Let's Talk About Midcentury Modern Design

Midcentury modern (MCM) design  is one of my favorite styles to work with. I'm pretty sure it will never go out of style and I fully support that!  
 
While midcentury modern design can be a little difficult to define in concrete terms, it is generally accepted that this period of design lasted from the mid-1930s to the mid-1960s, and spanned architecture, furniture and graphic design. Some main key characteristics of midcentury modern design include clean lines, simple forms, and an emphasis on function. 

​I injected some MCM style into this ranch that had just been flipped. Yes, I flipped a flip! The home was still not living up to its full potential after the first go around.

The front of the house was first up. You know by now I love using wood slats and they were a perfect use in this project. It's a cheap design element with high visual impact. Painting this feature light blue was an easy way to incorporate a pop of MCM color. I continued the use of long clean horizontal lines with the alternating sections of turf and crushed granite. I also added additional outdoor living space by creating a front patio. Who wouldn't want to sit on that patio and watch gorgeous Phoenix sun sets? Lets not forgot the cute pendent light and large house numbers I used to round out the front curb appeal. 

​Inside I used a neutral color palette for the walls and floor. Warmth and visual interest was achieved by bringing in brass fixtures and MCM furniture. The great thing about midcentury modern furniture is that you can find great pieces at all prices points. You can spend the big bucks and hunt for authentic stuff at retro stores, or find new pieces at pretty much any furniture retailer. If you're like me and love a good deal, you can head to your local thrift store or you might even find a gem on the side of the road. You wouldn't believe some of the MCM furniture people have thrown out here in Phoenix during bulk trash time. That's right, I've been known to drive the alleys of Phoenix a time or two in search of furniture castoffs. 

I think one of the easiest ways to incorporate midcentury modern design is through color. So many great colors were used during the time period. I used a very MCM shade of powdered blue throughout this project by painting the front and back door, and scoring these reasonably priced Eames style barstools on Amazon. 

If you're looking for some good MCM paint colors, I really like this palette from Benjamin Moore. Tell me which is your favorite in the comments below!