Some things just never go out of style. Like mid-century design, which is favored by a lot of people for its timeless, clean, and simple charm, making it just as popular today as it ever was.
If you’re looking into bringing some mid-century style into your home, we have a whole list of pieces and designs for inspiration, as shared by a subreddit entirely dedicated to this aesthetic. Scroll down to immerse yourself in the mid-century charm, and don’t forget to upvote those designs that wowed you the most.
While you’re at it, don’t forget to check out a conversation with designer Elin Walters from Exactly Designs, who kindly agreed to briefly chat with us about mid-century design.
#1 My 1963 Frigidaire Flair
#2 My Mid Century (’60-’63) Hall Table By Dutch Designer Louis Van Teeffelen Made By Wébé
#3 My John Keal For Brown Saltman Coffee Table Build
Mid-century design appeared as a response to the post-World War II environment, and was at its height around 1950-1970. The style was designed to bring a fresher and more optimistic outlook for the future, as during the wars, most things were mass-produced and looked quite bleak.
“It was defined by an attention to clean lines, organic materials, geometry, bringing the outdoors inside, simplicity, and functionality,” says designer Elin Walters fromExactly Designs to We.
#4 Beautiful Restoration
#5 My Neighbor Gave These To Me 🥰
#6 Rescued This Room Divider A Few Years Ago. Love How It Fits In With My Space
The main characteristic of mid-century design is functionality. Even though it’s sprinkled with bright accent colors and retro elements, it primarily focuses on simplicity, straightforwardness, and clean lines. Materials used were especially important to the design, as mixing and matching them resulted in a very unique look.
Teak, rosewood, oak, metal, glass, and vinyl were favored by the mid-century design, which we can definitely see in this list.
#7 My Recently Acquired Door Did I Do Good? LOL
#8 New Dining Set I Found At A Local Store
#9 She’ll Be Mine Tomorrow!
“Teak was preferred for its richness in color and durability,” said designerRozit Arditi. “Rosewood and oak were the other commonly used woods, mostly in case pieces like tables, desks, and storage cabinets.”
Other materials were used in conjunction to create furnishings in curved shapes. The epitome of this is the famous Eames Lounge Chair.
#10 Found In A Dumpster
#11 Loving My New Pieces
#12 This Reupholstered Lafer We Have With Before Pic
The chair was named after its creators, Charles and Ray Eames, who made it out of molded plywood and leather. It has become an icon of modern design, and the Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman are even a part of the permanent collection of New York’sMuseum of Modern Art.
Even though it was introduced to the world more than 50 years ago, Herman Miller still continues to manufacture and sell it, with some modifications to be more environmentally friendly, of course. Like using Bamboo for the plywood, as it’s highly renewable and reduces the carbon’s carbon footprint by 35%.
#13 My Take On A Mid-Century/Scandinavian Modern Living Room
#14 Mom Gave Me A 1950s Spartus Clock That She Had Hidden Away In A Closet. I’m So Happy!!
#15 A Pair Of Arvin Speakers I Just Finished Restoring
Herman Miller calls this furniture piece “a universally recognized form that brings comfort and style to interiors everywhere,” and claims that there’s still nothing that compares on the market.
“When the set was introduced in 1956, there was nothing like it, and there is still nothing equal to it. The Eameses’ modern take on a nineteenth century club chair has not only endured for more than 50 years, it has become one of the most significant furniture designs of the twentieth century—instantly recognizable and enduringly fresh.”
#16 Picked Up This Set The Other Day
#17 Picked Up A Table And Chairs!
#18 Look What I Found!
This is the main appeal of mid-century design. It manages to remain ever so relevant and in style even after many years. Some pieces of this aesthetic are still very sought after and cost a pretty penny, too.
Walters believes that its simplicity is the reason why it has engraved itself in people’s homes and has become timeless. “It was a modern design that was ahead of its time and still presents as contemporary,” she says.
#19 We Bought A Mcm Home That Came With A Fireplace Surprise, It’s Actually A Spin-A-Fire!
#20 Grabbed This Boat Bar For $300, One Of My Favourite Pieces
#21 Yard Sale Find For $20
If you’re looking to bring in some mid-century charm into your home, you can do so quite affordably by scouring resale stores, estate sales, garage sales, and Facebook Marketplace, suggests Walters.
“Many original owners are retiring ‘old’ items that can have new homes and be recycled.”
#22 My Place Is Finally Ready After Almost Three Years Of Decorating With Art And Furnitute From Various Places
#23 Scored This Beauty In Marketplace Yesterday!
#24 Enjoy My Last Post
As for the future of mid-century design, The Carolinian predicts that it’s here to stay for the long run.
“Though this style’s mass production and persistence in home stores might seem commonplace, its simplicity and artistic inspiration will forever be unique and transformative for the American home.”
#25 Our Mid Century Indoor Garden
#26 Fb Market Find!
#27 I Like The Lines On These Old La-Z-Boys
#28 I Found This On A Treelawn With A Sign That Said “Free”
#29 Purchased This For $1k From An Estate Sale. There’s A Record Player And Stereo With Speakers As Well As A Bar
#30 My Favorite Christmas Present
#31 Doing Some Rearranging To Make A Little Home Office And Thought To Take A Few Pics Of My Panther Lamp Before Bringing In The Desk
#32 Installed This Poul Cadovius Shelving That I Thrifted A While Back
#33 I Live In NYC And Found This 1964 Fumio Fujita Signed Print In The Trash…
#34 River View Theatre In Minneapolis
#35 Glasgow Compact Tenement Flat
#36 Home In Helsinki
#37 Found In The Wild Today For Just $14.99!
