The Dramatic Appeal of Mid-Century Modern Home Design

This year mid-century modern design is sweeping through homes from Virginia to California, and the inspiration seems to stem from the unique twist of combining modern furnishings with those from the mid century to create a décor motif in homes that is both invigorating and impressive.
There are many different design themes that can be found in homes, and there are some defining characteristics of mid-century modern home design that capture the feel of a long-ago modernism.

First of all, teak wood is used as part of this design because it invokes a feeling of natural warmth and a strength that wood can provide. The teak is said to provide a pleasant backdrop to the colors and textures that are used in a home that is decorated with this motif, and the mid-century modern design relies on the teak wood to give the home a basis of calm serenity in a world that seems a bit crazier every day. Fiberglass is also popular in homes that are lavishly draped in this type of theme as well.

A streamlined look is the epitome of the mid-century modern look. This is often thought to be the most noticeable feature of the design. Furniture that was made before the 1950s often was curvy but still sleek and not overly cluttered up with too much detail. Smooth lines in the middle of the century became prevalent in a country that wanted to make things as simple as possible, and the furniture that is associated with this era is very distinct because of the simple stream-lined look of the pieces. The whole idea was simplicity.

Other trends in this type of home décor include the wide popularity of materials that had not really been used much previously with furniture. These included Plexiglass, Lucite, and even plastic. These man-made materials quickly found a home with the pieces that are the basis of this style and were used on table tops as well as used for entire furniture pieces such as chairs and ottomans.


And finally another telltale characteristic of the mid-century modern look is the use of many different textures and colors. The blending of the contemporary style with a variety of colors and textures compliment the simple décor very well, lending balance between the bold and the bright with the earth-toned teak and the simplistic creativity that mid-century modernism represents as the fullest and richest of interior trends.

Home Décor Trends for 2009

When you have a home that seems to be dying for your personal touch and décor talents, there are a lot of things to be considered from wall paint to rugs to the little accessories that make a big difference in the look and feel of your home. There are five general categories of themed ideas that most people go with when it comes to decorating or re-decorating their home, and although sometimes they can be mixed and matched throughout a home, most people prefer their home to follow one of these main décor trends. The styles are contemporary or modern, country, traditional or classic, ethnic, or tropical. Depending on your personal preferences, the style of the house itself, and the location that you are in, you might consider any one of these five to give you the home that you have always dreamed of.

The traditional look is one that is timeless and never goes out of style. The trend here is rounded edges and colors that are warm and inviting but not to bold or bright. The classic colors are used to evoke a warm neutral overtone, and the classic prints are most often used such as geometric designs and floral patterns. The more adventurous people usually are “tired” of the traditional look, but those who are not comfortable with radical design or a step away from the ordinary will find that the traditional look is safe and easy to incorporate.

Country décor is a trend that reminds us of simple, peaceful times in comforting environments and the appeal of a rustic dwelling far removed from the urban sprawl is very appealing to a lot of people. Fabrics and prints that are used seem more primitive and vintage than the traditional style ones, and one of the biggest and most popular patterns in country homes is the checked or gingham look. Knick knacks, accessories, and wall art that feature farm animals are popular, and the colors used are typically shades of brown, yellow, red, and orange.

For those who are more bold and adventurous, a contemporary or modern home will usually have nary a flower in sight, and will not have many things that are rounded in it; geometric shapes and patterns are more the style, and anything that is rounded is simple: Solid colors and smooth lines are the defining features of the contemporary look. Metal is a common material for anything from furniture to wall accents, and the underlying basis of this theme is artistic expression and simplicity.

There are a lot of people who evoke a tropical feeling for their home by using anything and everything that follows in shades of off-whites, light blues, and airy tans to resemble the ocean, clear skies, and the sands of beaches. This look is one that many people have a professional designer carry out, because choosing the wrong things can lead to not a tactful, relaxing home but a tacky, outdated one. One thing that is distinct about the tropical look is the large use of flowers and plants throughout the home.

A final home decorating trend for 2009 is the ethnic styles. The dark earth tones like deep red, yellow, green, and brown along with the extensive use of wooden accessories and clay sculptures set a home in this style apart from any other, and if done correctly can bring out a sense of being impressed and stimulated at the same time. Homes that follow a certain décor theme are inviting as well as charming, each in their own specific ways and any good interior designer can help make it happen.

Gus Modern Furniture Sale at Bobby Berk Home

Gus Modern is offering a Stimulus Package off their modern furniture! Take up to 30% off selected items online and 15% - 30% off all Gus Modern in our Soho Store. Offer Ends soon!

