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RETRO REVIVALIN PART THREE OF OUR DECORATING SERIES WE EXPLORE

MID-CENTURY MODERN, WHOSE VINTAGE, DESIGN-LED VIBE IS PLAYING BIG IN INTERIORS RIGHT NOW

WORDS SHELLEY TUSTIN

DECORATING SERIES: mid-century modern

The nostalgia-inspiring sets of Mad Men might have brought the phrase ‘mid-century modern’ back into the common vernacular, but in truth, this is

an interior style that never completely fell out of fashion. One of its hallmarks – and the reason for its enduring appeal – is its focus on functionality. “The principle behind many of the iconic mid-century furniture designs was ‘form follows function’, which simply means that the furniture was designed for its purpose without unnecessary features,” says Diana Ribarevski of Coco Republic. Best of all, the era’s natural materials and organic, sculptural forms are completely compatible with almost any contemporary home. Groovy, baby. >

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“The soft, organic forms of mid-century furniture still work well in a contemporary interior,

so this style is an easy one to incorporate into your home.

A statement armchair, classic Danish sideboard or feature wool rug are the perfect places to start”

~ Rebecca Pountney, interior designer,

Yellow Letterbox

STYLE: It is the marriage of sculptural form with practical comfort that has made pieces of the era so covetable. “MCM design holds a huge emphasis on anthropometric and ergonomic elements,” says Rhiannon.

ACCESSORIES: The emphasis is on artisan design. “Anything with that handmade nature will work well,” says Rebecca. Think mouth-blown glass, hand-thrown ceramics and wall-hung weaves.

BUILD: Mid-century architecture experimented with different forms that reflected how people lived in their homes. The new concepts of open-plan living and indoor-outdoor flow are still fundamental to architecture today.

DESIGN: “The furniture silhouettes work well with new fabrics or textures,” says Rhiannon Orr of Design Orr Build. “When reupholstering an original chair, it can adapt to the style of your home, yet still nod to its beginnings.”

ART OF SIMPLICITY Mid-century modern (MCM) design was born in the wake of World War II. Though iconic pieces – such as Eero Saarinen’s ‘Tulip’ table and anything by Charles and Ray Eames – now sell for a small fortune, the original intent was to use mass production and low-cost materials to provide good design for everyone. Furnishings fall roughly into two categories: ‘machined’ items took new technologies and materials – plywood, plastic and fibreglass – and created space-age shapes, while ‘handcrafted’ pieces combined timber craftsmanship with pure, simple forms. These worked harmoniously together, the warmth of the timber balancing what some saw as the coldness of the machined pieces.

GET THE LOOKCurvaceous forms and tapered legs

embody this classic vintage vibeTurned wood leg planter, $299, West Elm.

‘Kenitra’ hand-knotted woollen rug in Indigo, from $795/90cm

x 152cm, Dash & Albert.

‘Sidney Raw’ coffee table, from $2102, Jardan.

‘Audrey’ cabinet in Parchment, $399/small, West Elm. Stockists, page 220 >

‘Modernist Round’ glass light in Amber,

from $440/small, Mark Douglass

Design.

Arne Jacobsen ‘Egg’ chair,

from $11,000, Cult.

IN THE DETAILS: Furnishings of this era are easily identifiable. “They have been stripped down to their essential forms,” says Diana. Unless you’re a purist, it’s easy to bring a mid-century look into your home at a reasonable cost, and without buying replicas. “The fundamentals of mid-century design are so timeless that you don’t need to look far to find a modern interpretation of them,” says Rebecca, who recommends Jardan and West Elm as great starting points. If you decide to commit to an original piece, this is one of the few furniture purchases that should hold its value. >

French Provincial Motif Noir mirror,

$644, Vavoom Emporium.

Anchor Ceramics

‘Earth’ light, $730, Koskela.

‘Memphis’ 3-seater leather sofa, $2995, Matt Blatt.

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FINISHES: Ceramic is a mid-century material that’s easy to embrace. “The tactility of handmade ceramic pieces is coming through in lighting and tiles,” says Rebecca.

“The best way to achieve a mid-century look is to use natural materials. Timber, stone and bricks will not

only add warmth and texture, they’ll also provide a connection to nature and a timeless aesthetic”

~ Diana Ribarevski, Coco Republic

TEXTURE: Feature walls clad in timber are enjoying a comeback, whether crafted from solid wood or economical timber-look laminates.

