Mid-century furniture is modern, again!

The era that provided us with mass-produced furniture and the opportunity to “experiment” with our décor is making a comeback with the lush set designs from AMC’s hit show Mad Men. From Pete’s posh apartment to Draper’s dream home, everyone seems to be raving about mid-century modernity, and for good reason.

With whispers of clothing lines based on the show’s fashions, and online forums filled with questions about where to find Dan Draper’s office furniture, the trend toward mid-century modernity is firmly entrenched. Mid-century modern furniture – your grandmother’s furniture – is classic, cheap, and easy to find if you know where to look. In addition to being passed down from family members when you moved from home to college, you can find these “antiques of the future” at thrift stores, property sales, antique auctions, and online at sites specializing in mid-modernity. century. .

Combining these classics with your existing décor is easy. In fact, they look fantastic and add a lot of character when mixed with other styles. Furniture from that era has a smaller profile than many modern alternatives, so it works great in smaller spaces. You can even reupholster these pieces to match your color scheme and still do so for less than the cost of new furniture.

Modern danish

The most abundant and easiest to find mid-century modern is the Danish Modern, or Danish Teak, as it is sometimes known. As Amy Wells, director of Mad Men Set, points out when asked about her work on set. “I want Mad Men to look real, like people actually have those pieces. It’s important that they are imperfect, not iconic. A lot of people had modern Danish at the time because it was reasonably priced, and much of it still exists because it was so well done. “.

Some designer names to keep your eyes open for would be Finn Juhl, Hans Wegner, NOT Moller, Arne Jacobsen.

Finn Juhl was the first modern Danish furniture designer to be recognized internationally. He created a new style of Danish furniture that encompassed both form and function. The world took notice, earning Juhl the unofficial title of Father of Danish Modernism. You can see more credenzas and examples of mid-century modern furniture for sale.

Top 10 Mid-Century Modern Collectibles to Start Your Collection

Eames Lounge Wooden Armchair (LCW)

The husband and wife team of Ray and Charles Eames are truly modern American royalty. Together they made breakthroughs in manufacturing methods for the mass production of furniture. His Lounge Chair Wood is a symbol of his work.

Nelson platform bench

Designed by George Nelson, Design Director for Herman Miller Company, the bench has a light, airy quality while maintaining the warmth of wood. Nelson was also known for his breakthroughs in creating modular furniture and shelving for both offices and homes.

Isamu Noguchi coffee table

Isamu Noguchi was a Japanese-American designer and sculptor. His sculptural sensibility can be seen in his most famous piece of furniture, this coffee table designed in 1954 for Herman Miller remains a timeless design piece.

Tulip table and chairs Eero Saarinen

Finnish-born architect and designer, Saarinen was the father of the “Jetson” look. It is most famous for its Tulip table and chairs. Coincidentally it became the basis for the seats in the original Star Trek series.

Womb Eero Saarinen Chair

Saarinen was also known for this piece of design. The matrix chair is said to have been designed for Florence Knoll, who challenged him to create a piece of furniture that she could snuggle into.

Marcel Breuer Wassily Chair

The Wassily chair stands out because it is one of the first chairs to incorporate bent tubular steel. First designed for Wassily Kandinsky, the chair gained wide popularity and has been mass produced ever since.

Barcelona chair Mies van der Rohe

The Barcelona chair was designed by Mies van der Rohe for the German Pavilion at the 1929 Barcelona Exposition. The flowing lines of this chair make it a classic as fresh today as it was then. Mies van der Rohe’s signature is on the frame of each original piece.

Swan Arne Jacobsen chair

The Swan chair was designed for the lobby of the Royal Copenhagen Hotel in 1958. The chair, made by Fritz Hansen, was innovative at the time because it was made entirely of curved synthetic material covered with upholstery.

Eames sunbed

This chair epitomized the height of status and luxury for a long time. Designed to be as comfortable as an old baseball hand, the chair certainly lives up to the hype.

Finn Juhl Armchair Model 45

This chair typifies Danish design sensibilities. Vigorous, elegant and beautifully proportioned frame, and the warmth and comfort of wood and leather.

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