How to Use Vintage Mid Century Decor in your Home
I'm a great lover of mid-century modern design. Its simple shapes and clean lines mean that it works really well in all types of properties, making it a really versatile design style. In period homes, I like to think of it as a bridge between the original features and more contemporary items. In new builds, incorporating vintage mid-century styles is a fantastic way of adding character.
Lots of my clients like mid-century modern style but many of them worry about their homes becoming a pastiche. There's a delicate balance between having an eclectic space that works and looking like you've stepped on to the set of Mad Men. Today I'm sharing my tips on how to successfully incorporate mid-century items into different rooms in your home, whether you're looking for an iconic piece or a more affordable option.
Most of the iconic designs below are available either brand new or as vintage pieces through secondhand sites (see my supplier recommendations at the end of this post).
Dining tables and chairs
Iconic designs
Saarinen dining table by Eeero Saarinen
Image credit: Heals - Saarinen dining table with white base, from £2,468
Cesca chair by Marcel Breuer (Breuer was a student and later a teacher at the Bauhaus school. The inventor of Bauhaus - Walter Gropius - is in large part to thank for the rise of modern design. Although the school was shut by the Nazis in 1933, it had a massive influence on mid-century furniture design and architecture.)
Image credit: Heals - Knoll Cesca side chair, £632
Eames molded plastic chair
Wishbone chair by Hans Wegner
Affordable options
For affordable vintage mid-century dining furniture, the Ercol brand is a great option. There are lots of different sizes and styles to choose from on secondhand sites like eBay.
Also take a look at vinyl Ben chairs - great for adding a splash of colour to your dining space.
In the dining room at the North Wales coastal home, we sourced a great collection of vintage mid-century modern chairs. The Ercol Windsor dining chairs are a great example of blond wood furniture typical of the mid-century modern era. We bought them in pairs off eBay for about £35 each.
How to style
Mix and match vintage dining chairs with a new dining table or vice-versa. In our dining area, our table was from Dwell and it's in a walnut tone to contrast with the blond wood of the Ercol 391 chairs. Also note the yellow mid-century accent chairs. See how the mid-century furniture is like a bridge between the contemporary sofa and the Edwardian fireplace?!
Dining chairs aren’t just for dining! They can be used in office spaces too. In my tween boy’s room, I used a green mid-century ben chair in the desk area.
Sofas and armchairs
Iconic designs
Florence Knoll sofa (I'm a great admirer of the work of Florence Knoll who in the male dominated world of the '50s became a well respected architect and furniture designer).
Image credit: Florence Knoll relaxed sofa courtesy of Knoll, Inc.
Womb chair by Eero Saarinen
Image credit: Courtesy of Knoll, Inc.
Lounge chair and ottoman by Charles and Ray Eames
Image credit: Heals - Vitra Eames lounge chair and ottoman, from £6,065
My clients at the Victorian Scandi project found their mid-century sofa at a vintage furniture shop in Skipton. We added texture and geometric shapes in the soft-furnishings.
How to Style
Pick out one of your room's accent colours and source a vintage accent chair, or a pair of chairs, in the same colour to help tie your scheme together.
In the Edwardian semi lounge, we bought a yellow mid-century style accent chair from Etsy which picks out the yellow in the wall art and accessories. Armchairs in this shape are great for small spaces.
Sideboards, coffee tables and other furniture
Iconic Designs
Florence Knoll credenza
Image credit: Florence Knoll credenza - Los Angeles Home Design Shop, Courtesy of Knoll, Inc.
Isamu Noguchi coffee table - I’ve recently used this in a client’s living room design!
Image credit: Heals - Noguchi coffee table, from £2,230
Affordable options
GPlan is a great quality British brand. Most of their vintage mid-century modern furniture designs are made of teak wood. There's quite a lot of it around so it's normally quite easy to pick up an eBay bargain in good condition. The perfect option if you’re looking for low-cost furniture designs.
How to Style
Teak furniture looks great in a living room, whether you've kept the walls neutral or you've gone for a bolder colour. Introduce a few teak items dotted around the room to create a cohesive scheme. Add contemporary furniture items in a similar wood tone, such as walnut.
The teak credenza (sideboard) was a classic mid-century living room furniture item. Our Jentique sideboard was another eBay find and I sourced the GPlan nest of tables from a local vintage shop.
At my Victorian Scandi living room project, we styled the GPlan Astro coffee table alongside natural materials like wool and linen for a warm, textural feel.
Wall Decor and accent pieces
Iconic designs
Eames Hang It All
Image credit: Heals
George Nelson Ball clock
Image credit: Heals
Affordable options
There are so many lovely mid-century decorative items available to buy secondhand. West German brand Bay produced a great selection of vases - perfect for adding a splash of colour - and they're easy to find on eBay. For kitchenware like mugs and teapots, try Hornsea pottery. And look for Sputnik style hooks for pops of colour.
How to style
Incorporate mid-century wall art into a gallery wall of prints. In the North Wales coastal home lounge, I included some mid-century string art from Moonbow Vintage.
Hang a vintage mirror. We sourced this mid-century mirror for the downstairs toilet - perfect for this 1950s home.
I sourced some sputnik hooks from a vintage fair for my tween boy’s room and hung some abseiling and climbing figures from Rockett St George (now available at Not on the High Street).
Lighting
Iconic designs
Flos Arco floor lamp
Image credit: Heals - Flos Arco Light, £1,972
Nelson bubble lamp - Heals herman miller
Image credit: Heals - Nelson saucer crisscross bubble pendant light medium, £669
Affordable options
For vintage industrial style factory lighting above an island, Revo offer lots of lovely shaped light fittings. Agapanthus Interiors have a great range of vintage lights, including holophane glass shades which work well above a dining table.
We sourced a pair of green Revo pendants for above our kitchen island. The shelves include a lovely collection of mid-century items and vintage art that I've collected over the years, including the Coca-Cola framed print and the 'Provisions' sign that I found in local vintage shops.
How to style
Mix and match lighting styles, using vintage and new designs. In our hallway, the lovely mid-century flush fitting was left by the previous owner and I sourced a new Graham and Green pendant as the main light fixture.
Where to shop - My favourite vintage stores
Heals - for new great quality iconic pieces
Minimoderns - not vintage but you’ll find lots of mid-century inspiration here, from lovely wallpaper designs to kitchen accessories for a vintage look
Vintage Homeshow - pop up vintage fairs in Leeds, Manchester and London at different dates throughout the year
Agapanthus Interiors - great for lighting, accessories and good quality vintage furniture
I hope this post will help you add some vintage flair to your own interior!