#38 Once In A Lifetime Find…
#39 My Marketplace Pick Up Tonight
#40 My Parents Gifted This To Me
#41 ID On This Chair?
#42 Calling The Living Room “Done”
#43 Real Or Fake And How To Tell?
#44 I Feel Like I Won The Fb Marketplace Lottery
#45 Milan Flea Market
#46 Found These Alley Shopping. Would You Have Brought These Home?
#47 Picked Up This Beautiful 1970’s Schreiber Piece For My New Home For £180
#48 New Fb Marketplace Find!
#49 ID On These Teak Dining Chairs?
#50 Our Neighbor Gifted Us This Set
#51 Picked Up This 60s Light At A Thrift Shop Because It Looked Funky. Then I Plugged It In…
#52 Adrian Pearsall 2167-S 😍
#53 Found The Perfect Lamps For My Sideboard
#54 Just Bought A House And It Came With This Beautiful Poul Cadovius Unit. The Speaker Wires Are Hidden In The Ceiling Lights And Connect To A Sound System In Another Room. So Excited To Fill Up These Shelves
#55 Anyone Know What These Are?
#56 New Here! Purchased This Today For $10
#57 Sold All My Reproduction Mid Century To Splurge On These Beauties
#58 My Ridiculous And Giant White Owl Table Lamp (French, Late 1960s)
#59 $100 Ebay Find. Not In The Greatest Shape, But Still Better Than Being Landfilled
#60 Retro Renovation Of Our Blue Bath! Salvaged The Blue Fixtures From Demo Sales. Swipe To See The Before
#61 Finally Installed My Late Grandfather’s Desk In My New Home Office
#62 And Another Marketplace Find!
#63 Louis Poulsen Ph 5 Pendant, Orange
#64 When The Sun Comes Out This Space Pops Off 💖
#65 Our Thrifted Living Room
#66 Got These Two Pieces For Free Because Owner Refused To Take My Money
#67 Considering This Coffee Table
#68 Just Finished Refreshing My Brown Jordan Kailua Patio Set With New Straps. Pretty Pleased With The Outcome
#69 When You Find A Set Of 6 Teak Dining Chairs Covered In Grotty Dusty-Rose Velour From The 1980s, And Discover What’s Actually Underneath:
#70 I Can’t Not Believe These Were In The Trash
#71 Another One For The Collection
#72 Bought This 1956 Clock From A Thrift Store
#73 Scored This Table Lamp At An Estate Sale This Weekend!
#74 Stopped By A Thrift Store On A Whim And Found This Beautiful United Furniture Dresser For $48. One Rental Truck Later And It Has A New Home
#75 Picked Up This Awesome Lane Cedar Chest This Morning
#76 Nice Yard Sale Find For $15
#77 Stopped By Goodwill… Was Looking For A Couch
Found a Lane Altavista coffee table instead!
#78 Are We Still Doing Shiny Brite Tree Toppers?
#79 Just Picked Up One Of My Dream Lamps For $25
#80 Rolled In With A New Swag Lamp This Morning
#81 Does Anyone Have More Solid Info On My ‘New’ Couch?
#82 Fb Marketplace Win
#83 $20 Come Up Today At The Local Thrift
#84 The Power Of Wood / Paneling
#85 Another Fb Find!
#86 Bought/Saved From Neighbor
#87 Saturday Score!
#88 Was So Excited To Pick Up This Piece Yesterday! The Seller Labeled It As A “1950’s Atomic Blonde Hutch”
#89 This Is The Dream
#90 On The Hunt For A Two Tier Credenza! What’s Your Thought On This One For $1400 Located In My Area?
#91 Just Picked Up This Working General Electric Clock At My Local Antique Store! Thoughts?
#92 My $5 Yard Sale Score!
#93 Thrift Store Pickup: 60s-70s Asko Amigo Dining Table, I’m In Love 🤩
#94 Recent Inheritance, Fun!
#95 Bought These 4 Chairs At Goodwill For $27. Can’t Find Much About Them But They Seem Late 50s Early 60s. Any Info Would Be Appreciated!
#96 Just Picked This Up For A Song
#97 Latest Thrift Find – New In Box!
#98 Slowly Bringing The 1966 Warmth Back To Our Flipped House 💚
#99 Got Rid Of Our IKEA Cube, And I Finally Feel Like An Adult
#100 Talk About Unique!
#101 Found This Little Imperial Furniture Walnut Credenza On Fbm
#102 Picked Up At Goodwill For $30. Any Ideas On Who The Manufacturer/Designer Might Be?
#103 Found Free On The Side Of The Road!
#104 Just Couldn’t Resist. Four Hour Round Trip And Paid More I’m Used To, But Looks To Be An Adrian Pearsall For Craft Associates
#105 Wall Unit Decor
#106 My Mid Century-70s Inspired Office/Bar
#107 Kiddo Was In Search Of A Whiskey Bar And I Found This For Him Today. He’s Got To Pay Back The $500, But He’s Overjoyed
#108 Picked Up Another Dry Bar Yesterday. How Do You Safely Get Rid Of Cigarette Smell?
#109 I Found This On The Curb
#110 My Dining Space
