We just finished our first Mid-Century Modern install last week and I’m crushing hard. You’ve totally seen this iconic style all over Pinterest and social media. It’s everywhere from product design, to mod furniture popping up in sparse lofts, vintage inspired offset credenzas for you record aficionados…literally, it’s everywhere…old and new. What I love most about this period is that there’s something for everyone, every budget and every taste.

KND hasn’t had a client or jobsite ‘til now that could truly embrace this era in design. We’re looking forward to working on more mid-century projects too.

shop ceramics

on the docket

Next up, we’ve got a residential redeveloper with a Lake Forest feel lot and home just off the Greenbelt area of White Rock.  The home is being renovated to sell with consideration for today’s homeowner needs, green materials and energy efficiency while holding onto the charm of the age it was built in: 1957. This too will embrace the MCM (mid-century modern) vibe and I cannot wait to see this one completed.

Follow me on Instagram and catch my stories with the tag #PROJECTMCM to track our progress on this project

But before I get ahead of myself…

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve seen this style before but maybe you didn’t quite know what to call it. 

Here’s the Cliff’s Notes version for you <wink>

Mid-Century Modern

Designer cliff’s notes

·        1930’s – 1960’s

·        Post-war, born out of the Bauhaus movement

·        Form follows function

·        Organic lines

·        Little ornament

·        Modern materials like plastic

·        Respect for traditional wood (teak, rosewood, walnut & mahogany)

·        A juxtaposition of mixed materials

·        Distinctive color palette

·        Uncluttered

Fond Memories

My first interaction with MCM that I can remember was from my grandparents’ house. They had a stacking set of triangular teak tables with inset laminate tops each adorned in a bold accent color: rust, black and white. I loved the way the table legs laced side by side when stacked and how they fanned out like playing cards. We’d pop in a recorded VHS tape for movie night (Poppie would fast forward through the commercials for us) and pull those fabulous tables out to hold our popcorn bowls (one per group of grandkids).

shop KND mood board

This latest MCM install called for KND to source some character accessories, softer layers like accent cushions and bold rugs as well as additional artwork. With consideration for my client’s budget and their list of “have to haves” including a new lobby clock to replace their broken one, I dove into crunching numbers, building my shopping list and then one of my favorite steps in the process – client mood boards.

I love working from my own original sketches, concept images, finding inspiration from Pinterest, magazines, local architecture, pouring over my ever-growing collection of design & art books and flagging them with post-its like A Beautiful Mind. That’s exactly where I started with this project.

shop Koons decor

#artloveR

Born during this era, Jeff Koons is an artist I have always been fascinated by. He draws upon the banal and flips it on its head with mirrored finishes, extreme scale and in-your-face creations. A little nod to him with a frugal find I scored.

shop this look

It’s not hard to get the look for yourself but it is easy to go over budget without even trying. There are tons of original pieces out there available through 1st Dibs and other online purveyors and some of their asking prices are astronomical, in my opinion.

Luckily, there is also a wealth of retailers catering to the more moderate of pocketbooks. Target, Wayfair, At Home, West Elm, CB2 and even Walmart are offering their customers a variety of MCM home decor and furniture pieces.

I’ve always considered myself a frugal person, except when it comes to plants and my own home interiors. I love hunting down deals and scoring incredible steals…there is such a thrill in this to me. I also love Craigslist, estate sales, online purveyors like Etsy, EBTH, warehouse auction clearings, dumpster diving at storage buildings…you can find a lot out there and you’re helping cut down on waste in your local landfills.

Fun Fact: Our formal dining room table is a vintage mahogany Duncan Phyfe with all of the expansion leaves and original brass feet that I found at a swap meet for $30. Believe me, you can find INCREDIBLE deals out there and it’s always fun to share stories like these to your guests during a dinner party.

shop starburst clocks

Hope you found this post insightful, that you learned a little something new and are energized to get creative with your own space! I’m dying to hear about your shopping success and see what others are designing out there. Don’t be a stranger, tag me in your posts, reach out with your questions - we’re all on the same team here and I’d be honored to help you out.

Cheers

Have you tried this? Make sure to share your space to Instagram and let us see your mid-century modern design skills by using the tag #ShowKNDyourDesign

all of my mcm looks

*** BONUS LINKS***

Love a little more info? Check out these links below for topics mentioned above

Mid-Century Modern Crash Course

Mid-Century Wood

Mid-Century Modern Paint Colors

Mid-Century Modern Furniture Designers To Know

Mid-Century Modern Homes

Jeff Koons