit show, Mad Men. From Pete's chic apartment tofor the Herman Miller Company, the Bench has a light
the Draper's domestic dream home, everyone seemsairy quality to it while maintaining the warmth of the
to be buzzing about mid-century modern, and rightlywood. Nelson was also known for his advances in
so.creating modular furniture and shelving for both office
With whispers of clothing lines coming out based onand residential.
the fashions from the show, and online forums filled
with questions about where to find Dan Draper'sIsamu Noguchi Coffee Table
office furniture, the trend towards mid-centuryIsamu Noguchi was a Japanese-American designer
modern is firmly in place. Mid-century modernand 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 relativespiece of design.
when you moved out of the house to go to college,
you can find these "antiques of the future" in thriftEero Saarinen Tulip Table and Chairs
shops, estate sales, antique auctions and online atFinnish-born architect and designer, Saarinen was the
sites specializing in mid-century modern.father of the "Jetson's" look. He is most famous for
Mixing these classics with your existing décor ishis Tulip table and chairs. Coincidentally became the
easy. In fact they look fantastic and add a lot ofbasis for the seating on the original Star Trek series.
character when mixed with other styles. Furniture of
that era is smaller in profile than many modernEero Saarinen Womb Chair
alternatives, so works really well in smaller spaces.Saarinen was also well-known for this piece of design
You can even reupholster these pieces to matchas well. The womb chair was said to have been
your color scheme and still do it for less than thedesigned for Florence Knoll, who challenged him to
cost of new furniture.create a piece of furniture that she could curl up in.
Danish Modern
The most abundant and easy to find mid-centuryMarcel Breuer Wassily Chair
modern is Danish Modern, or Danish Teak as it isThe Wassily chair is notable because it is one of the
sometimes known. As Mad Men Set Director Amyfirst chairs to incorporate bent tubular steel. First
Wells points out, when asked about her work on set.designed for Wassily Kandinsky, the chair widely
"I want to make Mad Men look real, as if the peoplegained popularity and has been mass-produced ever
really have those pieces. It's important that they besince.
imperfect, not iconic. A lot of people had Danish
modern at the time because it was reasonablyMies van der Rohe Barcelona Chair
priced, and much of it still exists because it was soThe Barcelona chair was designed by Mies van der
well made."Rohe for the German Pavilion at the Barcelona
Some designer's names to keep your eyes open forExposition in 1929. The fluid lines of this chair make it
would be Finn Juhl, Hans Wegner, N.O. Moller, Arnea classic that is as fresh today as it was then. Mies
Jacobsen.van der Rohe's signature is on the frame of each
original piece.
This is a fantastic example of a teak credenza from
the late 50s by Finn Juhl. Juhl was the first modernArne Jacobsen Swan Chair
Danish furniture designer to be recognizedThe Swan chair was designed for the lobby of the
internationally. He created a new style of DanishRoyal Copenhagen Hotel in 1958. The chair,
furniture that embraced form as much as it didmanufactured by Fritz Hansen, was innovative at its
function. The world noticed, earning Juhl the unofficialtime because it was entirely made up of curving
title of Father of Danish Modernism. You can seesynthetic material covered with upholstery.
more credenzas and mid-century modern furniture
examples for sale.Eames Lounger
Top 10 collectible pieces of mid-century modern toThis chair epitomised the height of status and luxury
start your collectionfor a long time. Designed to be as comfortable as an
old baseball mit, the chair certainly lives up to
Eames Lounge Chair Wood (LCW)expectations.
The husband and wife team of Ray and Charles
Eames really are American Modern Royalty. TogetherFinn Juhl Model 45 Armchair
they made advances in manufacturing methods forThis chair typifies the Danish design sensibilities.
mass-producing furniture. Their Lounge Chair Wood isBeautifully proportioned, elegant sinewy frame and
iconic of their work.the warmth and comfort of wood and leather.