Mid Century Modern Living Room Ideas
Mid-century modern style is an interior design that was developed from 1945 to 1975. This particular movement occurred, especially, in architecture.
For 30 years, this style dominated urban development. It was shown in architectural magazines, such as the Mid-Century Modern: Furniture of the 1950s by the one and only, Cara Greenberg.
Today, the style is still admired by many interior design enthusiasts.
Undoubtedly, it’s because the style holds several unique characteristics that are still suitable to today’s market preference, such as the clean-lined and the optimistic appearance.
Here, we’ve provided you with 17 most popular mid-century modern styles for a living room.
These ideas exhibit timeless appeals that’ll hook you tight! Let’s have a look!
Pastel Mid Century Modern Living Room
One of the reasons why the mid-century modern style was popular is the abundance of color and pattern. There is a living room with this style that adopts rainbow colors on its furniture.
Meanwhile, this idea adopts pastel colors mixture.
As you see, the wall is painted with soft pink that, actually, matches the cherry wood utilized as ceiling beams and window frames.
As for the furniture, the chairs are furnished with cushions covered in green and the sofa is looking bright in pastel blue.
Then, the coffee table, as well as the simple drawer on the wall, is made of excellent pine wood that emphasizes one unique trait of this style, which is the wooden material.
Other than that, we need to talk about the layout of the room as well.
You can clearly see, there is floor to ceiling windows that allow natural light to enter the room during daylight.
This improves the look as well as the atmosphere.
Why does the atmosphere affected by the window style?
It’s because it makes the room feels bigger and livelier.
Brick Wall Mid-century Modern
The most noticeable uniqueness of this idea is the exposed brick wall. Truthfully, an exposed brick wall is a tricky business.
If you don’t know how to execute the idea, it’ll be a huge blunder to the design. Perhaps, we’d like to suggest you consult an interior designer for further execution.
However, this one is perfect. The exposed bricks are adjacent to the wall covered by a geometrical pattern. This is actually a great way to reduce the humdrum.
This way, your visual is pleased by two different styles of wall decorations in one single side of the room.
Then, to adorn the wall, hanging some paintings or other decoration, such as the sun ornament, is a nice way to beautify the view.
Moreover, white is a smart choice of color. It becomes a clean canvas for cheerful mid-century modern style living room design.
As you see, the sofa which cushion is covered in fading green color is topped by three pillows with different colors.
Even more, the chair with broken white-colored cushion has a pillow with a modern pattern on the cover.
To dramatize the abundance of color in this mid-century modern living room, a carpet with colorful vertical lines pattern is utilized under the wooden coffee table.
All-white Mid-century Modern Living Room
Since white is a neutral color, it has a bright tone. It makes any surface looks modern due to its clean surface.
Therefore, it’s a great choice for those who want to go with a clean mid-century modern living room design. Moreover, white can be put together with almost any color.
In this idea, white is accompanied by several colors, such as the green of the plants, grey of the sofa, beige of the two armchairs, and a strong, deep brown of the stools.
In addition, white color absorbs natural light that comes into the room. It makes the room more spacious.
As you can see, on the left corner, there is a round mirror that gives an even bigger effect for this living room.
Remember, one of the characteristics of mid-century modern design is clean-lined, which is obviously shown in this idea.
If this is too plain, wall decorations like painting or photo frames can be hanged on to the surface of the wall.
However, you shouldn’t be going overboard. Make sure that the portion is just enough to make the room more interesting and more comfortable.
What do you think? Has this 50s style attracted you yet? We sure hope it has!
Stone Wall Mid-century Modern Design
We’ve talked about hanging some wall decorations to build a nice atmosphere in the living room, but we’ve provided you with one more inspiration, which is the stone wall above the fireplace.
Are you impressed?
First of all, the idea utilizes white as the background color as well. On the wall behind the sofa, there are many decorations, including photo frames.
Meanwhile, at the front, the wall is decorated by a large fireplace that can provide your family with warmth when the cold season comes.
On top of the fireplace, the wall is adorned with natural stone that has been cut randomly and put together pieces by pieces to imitate a natural look.
In this mid-century modern design, the living room is furnished with 50s furniture. Take a look at the cabinet at the far back. It’s made of wood and its design is modest. The modest cabinet is accompanied by simple armchairs with grey covered cushions.
Moreover, there are wooden chairs as well. To enhance the mid-century look, you can decorate the room with vintage things, such as a vintage table lamp or an old book from the period of the 50s to 70s.
Contemporary Mid-century Modern Living Room
The living room features an old, dirty brown 50s sofa and an excellent wooden armchair with a black leather cushion. The coffee table in this idea is extremely unique. It has the shape of a puzzle.
Moreover, it’s made of natural wood that hasn’t been repainted. The stands are made of simple irons, making it look a little bit like an industrial piece. Meanwhile, the floor is made of real wood which has been nicely done.
