The Movement

mid-century design

Generally described as art and design with a nod toward clean lines and simple shapes, Mid-Century Modern (MCM) is much more than this. In its totality, it combines Pop Art, Abstract Expressionism, and other movements into a single entity that produced a rich and varied style and flavor that still manifests itself in what contemporaries call modern.

Mid-Century Ottoman and Chair

The Mid-Century Modern era covers 1930 through 1965, even though some iconic designs came out years earlier. Please keep in mind that furniture design was a small part of a much larger expression.

As with Modern Art, Mid-Century rids itself of extraneous details and excess decoration.

Although designers in Europe were leading the development of the MCM movement,

it was Cara Greenberg, an American (Mid-Century Modern: Furniture of the 1950’s) who coined the term “mid-century modern“.

Alvar Aalto (Finland), Poul Kjaerholm (Denmark), Gio Ponti (Italy), along with American counterparts Charles and Ray Eames, Frank Lloyd Wright, Florence Knoll, Harry Bertoia (and others) flooded the market place with new and exciting ideas and designs, that later became known as mid-century design.

The
Movement

Described as art and design with a nod toward clean lines and simple shapes, Mid Century Modern (MCM) is much more than this.

In its totality, it combines Pop Art, Abstract Expressionism, and other movements into a single entity that produced a rich and varied style and flavor that still manifests itself in what contemporaries call modern.

Mid-Century Ottoman and Chair

The Mid Century Modern era covers 1930 through 1965, even though some iconic designs came out years earlier. Please keep in mind that furniture design was a small part of a much larger expression.As with Modern Art, Mid-Century rids itself of extraneous details and excess decoration.

Although designers in Europe were leading the development of the MCM movement, it was Cara Greenberg, an American (Mid Century-Modern: Furniture of the 1950’s) who coined the term “mid-century modern“. Alvar Aalto (Finland), Poul Kjaerholm (Denmark), Gio Ponti (Italy), along with American counterparts Charles and Ray Eames, Frank Lloyd Wright, Florence Knoll, Harry Bertoia (and others) flooded the market place with new and exciting ideas and designs, that later became known as mid century design.