7 Mid-Century Modern Decor Tips to Update your Living Room Style

Mid-Century Modern

Sleek, functional and uncluttered are some of the words used to describe the timeless aesthetics of mid-century modern decor. Mid-century interior design takes its roots from the 1930s to the 1960s, when there was a conscious shift from the overly ornate and traditional trends of the 1800s.

After the first World War, people veered away from the more formal and intricate designs of the past decades and chose to work with affordable and practical modern designs with international and Scandinavian influences to meet their decor needs. Thanks to modernism, the advancement in technologies and materials, a new kind of decor developed that worked well for urban spaces.

However, decorating your living room can be overwhelming. A room with strictly retro-style furniture can make your space look dated and kitschy. Find a happy place by balancing current designs with mid-century decor. Mid-century modern interiors respect the form-follows-function principle, providing a democratic design that works for everyone, with a bonus of simple sleek forms that emphasizes the importance of function.

To put you on the right path, we have listed below 7 mid-century modern decor tips to update your living room style.

Mid-Century Modern

Opposites Attract

Make sure to add pieces of different heights, shapes, and sizes. A charming floor lamp to accent a mid century modern sofa can make a world of a difference in your living room. Arranging opposites together makes it very visually pleasing to the eye.

Mid-century modern works best with sleek and low-lying furniture such as chairs, sofas, and tables. Explore working with shorter than normal legs or bases to maintain that mid-century modern look and don’t hesitate to combine it with more current and trendy pieces of furniture like a light fixture, a lamp, or mirror.

Work with Layers

Create a breath-taking home and living room by addressing the different layers in your interior. Start with choosing the right color palette that fits your personality, then proceed to select your flooring. When your base is in place, add one or two accent pieces of mid-century modern upholstered furniture slowly so you can be mindful of the direction you would like the room to take.

The material on your accent furniture should complement your walls and floor. Move on by adding non-upholstered items based on practicality and needs. Complete the room with minimal accessories and lustrous-looking lighting.

Play with Fabrics

You’ll be surprised to know how fabrics can make any room come to life. While picking solid colors, prints and patterns can make your living room space look more visually interesting, the key is to work with textiles of different textures like cotton, velvet, silk, wool, and even jute.

A solid-colored pillow can do wonders for a vintage chair or sofa. Mix and match fabrics to make your living room look more vibrant, eclectic, and full of warmth and life.

Bring in Some Life

One of the main goals of mid-century interior design is to reconnect people to the nature around them. So bring indoors the natural positive vibes of potted plants. Your living room will benefit from the greenery and the added oxygen plants can bring into a room.

From tropical plants to cacti and succulents the choices are endless. Large indoor plants of different heights and shapes can play off well against your mid-century modern furniture.

Splash Some Color and Texture

Choosing the right colors for your living room is the best way to update your space. Always plan ahead and work with a color scheme that will yield the best results. Instead of opting to change the paint on all your walls, consider your existing furniture and work with what you already have. A bold hue combined with a neutral base always works wonders.

Remember to add contrast by picking accessories and textures that work well against your mid-century modern furniture.  Embrace the mid-century mindset by combining natural wood finishes with smooth metals and cozy upholstery.

Glam It Up

The mid-century modern decor may have concentrated on minimalism, but this doesn’t mean that you can’t retain an accent piece or memento from a different design era.  For example, you can glam up your living room with a rich and intricately designed decor piece from the Victorian period.

A mid-century modern living room can be topped off with a shiny accent piece to complement some of your existing furniture to bring out a more retro or vintage feel.

Brush up on Your Geometry

Geometry is part of the mid-century design movement. Modern homes in the 1950s embraced clean lines of geometric patterns and shapes. Providing a functional and yet sleek look.

Seek rugs, pillows, wall art that embody intersecting lines, and modular geometric shapes to add a more contemporary feel to your living room. The idea is to understand the history of mid-century modern decor and add a pop of geometry to your space to create an effortless modern-chic look.

Final Thoughts

Living room layouts encourage social interaction. The purpose of modern interior design is to bring clean lines and functionality to a living room space. The minimalism of mid-century furniture provides a timeless look that blends effectively well with other decor.

Decorate your living room to best reflect your lifestyle and personality. Mid-century modern decor embraces sleek furniture, so invest in that retro-inspired sofa or chair, and explore textures and colors to add more life into your living room so you can sit and bond with your loved ones for many years to come.

Alison Lurie

Alison Lurie