Charles Eames, the iconic American architect and designer, remembered for a long time throughout his life the horror of climbing a pole next to his apartment to catch enough electricity from a transformer for his Kazam! machine.
His passion for innovative design, which was stronger than his fear of losing his life, soon helped tens of thousands of American soldiers wounded in World War II. Eames managed to construct an immobilization splint from plywood that did not further injure the wounded.
His later collaboration with the famous Museum of Modern Art in New York (MoMA) is legendary, resulting in the famous Eames chair with a curved plywood back. The chair became a trademark of the modernism style epoch in architecture and design in the middle of the 20th century.
The museum's iconic philosophy of design as accessible art was exemplified by the Eames plastic shell chair, a groundbreaking mass-produced piece that pioneered industrial manufacturing in the United States.
When Eames's bold chair design entered the average American home, the mid-century modern era could begin.
Mid-20th century modern style
Design experiments with new materials and technologies and their fusion with mass production in mid-20th century America created an optimistic, non-traditional and futuristic approach to forms and materials.
A sense of hope and faith in the democratic ideal after the horrors of war and an increased interest in science and futurism resulted in the adoption of modernism as an international style in design and architecture.
This iconic style defined the mid-20th century with its minimalistic tones, simple clean lines without embellishment, functional streamlined rose and teak wood furniture, geometric shapes and earth tones.
All this was a rebellion against the flamboyant traditions of earlier eras. The heart of this style era lay in functionality.
This modern design has been popular for more than half a century and its appeal has not faded. And today it is a timeless style that has returned to the scene.
If you have decided to create a mid century modern interior in your home, and if you have already chosen the right furniture and decor, you are not finished yet. You need a floor that will completely bring the mentioned era to life.
Mid-century modern flooring
The aesthetics of this period were reflected on the floors in warm tones and bright colors, smooth hardwood flooring, large vinyl tiles or a concrete look.
You can revive the atmosphere of this design era with carefully fitted floors in your home.
Your modern mid-century floor should emphasize simplicity and subtle geometric shapes, such as parquet with a square design, colorful terrazzo or luxury vinyl tiles in warm tones.
You can achieve visual effects by mixing and matching different materials or rugs that have patterns characteristic of the mid-century era, such as atomic designs or abstract motifs.
- Wood is a dominant and authentic material of mid-century aesthetics that easily achieves the desired effect of naturalness and simplicity. Light wood flooring was especially present.
For your modern mid-century floor, choose parquet in lighter shades of walnut or oak, with smaller board sizes than are used today.
The good thing about mid-century modern flooring is that there are many options for wood-look flooring that are easy to install. Engineered wood, laminate or vinyl planks will help you easily achieve the mid-century aesthetic we've described.
- Terrazzo is another option if you want a mid-century modern style. The original terrazzo floors were made from pieces of marble, quartz, granite, glass and cement.
With this floor, you will not only replicate mid-century aesthetics, you will get a floor with a unique and dynamic look that will elevate your interior if you choose a mix of colors that fits with the whole.
Orange, red and pink patterns are common and almost always have a glossy finish that achieves desired retro effect. They are very durable, waterproof and maintenance implies that you have a routine of wet wiping a couple of times a week.
You can also opt for vinyl and porcelain tiles that have a terrazzo pattern and look.
- Porcelain tile or natural stone floors were common in homes of that era. They were usually large square tiles in warm tones.
If you decide on this type of floor, you can install a more expensive variant such as travertine and limestone or install ceramic and porcelain tiles that irresistibly resemble natural stone.
- Slate floors were especially popular in the 60s of the last century, at the height of the mid-century style, and you can still find them today.
All these options offer you a mid-century aesthetic if you opt for a darker color palette, such as light or dark gray with hints of brown-reddish. In order for the look to be complete, the tiles should be of a larger format.
Your bathroom or kitchen with a black and white tile floor will be a complete modern replica of the era.
- Vinyl was a popular mid-century style material. This applies to composite tiles made of a mixture of vinyl and polished stone. By today's standards it is a more porous type of floor, so you can have the same effect with contemporary luxury vinyl tiles.
With them you can achieve the spirit of the era because there are options with the look of wood, stone, concrete or terrazzo floors and they will easily imitate the antique appearance.
Probably the most popular way to achieve the spirit of the era is with a high-gloss white vinyl tile floor. That simple white floor that is dotted with gray or colored spots will be a great canvas for mid-century decor throughout your interior.
The same is true with the black and white checkered vinyl floor, which was especially popular in the 50s and 60s of the last century in dining rooms and kitchens. Housewives probably loved it because it's easy to maintain, and you will too.
- Concrete is becoming an increasingly popular design choice. In the mid-century aesthetic, they provide you with a neutral background to set the decor.
You can paint modern concrete floors in various colors and choose a smooth or rough surface. If you choose this look, you can buy large square tiles with a concrete look.
Concrete offers greater flexibility. If you get tired of the mid-century look, you can easily change or replace the flooring.
- Carpets are another way to revive mid-20th century modernism. They were popular especially in the late phase of the era. Opt for warm colors and contrasts.
You need geometric shapes and creative textures, stripes, squares and triangles and abstract shapes. You can use carpet tiles to get even more geometric shapes when laying. With carpets you can define different areas in your space.
How to arrange an interior in a modern mid-century style
• Retro aesthetics and contemporary solutions: Create a modern home and not a museum from the 60s.
• Simplicity and minimalism: Regardless of whether you are decorating a small apartment or a large house, choose things carefully to create a clean and uncluttered look.
• Functionality: The space should be functional. Find pieces that will have innovative and smart solutions for storage and organization.
• Low-profile wood furniture: Low-profile wood furniture with simple, unadorned lines will make your space feel larger and more open. Find furniture that is elegant and functional, with soft curves and bold colors. You can use metal, plastic and glass.
• Geometric shapes: Your mid-century furniture should have simple geometric shapes.
• Rugs: Use them to add color, patterns and textures or to achieve contrast.
• Art and sculptures: Add works of abstract art and sculptures with natural organic forms.
• Plants: Bring plants into the space, a touch of nature that also has organic forms of leaves and flowers.
• Harmony: Create a harmonious and cohesive space by focusing on clean lines, minimalist aesthetics and organic shapes.
Concluding Remarks
To achieve a mid-century modern look in your interior, the right floor is essential. Since the basic element of that aesthetic is functionality, opt for floors that, in addition to the retro look of the half of the 20th century, will have optimal durability for your lifestyle. The right material and carefully chosen design will create a pleasant atmosphere in which practical problems are easily solved.
