Make Your First Home a Mid-Century Modern Masterpiece
Travel back in time to when pinch pleat drapes and “Mad Men”-styled furniture and clothing were all the rave. Fashion makes its cycles, and now brightly colored kitchens, Victorian-style white furniture and bold, symmetrical patterns are causing a retro revolution. Capture the details of your first home and transform them into a mid-century modern masterpiece with these five tips:
Match Your Pieces
Bring the living room together by matching furniture pieces such as chairs, ottomans and benches to the window shades and valences. Search Craig's List or frequent antique shops to find era-appropriate furniture, or reupholster something you already have with a groovy patterned, textured or colored fabric.
This can be done in the bedroom as well: just pick your bedding to match the pinch pleat drapes and furniture upholstery. An enormous, room-sized rug in a floral or paisley print will complete your time-capsule look.
Don't leave out the kitchen in this first home. An olive green stove, microwave, dishwasher and accessories serve as fantastic statement pieces while bright yellow cabinetry will quickly become the focal point of your home.
Elegant Lighting
The right light fixtures can make or break a modern room. For a look straight out of "The Brady Bunch," select lamps that are tall and slender with a rectangular linen top. Draw inspiration from "Mad Men" for your room, however, if you are looking for something with gleaming metal or colorful opaque glass.
Mix Mid-century Modern with French Provincial
Mid-century modern meets French Provincial when timeless sculptures and ornate French art pieces are mixed with dark wood and mid-century modern architecture. Transform your living room into a space President Richard Nixon would envy with flowing fabric curtains, French portraits paired with bulky, gold frames and floral-patterned rugs with high-end furniture.
Transform That Small Entryway Into Shabby-Chic Heaven
Incorporate a sofa table that is tall and wide to elongate the room while having enough space to store things. Also, try hanging a tall mirror behind the door to serve as a small, useful, decorative surprise. Shown online The Borrowed Abode, a pair of modern wood and metal mirrors make the foyer appear bright, and the two mirrors manipulate the space to look large and inviting. Decorate with books, lamps or fake floral plants to accentuate the modern mid-century look.
If you are unsure of the color palate, stick with the traditional 60s "Mad Men" theme: cranberry, gold, olive, sapphire, chrome and wood. The simplicity of these colors translate well for every room in your home.
Don't Forget the Bathroom
Transform your bathroom into vintage bliss with white cabinets, a wall-length mirror, brass knobs, a marble countertop and floor-to-ceiling tile. Replace the shower with a hot tub style bathtub or for extra oomph, opt for an all tiled, sunken-in tub.
Added extra: Build fireplaces back to back on the inside and outside of your home. The extra heat completes the retro feel and will have your guests saying, "Far out!"
This is a guest article from Amanda Lee. Amanda specializes in budget travel tips for young families. She's an expert; traveling with her husband and five children can get expensive!
