What is Mid-Century Modern Furniture?
Learn about the origins and design features of MCM, plus get all those nagging questions answered!
by Justin Hossle
Feb 14, 2024
What Do We Mean By Mid-Century Modern?
Mid-Century Modern Furniture is a descriptive term for a design style that originated between the mid-1940’s and 1970, and simultaneously a term for furniture made at any point since then using similar aesthetic choices. The style is characterized by simple, clean lines, a truthful use of natural and man-made materials, geometric shapes and curves, and bold pops of color. In addition, the furniture pieces are void of unnecessary embellishments.
Mid-Century Modern (MCM) style originated as a response to the post World War II era, when families were seeking a more optimistic and “new” outlook on life, desiring furniture and homes that were different from the designs of the early 1900’s, and that felt functional and efficient. Evolving from the earlier Bauhaus and Modern movements, but with a lighter and less cold feel, the mid-century modern style was born. The simplicity of the designs, ease of mass production, and ability to complement vintage and antique pieces, made this style immensely popular.
Unlike many design styles that have come and gone, Mid-Century Modern has stuck around and is still popular today, with furniture stores large and small carrying selections of pieces made in the present that embody a mid-century modern style. Simultaneously, pieces made during that initial design era are highly sought after, bringing in big bucks at vintage stores worldwide.
Mid-Century Modern Characteristics
Types of Wood: Walnut, teak, oak and rosewoods are the go-to woods for this style of furniture, though maple is becoming increasingly popular, especially in pieces that take on more of a Scandinavian design feel. You’ll find a mixture of solid wood and veneers (thin layers of solid wood over engineered materials) too, with some furniture designers using Baltic birch plywood that has solid wood faces, such as our coffee table.
Other Materials: Mid-Century Modern design also relies heavily on other materials, both natural and man-made, including metal (aluminum, steel, etc), molded plastic, wool, and natural fibers.
Shapes: When looking at MCM design, you’ll immediately notice that the shapes are either geometric or highly organic (think kidney bean). Everything about the design style feels established and intuitive, as if the shapes were pulled directly from the natural world.
Design Elements: Mid-Century Modern furniture relies on simple and clean functional designs, meaning that you won’t find any unnecessary embellishments on them. No ornate legs or fancy accents on these pieces - it’s all about being sleek and stylish.
Colors: While a lot of the style is characterized by natural tones of the wood or metal, expect to see a pop of bold, though often muted, color here and there. Avocado green, mustard yellow, burnt orange and dark teal blues are a favorite.
Does Mid-Century Modern furniture have to be made during specific years?
The mid-century modern design period is defined as roughly 1949-1969, but the nomenclature “mid-century modern” has expanded on that, and it’s generally acceptable to include any piece made with the same aesthetic elements and stylings, no matter when it was created. Plus, many of the furniture pieces that originated during the initial design period are still being manufactured as reproductions today! This feels confusing, right?
For example, the iconic Eames Lounge Chair was introduced in 1956 and has maintained, if not gained, popularity since then. It’s available today through Herman Miller and other retailers, but is of course still considered Mid-Century Modern. Conversely, Hossle Woodworks creates made-to-order furniture and decor pieces with a distinctive Mid-Century Modern style to them, but none of them were designed before the year 2019. Both are examples Mid-Century Modern furniture.
When shopping for pieces, you’ll need to know if you’re looking for a truly vintage piece (something made in a different era) or if you’re simply after the design style. If you’re looking for Mid-Century Modern furniture that evokes the style originated in the 1940’s, you’ve got a plethora of options online and at brick-and-mortar stores to choose from. But, if you’re looking for a piece that was made between 1949-1969, check out your local vintage store - and be prepared to empty out your wallet! These pieces are collectors’ items!
What wood is used in Mid-Century Modern furniture?
Most often you’ll find designers using walnut, teak, oak, or rosewoods when designing MCM pieces, but there are many more options that are suitable as well. At Hossle Woodworks, we work with walnut and maple veneered Baltic birch, an engineered material made of 13 layers of solid birch and topped by solid walnut or maple. A similar material was famously used by Charles and Raye Eames in some of their iconic MCM designs, including the previously mentioned Eames Lounge Chair.
