“By clicking on these links, you may support Hearst Magazines and Yahoo as they earn commission or revenue from certain products. While there is a surge of interior design trends this year, the enduring popularity of midcentury modern design remains strong. Its warm tones, timeless furniture silhouettes, and expert craftsmanship continue to capture our hearts. These midcentury modern living room ideas showcase the best of ’50s style in the 2020s.
Midcentury modern living rooms blend Scandinavian warmth with modern industrial materials, reflecting the optimism of the space age and postwar era. If you want to capture the essence of this time, start with your living room—the place where you likely spend the most time. While midcentury-inspired replicas are common, investing in authentic pieces is worthwhile. Affordable midcentury modern furniture can be found at estate sales and online auctions, offering vintage treasures that will impress your design-savvy friends.
Incorporating colors like martini olive green and wood paneling can further enhance the midcentury modern aesthetic in your home. If iconic names like Eames, Bertoia, and Wegner excite you, explore these 47 chic midcentury modern living rooms that will inspire you to fully embrace this timeless design style.
Additional text by Meghan Shouse.”
Jacob Snavely
Choose Colors Thoughtfully
In Serena Dugan’s home on Shelter Island, she expertly combines warm textures like leather, rattan, and bamboo with a soft sage green palette reminiscent of midcentury design. Geometric patterns and a plush rug bring a contemporary touch to the lounge area.
Christian Harder
Opt for a Unique Light Fixture
For a midcentury modern living room, a large, geometric light fixture makes a striking focal point. In a New York City loft, Nina Garbiras showcased industrial elements with a ceiling light and complemented it with modern furniture.
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Gieves Anderson
Embrace Contrasts
Mixing geometric patterns with curved details adds depth to midcentury modern style. By pairing a table lamp with a sleek couch, Nina Garbiras creates a harmonious blend of shapes. Neutral furnishings accentuate architectural details while maintaining a subtle aesthetic.
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Gieves Anderson
Balance Modern and Traditional
Dane Austin’s contemporary approach to midcentury modern design in a 19th-century home strikes a balance between traditional and modern elements. Soft, organic shapes in the furniture create a comfortable and inviting atmosphere.
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Sean Litchfield
Draw Inspiration from the Past
Take cues from renowned designers like Vladimir Kagan for timeless style. Incorporating a kidney-shaped sofa pays homage to midcentury modern influences. Dane Austin’s choice of a mohair velvet sofa adds sophistication to the space.
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Sean Litchfield
Opt for an Earthy Color Scheme
Create a welcoming atmosphere by sticking to an earthy color palette in midcentury modern decor. Custom furnishings in desired hues add a personal touch to the space. Blair Moore’s design highlights sculptural pieces with a warm color palette.
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Erin Little
Showcase Your Vinyl Collection
Highlight your love for midcentury modern living rooms by displaying your record collection. Create a vibrant, music-filled space like Moore’s “disco library lounge” for a lively family room experience.
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Erin Little
Keep Decor Simple
Let standout pieces shine by maintaining a minimalist decor approach. A striking fireplace cover with soft curves can serve as a focal point in the room. Blair Moore’s design exemplifies the beauty of simplicity.
Erin Little
Mix Midcentury and Rustic Elements
Blend classic log cabin aesthetics with midcentury modern style for a cozy yet modern space. Thom Filicia’s design showcases how warm wood textures and midcentury coffee tables can create a harmonious balance.
Eric Piasecki
Incorporate Bold Patterns
Enhance midcentury modern furniture with bold patterns for a stylish look. Thom Filicia’s design demonstrates how curved shapes complement vibrant patterns, adding warmth and visual interest to the room.
Eric Piasecki
Experiment with Unique Materials
Reinvig
Transform your living space into a midcentury cabin retreat with these coordinated light-wood coffee tables that embody the same aesthetic philosophy. Discover inspiring design ideas from renowned interior designers such as Eric Piasecki, Lisa Petrole, Ngoc Minh Ngo, Marili Forastieri, and more to elevate your home decor. Embrace the avocado green hue for a touch of midcentury modern spirit, create a cozy ambiance with plush textures and geometric furniture, encourage meaningful conversations with a dedicated seating area, and incorporate era-appropriate art pieces to capture the essence of the era. Infuse humor and luxury into your decor by adding unexpected elements and using luxe finishes for a glamorous touch. Embrace your quirkiness by mixing midcentury modern furniture with unexpected motifs, and opt for a monochromatic color scheme or a statement chair to make a bold design statement. Explore various design approaches to create a unique and inviting midcentury modern living space.
