Bridging the gap between the pre- and post-war era, Mid-Century Modern styles blend an unbridled passion for sleek modernity with the bold use of both natural and man-made materials.
Clean lines and sleek shapes
At the dawn of the Fifties, a new era was beginning to emerge. With memories of recent wartimes fading away and the economies in full recovery, the industrial machinery was humming along, and the Space Race was beginning to take shape. Focussed on the future, design shifted towards simplicity, functionality, and efficiency following the motto “form follows function”. Adhering to this principle, the Mid-Century Modern style’s emphasis is on clean lines and sleek shapes with furniture such as modular shelving and storage units that could be rearranged to suit different needs.
A modernist response to previous ornate and decorative styles
The end of World War II truly marked the end of an era. The public wanted to leave behind the excess and opulence of pre-war design and embrace a more modern, forward-thinking aesthetic. With houses mostly still decorated in overly ornate and decorative styles, such as Art Deco and Victorian, Mid-Century Modern emerged as a response which focussed on clean lines, using modern materials such as plastic and metal that symbolised the industrial society.
An American reflection on the influence of Bauhaus and Internationalism
The epicentre of the Mid-Century Modern movement was in the United States. Having brushed off the effects of the Great Recession and emerging victorious from WWII, American designers took inspiration from the Bauhaus and Internationalist movements and incorporated the geometric forms and clean lines of Le Corbusier, Mies Van Der Rohe and Florence Knoll into a modern interior design style, creating sleek living concepts that are still popular today.