Depending on the use of the piece, some materials may be better than others. For example, case goods (media consoles, hutches, vanities) are often made of a veneered plywood, because the engineered material will make the item less likely to swell or shrink with seasonal temperature and humidity changes. At the same time, dining tables and chairs are often (but not always) made with solid wood. In the case of the dining table, a veneer just isn’t thick enough to withstand the daily wear and tear necessary for daily use.
What’s the difference between Mid-Century and Mid-Century Modern?
Generally, “Mid-Century” refers to any furniture made during the middle part of the 20th Century, while “Mid-Century Modern” refers to furniture made in the style of the designs popularized during the same time period, whether it was actually manufactured during the 1950s-1960s or not. Mid-Century furniture will not necessarily have the same design features (simplicity, functionality, pops of color, etc) as a Mid-Century Modern piece.
However, the two terms are often confused with each other, so it’s best to be as specific as possible when searching for furniture. If you like MCM design, be sure to include the word “modern” in your searches. If you just want a vintage or antique piece made around the middle of the 20th Century, go ahead and drop the word “modern,” but know that you be presented with a broader range of design styles.
Is Mid-Century Modern design and Scandinavian design the same? What about Retro Design?
Scandinavian design and Retro design are terms that are sometimes used in place of Mid-Century Modern design, and while all are similar, there are a few distinguishing characteristics. In the case of Scandinavian design, they are two separate, but complementary styles. Retro design, however, is a bit harder to pin down.
Scandinavian design originated in Scandinavia (during a similar time period), while Mid-Century Modern design originated in mainland Europe and the United States. Second, while sharing the trait with MCM design of using natural materials, Scandinavian design takes this a step further and sticks to using natural colors as well. While you’ll see bright and bold pops of color in MCM design, you won’t see this as much in Scandinavian design. Third, while both styles focus on simplicity, you’ll tend to find more warmth and minimalism in Scandinavian design.
Retro design is a term that’s used to describe pieces made now to emulate designs of the past. To break it down, a Mid-Century Modern piece of furniture that was made in 2019 could be called Retro. A MCM piece of furniture made in the 1950’s would be called Vintage. But, Retro encompasses more than just MCM - a plush and curvy sofa imitating the 1980’s style could also be called Retro. So while Retro can be used to describe Mid-Century Modern furniture, it’s simultaneously more specific and more broad.
Recap
Mid-Century Modern furniture is a popular design trend that’s now 75 years strong. Originating in the post-World War II era when people were seeking a fresh and optimistic start, the style focuses on simple lines, geometric shapes, natural materials and pops of bold color. Form and functionality take center stage with this beautiful and sleek style of furniture, and popular material choices include walnut, teak, oak and engineered Baltic birch plywoods. The term Mid-Century Modern (or MCM for short) is a blanket term for pieces made then and now, and sometimes Scandinavian design and Retro design are used in its place.
Whether you love it or hate it, one this is for certain - Mid-Century Modern style shows no signs of slowing down in popularity. The simplicity, functionality, and ability to blend and complement pieces from other eras makes MCM a winner!
Frequently Asked Questions, or TL/DR
What is Mid-Century Modern Furniture? Mid-Century Modern furniture is furniture designed between 1949-1969 or furniture made since then in the same style.
Is Mid-Century Modern the same as Vintage? Yes and No. Vintage refers to pieces made in the past but sold today, while Mid-Century Modern can refer to pieces made now in a similar style.
What are the features of Mid-Century Modern furniture? Natural materials (wood, metal, fiber), simple and clean lines, lack of embellishments, and pops of bold color.
What woods are used in Mid-Century Modern furniture? The most popular woods are walnut, teak, oak and rosewoods. Some designers work with Baltic birch plywood.
Is Scandinavian and Retro the same thing? Scandinavian is a similar, but different style of design. Retro design can refer to Mid-Century Modern, but can also refer to other design periods.