Modern Bike promotes good heath just in time for spring.

The first completely new bicycle geometry in 95 years. Inside a triangular frame of lightweight aluminum, power is transferred to the rear wheel via a silent clean Kevlar belt. The STrida Bike Handlebars are mounted horizontally so the rider can sit comfortably upright with an excellent view of the road. The genius of this modern bikes triangular frame is that it a quickly folding modern bike. In five seconds, you have a light, compact form that you can easily wheel, stow in a closet, load in your car or take on the train.

LAX Series Modern Coffee Tables at Blue Print Magazine

Blue Print magazine featured the LAX Series modern coffee table. They praised it's hardwood construction at an amazing price.

House & Home - Canada

Canadian House & Home featured the Gus Modern Delano Chair in their January 2009 issue. They have Modern Love for Modern Chairs.

Modern Candle from Blissliving

BlissLiving Home has a great collection of modern candles as featured in Better Homes & Gardens March 2009 Issue.

DwellStudio Modern Bedding

Living Etc magazine featured modern bedding from DwellStudio in their December 2008 issue. The article included the Draper Stripe Bedding, Talon Pillow and Sketch Pillow.

Amenity Organic Cotton Pillows

Amenity Home's modern organic pillows were featured in Elle Decor.

Creating a Modern Home in Black & White

Inspired by its chessboard namesake, our wholly unique modern Pawn Stool embodies the hallmarks of the Gus Modern furniture collection: clean lines, sharp angles, and minimalist design. This cutting-edge piece fuses function with elegance.
Far from an ordinary counter stool, the multi-purpose Pawn Stool serves a wide variety of functions: as convenient extra seating, a unique side table, a striking plant stand, or a showcase for your favorite sculpture. Our white-lacquered Gus Modern Pawn Stool pairs beautifully with our Drake Coffee Table, or strikes a dramatic contrast to black, chrome, or boldly colored furnishings. Built from carefully selected hardwoods, this structural stool is ruggedly built to endure for generations.


The Pawn Stool is a great modern side table to complement the Iian Collection by Wildcat Territory. This crisp modern bedding collection screams sophistication.

The Aurora Bed, by Temahome is the perfect modern bed for your Black & White decor.

The Faro Rug by Chandra is a stunning modern rug hand woven from New Zealand wool.


Thomas Paul's Starburst Pendant light will shine light on your new modern home.

Spring Clearance Sale

There are some great sales going on right now. Take up to 50% off modern bedding, modern furniture, modern pillows and more. Deals for this sale include:

• 30% off Gus Modern
• 40% off DwellStudio Bedding
• And much more

Fresh, Modern Spring Bedding from BlissLiving Home

BlissLiving Home has four new modern bedding designs for Spring 2009. Harajuku, Off The Park Collection, Garden Party Collection, and West Lake were all created to give your home a high level of sophistication without the high price.

Off The Park Collection gets an urban update with playful, embroidered songbirds in pop yellow amidst the bold contrast of black and white. A must-have for any city socialite, the Anis duvet set brings the modern bedding movement of flat art into the bedroom with graphic silhouettes of branches and botanicals. Inspired by New York's urban loft sophistication, both duvet cover and flanged shams are sewn of pure cotton sateen.


The Harajuku collection is inspired by the youth style and fashions of Tokyo, Blissliving Harajuku duvet set features stenciled cherry blossoms cropped and placed in stunning scale. A palette of crisp white and soft pink bloom against a stylish base of glacier grey. The Japanese floral continues on a pair of matching flanged pillow shams. Soften the set with pink and white pillows for a feminine look, or create a cosmopolitan cast with accents of silver, grey and black.



BlissLiving Home's Garden Party collection will have you strollingl through England's royal botanical gardens amidst our verdant Kew duvet set depicting a graphic pattern of white trellis against fresh green cotton sateen. Our modern duvet set makes a modern statement on its own or sets a clean stage for the freshly cut flora of our garden inspired pillows. Flat white piping trims this garden scene and matching trellis pillow shams. Duvet and shams reverse to brilliant white.



Inspired by east China's water wonderland, the Blissliving West Lake duvet set translates the tranquil waters of Hangzhou's storied West Lake into a modern depiction of brilliant blues. Traditional blue and white toile meets stunning scale as the lake's authentic motifs cast ombre-printed reflections over the water's clean white surface. A canopy of willow branches sway gently over matching pillow shams. Sewn of silken cotton sateen, duvet and shams reverse to the striped pattern of our Balance euro shams.