Mid-century Modern Home: Traditionally Fresh

Have you noticed how most Mid-century modern homes fit beautifully into any neighborhood? Most of these are single-story beauties complete with their simple low-pitch roofs and neutral color schemes yet you know that even contemporary households would find a refuge in this dwelling place.

Mid-century modern homes are often houses that seem the types that are begging for fixing but end up being keepers anyway. These could be structures that have been in existence for 40 or even more years and so the traditional details have been kept.

Mid-century Modern Architecture

You are likely to see iconic architectural details such as textured exterior walls. It is fairly common to find horizontal stone accent walls right next to the welcoming front door. Of course, very few materials could defeat stone in offering the needed architectural detail for any home.

Other features include the double-wide front doors (often painted with bright, fun colors), water features by the side of the front door, terrazzo flooring (often white), retro tiles, accent wall made with wood paneling, vintage pendant lighting fixtures, and vintage wallpaper designs.

It is also common to see oversized windows in living rooms and the family rooms. High ceilings are also common which all offer a view of the beautiful outdoors.

Replicating the Mid-century Modern Look

You’re practically trying to recreate the mid-50’s look and onwards if you want to set up a Mid-century modern home. During this time, Desert Modernism came into existence and pretty soon, people started calling it by its popular name these days – mid-century modern.

The demand is still high in the interior design industry to recreate this simple yet fashionable retro look. Here are ways that you, too, can turn your home into a Mid-century modern beauty –

Dramatize the Roof Lines. There are numerous roof styles that can be used with any Mid-century modern home. First, there’s the butterfly. This can be made by having two gables dip right at the middle.

The second type is the gabled roof. Whether that’s long or narrow, your home will then have a side or front entrance. Slot windows are also a part of the two sloping roofs.

Another type is the flat roof on either the side or the front entrance. This area is also an elevated section right in the living room.

The single slope is also a flat roof but this section is right over the car port or the garage. It is located near the middle of the house where a taller, vertical wall rises with the roof which slopes downward to the exterior wall of the structure.

Lastly, you can choose the folded plate which is the V or W-shaped units that are attached to one another, thus, creating a zigzag profile.

Use concrete and steel. Mid-century modern homes often featured wood or natural stone interiors and exteriors. Concrete and steel offered the needed breaks for aesthetic purposes.

Exposed wood beams. Post or ceiling beams were quite popular during the 1950s. Most of the time, clerestory windows were also incorporated into homes to provide the best view of the mountainous areas.

Dramatic Outdoor Features. Mid-century modern homes also have the most dramatic outdoor living spaces. Some have a central interior atrium while others showcase the most beautiful outdoor patios. Swimming pools are also a wonderful addition.

Open space layout. It is also fairly common to find kitchens that open to the living room or the dining room. Some traditional Mid-century homes also have dens that open to the family room.

If you love homes that offer these characteristics then you’re likely to love Mid-century modern structures. Get in touch with us if you want us to set up lovely Mid-century modern interiors for you.

Tags: McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings, mid-century home features, mid-century interior design, mid-century interiors, mid-century style

This entry was posted on Thursday, September 14th, 2017 at 9:14 am and is filed under Interior Design 101, Interior Design Elements, Interior Design Themes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.