SOURCE: “For the materials, the broadest spectrum can be seen in a mid-century kitchen,” says Rhiannon. “Vinyl floors, timber joinery, tile splashbacks, brick and graphic patterns can all be thrown together.”

PARTICULARLY WITHIN THE natural spectrum of materials, texture was king when it came to 1950s interiors. “To me, texture is more evident in good mid-century modern design than colour is,” says Rhiannon Orr. “The attention to detail taken when working with timbers and fabrics is second to none. Pattern is often injected through the texture of the fabrics, or the grain of the timber.” Thus, no mid-century palette is complete without timber – cherry, walnut and teak dominated – and heavily textured fabrics, such as thick wool knits, macramé and the ubiquitous shag-pile rug. >

‘Brick’ by Rondine porcelain tiles in

Bristol Cream, $98/sqm, Urban Edge.

‘Heathered’ basketweave rug in

Steel, $599/152 x 244cm, West Elm.

NavUrban timber veneer in Oakdale, from $70.35/sqm,

New Age Veneers.

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MATERIAL MIXThe mid-century look is one of contrast, celebrating natural materials in addition to experimenting with man-made ones. “The mid-century language often consists of a mix of natural materials with man-made ones and technical innovation,” explains Diana Ribarevski. “Plastic moulded furniture and metal, glass and resin, concrete and fibreglass, plywood and timber, vinyl and brass – almost every material that remains popular in architecture and furniture today was used in the mid-century period. This further emphasises why the mid-century style sits beautifully within modern-style interior spaces.”

FLOORS Try ‘The Artisan Collection’ European Oak boards in Antique Stout

Brown, from $196.90/sqm, Royal Oak Floors.

WALLS Try ‘La Paloma’ brick facings in Azul, $104/sqm, Austral Bricks.

Mutina + Raw Edges ‘Tex’ tiles, $295/sqm,

Urban Edge.

‘Noma’ rug in Indigo, from $570/90 x 152cm,

Dash & Albert.

‘Kaivo’ fabric, $69/m, Marimekko. Stockists, page 220

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“Mid-century home design really focused on working with, rather than against, the natural environment, and

this transferred to interiors with the use of a very Australian colour and materials palette” ~ Rebecca Pountney, Yellow Letterbox

THE WAYS OF COLOURThough the candy pastels of the 1950s and acid pops of the ’60s dominate people’s perceptions, the primary palette of the era was actually much softer and more natural, amplified by green vistas through the period’s signature floor-to-ceiling windows. “If you look at classic Australian mid-century homes, the dominant colours were very much reflective of the landscape: warm timbers, natural stone, earthy greens and burnt orange,” says Rebecca Pountney. The dark neutral base is often punctuated by bursts of saturated colour, reflective of the optimism during the post-war period.

PALETTE: Re-imagined for today, hues are a little moodier. “For an accent colour, the golden yellows of the ’50s have moved towards chartreuse and mustard,” says Sarah Stephenson of Wattyl.

SOURCES: An updated look has been influenced by the re-emergence of foliage in interiors, says Sarah. “The combination of these new yellows and green leaves is a perfect contrast to the clean lines of mid- century modern furniture design.”

PAINT: The palette demands a warm white. “Warmer greys also work well with mid-century style,” says Rebecca. Try Dulux Flooded Gum or Haymes’ Pale Mushroom series.

THE KEY THING to remember when pursuing a mid-century scheme is that bold hues shouldn’t overwhelm the look. “Even though mid- century almost always involves an injection of colour, it’s never over the top, and often it’s used in small bursts,” explains Diana Ribarevski. “Sometimes an unexpected combination of colours can be used, and other times they’re warm, earthy colours that blend together naturally.”

THE FANTASTIC NEWS is that the mid-century look is all about flying the flag for individuality, meaning it’s not strictly bound to any of the classic hues. “It is always exciting to shake things up,” says Rhiannon Orr. “Good interior design is about being selective and mindful of which aspects of a style you want to pay homage to, and mixing this with your own personality.”

Eggshell acrylic in Banyan Tree,

$107.22/4L, Porter’s Paints.

Smiley, from $64.90/4L,

Wattyl.

Cicada, from $64.90/4L,

Wattyl.

READ PART 1 & 2 OF OUR DECORATING SERIES AT HOMEBEAUTIFUL.COM.AU