Mid-Century Modern: Maxing Out Style in Small Spaces
Whether it is a lifestyle choice or for reasons of economy, making a smaller space your own doesn’t have to mean a reduction in comfort or style. Sleek, multi-tasking, mid-century modern furniture maximizes style in small spaces.
Simple Aesthetic Design
Clean lines and simple designs are hallmarks of mid-century furniture design. Stripped of ornate detail, furniture created post WWII—up to and including the mid-sixties—has a sleek aesthetic that is more suited to people living in smaller spaces.
Clare Pascoe of Britain’s Pascoe Interiors explains that “Mid century furniture was created to combine aesthetics and practicality in order to bring beautifully designed pieces to the man on the street.”
Furniture That Floats
Lifting furniture off the floor makes a room appear larger. The fine, tapered legs that complement many slimmer mid-century pieces provide the illusion of more available floor space, and suggest an airier feel.
Wall-fixing systems that actually attach furniture directly to the wall, avoiding any floor contact at all, are the ultimate examples of mid-century furniture that floats. When shelves or cabinets hover above the floor as integral pieces of the wall itself, this seeming extension of the floor area expands the illusion of space in compact areas.
Multi-Tasking Practicality
When space is limited, furniture has to be flexible in both design and utility. Mid-century modern is both.
The teak wardrobe pictured below was designed to hang suits and blouses in a bedroom. It can easily be transported to an entry where it can serve double duty: hanging coats in the rear hanging area, and storing everyday necessities like keys, dog leashes, and secret decoder rings in the front drawers.
http://vintagehomeboutique.ca/products/mid-century-modern-teak-wardrobe
Sideboards with spacious storage solutions are perfect for the multipurpose rooms in today’s smaller condos. Their unique cubbies with removal, adjustable shelves are perfect for storing extra blankets or for hiding that script you’ve been working on. Side tables with additional storage shelving sit as comfortably beside a bed as they do beside a Bertram custom made sofa. Display cabinets with interchangeable glass or wood fronts that hide or display valuables are other examples of space expanding design flexibility.
The credenza pictured above is a testament to mid-century versatility. At home in any décor, this long, low piece features easy sliding doors, four drawers and a fully finished interior. The adjustable/removable interior shelves make this piece perfect for storing your media components or your fine dinnerware. It would be an exceptional addition to any dining room or could be put it in a living area to house a flat screen T.V. Its four solid teak legs give it the “floating” look that interior designers find so desirable. And its functionality is not the only highlight of this piece: solid teak furniture, like this credenza, is sought after for its look, style and durability.
An Investment That Grows With You
What better way for furniture to prove its versatility than to also double as an investment? Quality mid-century modern furniture pieces are investments that grow in value. Mid-century furniture stock is finite. As it becomes more limited, its value will continue to increase.
It’s important to remember that mid-century modern also has the flexibility to adjust to changes in your lifestyle. Unlike contemporary furniture, mid-century’s quality construction allows the option to refinish in an eco-friendly manner, or to redesign to best suit a décor or need. Aside from producing a truly unique and personal result, this is often the most economical use of resources.
A Piece of the Past
Like other limited-edition fine art, quality crafted mid-century modern furniture often becomes the object of conversation within a home. It is little wonder with the history that it brings with it. A reminder of simpler times is not bad to have in any space.
Let us help you find yours.
References:
http://midcenturymagazine.com/interiors/maximising-minimal-living-space-mid-century-furniture/
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