Everything You Need to Know About Midcentury Modern Homes (2024)

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Everything You Need to Know About Midcentury Modern Homes? ›

A midcentury modern house plan is characterized by a very wide, low footprint with large, open spaces, floor-to-ceiling windows, and an emphasis on bringing the outdoors in. Although midcentury modern architecture boomed all across America from 1945 to 1969, it's seen a major resurgence in recent years.

Characterized by flat planes, large glass windows and open space, these homes -- built from 1945 to the 1980s -- featured simplicity and an integration with nature, encouraging residents to explore the world in new ways.

Key Traits of Mid-Century Modern Interior Design

Geometric Patterns & Shapes: Furniture pieces often include geometric shapes, such as the use of ovals, triangles, and other non-traditional forms. Natural Materials: Wood, especially teak and walnut, are widely used in mid-century modern design.

Mid-century design combines natural materials with industrial manmade materials. So you can expect to see wood, metal, marble, and glass mixed with plastic, lucite, fiberglass, and vinyl. This combination of materials helps keep the retro style feeling contemporary even today.

A mid-century modern home costs $200 to $500 per square foot to build because you may need custom materials and features, like windows or roofs, that cost more per square foot. A true MCM home typically has around 1,500 to 2,500 square feet, so your total project cost could range from $300,000 to $1,250,000.

–New York, NY ranked number one for the best city for mid century modern home buyers with a city score of 40.11 out of 50. –Palm Springs, CA offers the most MCM builds for sale per capita with 271.43 listings.

Mid-century modern interior design has certainly made a welcome comeback since its introduction in the 50s. Now a favorite worldwide, it's easy to incorporate the look with a few simple elements.

Midcentury decor refers to a more ornate style, such as Art Deco, and some might argue this includes Art Nouveau. Midcentury modern decor refers to a style with more of a utilitarian aesthetic incorporating clean lines and basic shapes.

There are some distinctions between the two, though: Mid-century modern furniture refers especially to furniture designs that are contemporary and utilitarian, with clean lines and basic shapes. Mid-century furniture often refers to furniture pieces that were developed and produced during the mid-20th century.

Mid-century modern (MCM) is a movement in interior design, product design, graphic design, architecture and urban development that was popular in the United States and Europe from roughly 1945 to 1970 during the United States's post-World War II period.

How to design mid-century modern interior? ›

As a whole, modern architecture is recognized for its no-nonsense minimalism. By that I mean it doesn't have a big reputation for being flashy or overwhelming. In contrast, mid-century modern doesn't mind a decorative accent. Even in its décor, mid-century modernism has a starkness to it that still feels uncluttered.

Influenced by the optimism of the post-World War II boom and by the exploration of a range of materials, including steel, concrete, and newly available insulated glass, the mainstays of midcentury-modern architecture remain appealing to this day.

Disadvantages To Living In A Modern Home

One of the biggest drawbacks of living in a modern home is the cost. Because these homes are often filled with high-end finishes and appliances, they can be quite pricey. Additionally, modern homes require more upkeep than traditional homes.

Modern buildings use materials like asbestos, lead, etc., which are very hazardous and are not recyclable or disposable, these materials harm the environment and promote global warming and pollution.

Mid-century modern is “not even a trend anymore — it's the dominant aesthetic,” says Dunning, who curated an exhibit last year on modern chairs for the Palm Springs Art Museum in California. “It's either fascinating or depressing that we haven't replaced [it] with anything better.

Even some 60 years since its heyday, the style has endured and serves as the inspiration for many of today's most prominent trends. Instantly recognizable, homes built with midcentury modern designs continue to attract buyers who are looking for a contemporary layout with stylish finishes.