How to Decorate a Mid-Century Home

Mid-century architecture, reflected in homes built between 1945 and 1970, introduced asymmetrical design and open living areas to an era of bungalows, four-squares and Cape Cods. Where older homes featured elaborate crown moldings and wood-trimmed windows, mid-century houses eschewed ornamental trim for walls of windows and opened up ceilings to expose the wood-beam structure. Let mid-century architecture inspire you to decorate your home in a style faithful to the period.

Instructions

- 1
  Paint your walls a light neutral color, and leave exposed brick fireplace surrounds and hearth walls as is. Mid-century style uses neutral walls and flooring to let furnishings, art and accessories shine. If you must replace flooring, use hardwood with neutral rugs in living areas, slate tile in the entry, and linoleum in the kitchen and bathrooms.
- 2
  Furnish the rooms with sleek leather furniture with long legs to maintain the open, airy feel of mid-century style. Add kidney-shaped coffee tables and cylindrical end tables. Install modern, geometric light fixtures in hourglass, sputniks, globes and flying saucers. Invest in mid-century classic seating, such as Eames-style bent-plywood chairs, leather-and-chrome Barcelona chairs or triangle-back George Nelson coconut chair. Choose furniture with clean lines, and avoid excessive ornamentation.
- 3
  Add accessories in the mid-century color palette of chocolate brown, powder blue, lime green and orange. Sunburst clocks, sputnik accent lamps and amoeba-shaped sculptural objects add authenticity to the decor. Geometric paintings in the style of Mondrian and abstract pop art on the walls harmonize the mid-century interior decor.

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