As you see, the room isn’t as large as the previous ones, however; you can still make it bigger by utilizing white as the background color and combining it with soft colors such as natural brown and grey.
It’s also okay to put a dark color, like black or deep blue, however, try to not overwhelm the soft color ones. Since the space is a bit limited, you need to make place the furniture on one side only, like so.
Remember, one of the characteristics of a mid-century modern style is the optimistic feeling attached to it. This one has a very lively vibe.
Floor to Ceiling Mirror Wall Mid-century Modern Style
This is a bold mid-century modern design because it dares to take risks by utilizing floor to ceiling mirrors one of the sides.
For your information, this is a great alternative to extend the width of the room, because the reflection will make the room seems bigger.
In front of the mirror wall, there is a stone cut decoration that’s hopefully not made of real stones for they’re going to shatter the mirror, for sure.
Then, moving forward, there is the furniture—a long comfortable sofa, a pair of floral print armchairs with excellent pine wood frame, a glass coffee table with slightly-bend holders, potted plants, a smooth gray carpet, and traditional stools.
What makes this living room a mid-century modern?
Well, take a look at the armchair. It has a strong square shape which emphasizes its origin.
Moreover, the floral print is obviously coming from the 50s.
Cabin in the Woods Mid-century Modern Living Room
We’ve mentioned it earlier that mid-century modern is usually adopting an abundance of colors to its interior, including wall paint and color of the furnishing.
However, this one seems like a cabin in the woods. Then, how come?
If you take a look closely, the ceiling isn’t as high as today’s modern house design, which is a strong character of an old house.
That’s why the floor to ceiling windows is a brilliant choice to reduce the claustrophobic feeling of getting squeezed under this low ceiling.
Also, we must appreciate the choice of using wood plank for the entire wall, ceiling, and beams. The good side is that all-natural light that comes in will shine the living room, making it bright and open.
Then, let’s have a closer look at the furniture. The long sofa is accompanied by two vintage armchairs and a wooden coffee table in between them. The armchairs have green-covered cushions.
Moreover, the floor below them is covered by grey, vertical lines pattern carpet.
On the corner, there is a small dining or breakfast table with four chairs.
An industrial-looking lamp is hanging from the ceiling, making it feels like an old bar stool with a shady lamp. Near it, there’s an artwork which seems to be a painting of a woman.
Coastal Mid-century Modern Living Room
A mid-century modern living room design isn’t always suitable for urban houses, because it still looks amazing in a beach house. This idea shows you a living room with a spectacular view, which is the ocean.
How to combine this particular style with such a view?
Can they coexist?
Hold your thoughts. We believe that the key is to imagine the most creative way or the simplest way to make it look effortless, yet still as elegant as this idea.
You see, the view itself provides a coastal ambiance which is dominated by blue from the water and white or grey from the clouds on the sky—which can also be seen clearly through the windows.
So, choose one of those colors to decorate your mid-century modern living room’s interior.
In this one, grey color is dominating the furniture, such as the sofa, armchairs, and flooring. What is another color that closes to gray shade?
Well, the answer must be white. As you can see, white on the window frames and the ceilings blend in nicely with grey furniture.
To add a pop, choose another neutral color to kind of put all of the colors together.
This time, we choose natural light brown for the coffee table’s top and the actual brown cut-stones for the fireplace.
Mid-century Modern Living Room with Floral Print Armchairs
What is the first thing that you notice in this living room? Correct! The white background is the most noticeable element in this one.
Again, white is an excellent choice for those who want to have a clean-lined living room area.
You can extend the white on to the fireplace wall. To make it more interesting and unique, demolish the front part of the wall to expose the bricks, and then pain the bricks with the same shade of white.
Even more, choose white-colored pots for the plants to add a nice contrast.
Moving on to the floor, it is nice polished wooden flooring which is covered by a gray carpet. On top of the carpet, there are two 50s vintage armchairs with red and white floral decorated cushions.
In between them, there is a round coffee table that’s fully painted in pure white. Over there, the lounge sofa looks so comfortable.
Moreover, the floor to ceiling windows at the back is inviting the natural light to shine on the interior.
Urban Living Room in Mid-Century Modern Style
Houses in the city have a small space, which is more difficult to decorate. As you see, this living room isn’t as large as some of the previous ones.
As soon as you open the door, there’s no space for transition, because you’re looking directly to the living room area.
However, don’t make it as a problem; instead, it’s an obstacle that has to be overcome with a creative solution.
The room features a brown leather sofa that has several unique pillows, a wooden custom-made coffee table with unique round surfaces, and an industrial standing lamp with three beams.
To give more mid-century modern look, the homeowner adds a portable bar stool for placing drinks, a bookshelf made of dark wood frame, and a nice grey faux carpet covering the polished wooden flooring.
Wooden Ceiling with Vibrant Orange
The first impression of this particular living room is how spacious it is. The large space also features a high ceiling, which makes the room even more open.