To create a more intimate atmosphere in this small, bright room, Summer Thornton incorporated a large midcentury couch. This choice not only encourages conversation but also embodies the notion of “go big or go home.”
Customizing small details can make a big impact. Melanie Turner enhanced her clients’ midcentury modern living room by incorporating furniture of the era and custom-bound family scrapbooks for coordinated pops of color.
Midcentury modern style offers versatility, with both mature, artistic pieces and family-friendly options like these egg chairs featured in a kid-friendly beach house designed by Kureck Jones. The vibrant colors and unique shapes of the chairs complement the overall goal of the space.
Adding modern pops of color can instantly update a room. In this living room designed by Kureck Jones, a midcentury chair and wall paneling combine for a cool, contemporary feel.
An unconventional color scheme can bring playful vibes to a midcentury modern space. The ultrasuede sofa in this living room by Kureck Jones adds a fun twist with its out-of-the-ordinary color palette.
For a unique seating arrangement, consider ditching a traditional couch for two chaise lounges. Philip Mitchell opted for this setup in a den, creating an intriguing space tailored to the couple’s needs.
Utilize your living room to showcase your midcentury modern furniture collection as artwork. Philip Mitchell demonstrates this approach by layering various pieces for a maximalist look.
Mixing true vintage with contemporary pieces can result in a captivating space. Garrow Kedigian combined midcentury modern items with traditional flea market finds, creating a harmonious blend of styles in his clients’ home.
To enhance the clean lines of midcentury modern design, add depth with a darker paint color. Garrow Kedigian used a moody hue in this living room to create a vibrant and dynamic space.
Embrace the structural details of your home when incorporating midcentury modern elements. McLaren.Excell designers showcased period furniture in a Victorian cattle barn, working with the existing wood-beam ceiling to maintain a contemporary feel with a neutral palette and rustic textures.
MATCHING FURNITURE AND ART IN YOUR HOME
In the living room of a Hamptons home designed by Amy Lau, the traditional midcentury modern color scheme is not followed, but the aesthetic is still captured beautifully. By pulling a color from the modern art prints for the midcentury-style chairs, Lau successfully bridges the gap between different styles.
ADDING A TOUCH OF METALLIC
While chrome is often a key feature of midcentury modern design, you can give it a contemporary twist by incorporating other metallic finishes. For example, Amy Lau opted for a custom kidney-shaped ottoman covered in iridescent leather in this living room to introduce a hint of the iconic chrome finish.
BRINGING THE OUTDOORS IN
Coziness is a key element of midcentury modern design, and incorporating exterior elements into your interior can help create a warmer and more nature-connected atmosphere. Anik Pearson added wall sconces from the exterior to the interior of a remote Utah ranch to enhance its warmth.
UNIQUE SHELVES FOR A RETRO LOOK
Original ebony wall paneling and Plexiglas shelves in a midcentury modern home serve as a perfect example for creating a retro living room. Designer Everick Brown preserved these unique features, resisting the urge to demolish them, and they have become an integral part of the home’s design.
MAKING A STATEMENT WITH A METALLIC WALL
To infuse a midcentury modern living room with a touch of metal, consider creating a statement wall covered in steel. Everick Brown achieved this look with a niche lined with contrasting wood to add warmth and dimension to the space.
INCORPORATING FAMILY HEIRLOOMS
Integrating family heirlooms into your midcentury modern design can add a personal touch. Cate Dunning incorporated an iconic Hans Wegner Papa Bear chair from her paternal grandfather into her home, formerly owned by her maternal grandparents, bringing a playful pop of color and honoring both sides of her family.
INSTALLING A PARQUET FLOOR
For a nod to midcentury modern flooring trends, consider installing a parquet floor in a diamond motif to introduce geometric shapes and symmetry. Atelier ND complemented this flooring choice with a striped loveseat to play with the lines in the space.
SOFTENING WITH CURVES
To balance out harsh lines in a midcentury modern space, incorporate curved furniture like a couch or loveseat. Ana Claudia utilized curved furniture to soften the rectangular room and bring balance to the architectural details.
EMBRACING WOOD PANELING
Preserve wood paneling when encountered in midcentury modern spaces, as it adds a unique touch and brings the outdoors in. McLaren.Excell maintained the natural wood panels in a home, which mimic the exterior wood and contribute to the home’s distinctive character.
HIGHLIGHTING SPECIAL PIECES
Use bold colors to highlight specific midcentury modern pieces that you want to showcase
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