The ceiling, in particular, is decorated by dark wood beams that contrast the lighter colored wood of the ceiling.
Then, the wall is painted with a very vibrant color that is orange. The brightness and hue of orange enhance the ambiance of the area. On the wall, a flat-screen LED TV is installed.
Meanwhile, at the bottom right of the TV, there is a fire pit, which is perfect for cold weather.
The living room itself is furnished with a vintage 50s lounge sofa covered in khaki cushions.
Beside the sofa, there are rectangular tables made of wood that can be utilized for decoration or anything else.
The coffee table in front of the sofa is unique too. Its shape resembles a half circle and it’s made of glass.
In addition, a comfortable leather armchair complete with foot stand is graciously placed near the sofa.
Let’s not forget about the floor to ceiling window over there, from the window, the view is mesmerizing.
Other than that, natural light comes in easily, making the atmosphere inside of the room fresher. Moreover, this type of window is modern and updated.
Simple Mid-Century Modern Living Room Design
Mid-century modern design is also popular for its extravagance because the abundance of colors seems too much for some people. If that’s how you feel, this may be a perfect choice.
As you see, the room is adorned with pastel colors and simple decoration.
The wall itself is painted with a light brownish color which is an excellent transition from the brown on the ceiling.
Then, the unique bookshelves are modernly created for storing books and other room decoration.
Moving forward, the mid-century modern design is shown through the style of the sofa, including its layout. There is a love chair, a single armchair, and a long sofa. This seating is centered with a wooden coffee table with a unique stand.
In addition, there is also a distinct lamp table that you can show off to your guest. Overall, this idea utilizes a softer side of mid-century modern style.
Clean-Lined Mid-century Modern Living Room
One of the most prominent traits from mid-century modern design is the clean-lined style. This one, in particular, shows that famous characteristic. Take a look at the white background.
It gives you, or the homeowner, the opportunity to be as creative as possible with the decoration and the furniture’s mixing and matching.
For example, white as a neutral color can be combined with almost any color depends on your preference.
This one is combining white with khaki color. As you can see, khaki decorates the furniture inside of the area, such as the L-shaped sofa and the round carpet.
An All-White Sanctuary of Mid-century Modern Design
White is often referred to as a symbol of purity. In interior design, white is often picked by designers due to several reasons, such as attempting to create an open concept and wanting to have a modern look.
Actually, white comes with its own risk, such as easy to spot stains. Sometimes, the stains are difficult to clean as well.
Having an all-white theme living room requires high maintenance. While it seems intriguing to live in such a modern living area, it will be harder for those who already have underage children.
Back to the mid-century modern design in this living room, this idea represents the cleanliness promoted by the mid-century modern design movement.
The flooring is made of an excellent reclaimed pine wood, which is already popular for its durability. The shade of the pinewood is similar or even close to white.
Then, to add a little bit of contrast, you can go higher on the color wheel. Take a look at the hanging lamp which utilizes black and the pair of armchairs at the back also utilize a dark brown color.
Contemporary Floor to Ceiling Windows in Mid-century Modern Room
Which element of the room that catches your attention the most? Is it the hanging fire pit or the massive floor to ceiling windows?
The floor to ceiling windows in this living room design is gigantic. The advantageous of it is that the natural light will shine the inside of the room, minimizing electricity.
However, the disadvantageous will be the loss of privacy, although the latter can easily be solved by utilizing long drapes and increasing security system.
Then, the attention is moved to the unique hanging fire pit in the middle. The black color gives a deep contrast against the rest of the furniture.
Read Also:
- Sunken Living Room
- Mid Century Modern Bedroom
- Mid Century Modern Bathroom
- Mid Century Modern TV Stand
- Mid Century Modern Kitchen
Urban Mid-century Modern Living Room
So far, have you found the mid-century modern design that inspires you the most? If you haven’t found it, don’t worry, there are still two more ideas that one of them may be your fate.
This living room is thick in mid-century furniture. As you see, the obvious blue armchair has a vintage wooden frame that’s also filled with vintage square cushions. Similar style of frame can be seen on the unique coffee table and the sofa on the left.
These days, it seems quite difficult to have a full mid-century modern design living room.
To overcome such problem, you can insert a modern update, such as the modern pattern on the flooring that beautifies the living space.
Serene Mid-century Modern Living Room
A living room is an area where the whole family can enjoy time together. The reason drives every homeowner to find the perfect interior design that has the most creative idea. This may be one of those ideas.
In order to feel relax; we have to be supported by several things, such as the atmosphere. Creating a relaxing atmosphere can be started by flipping the entire wall and repainting it with a clean, white color.
Serenity is a state of being calm which, sometimes, can be obtained during a mountain hike or natural experiences, right?
That’s why we think that the plants are necessary. To insert the mid-century modern vibe, we’d like to suggest you use the glass pot for the plants.
