Mid-Century Modern furniture once started as a trend in the mid-twentieth century, but has now become a timeless design that’s graced homes for generations. It’s a style you can still find in box stores, Amish furniture stores, and just about any online furniture retailer website. What makes this style so well-loved, how does it fit into the Amish way of furniture making, and how can it be used today? We’ll answer these questions and more as we briefly explore the history and design of Mid-Century Modern furniture in this article.
A Brief History of Mid-Century Modern Furniture
The origins of Mid-Century Modern furniture is sometimes disputed due to how it evolved out of design movements from the early 1900s like:
- Bauhaus (1919–1933)
Mid-Century Modern embraced this movement’s emphasis on function over decoration. It featured clean lines, and industrial materials like steel and glass.
- Art Deco (1920s–30s)
The Art Deco movement has contributed to many styles that were birthed in the 20th century. It streamlined forms and geometric styling, though it was more decorative than the general Mid-Century Modern style.
- Scandinavian design traditions that existed well into the late 1940s
The MCM style adopted the Scandinavian warmth, craftsmanship, and natural materials—especially wood.
The Rise and Peak of Mid-Century Modern Furniture: The Post War Era
After World War II, major changes shaped furniture design:
- Mass migration to suburbs increased the demand for affordable, stylish furniture .
- New materials came from wartime tech such as molded plywood, fiberglass, and plastic. This opened a whole new world to experiment within the furniture industry.
- Manufacturing advances of the time made so furniture could be mass-produce. While it’s arguable whether this advancement was for the betterment of the furniture industry – the simplicity of the Mid-Century Modern style was perfect for the “assembly line work” of mass production.
Some of the key designers to pioneer the MCM style were Charles Eames & Ray Eames, Eero Saarinen, George Nelson, and Hans Wegner. The style was the face of brands like Herman Miller and Knoll. As Mid-Century Modern became mainstream in the 1950s and 60s, you could find this style in a good portion of the suburban homes across the U.S. Some of that popularity may have been caused by it’s promotion through magazines like Better Homes & Gardens and the rise of “Danish Modern” designs.
Characteristics of the original Mid-Century Modern Style:
- Clean lines, organic curves ‘
- Minimal ornamentation
- Integration with architecture (open floor plans)
- Use of teak, walnut, fiberglass, chrome
Key Reasons for Its Popularity
- Practical design/functionality
- Affordable
- Stylish but not ornate
Why MCM Went Through a Decline and Revival
Roughly around the 1970s, Mid-Century Modern Furniture began to be traded out for heavier, decorative designs. This was also paired with bolder shapes, colors, and patterns. This generation of homeowners viewed muted tones and simple silhouettes as outdated.
However, it wasn’t more than 20 years and the style had a revival that paved the way for the style to remain a timeless part of furniture design. This major comeback that began in the 90s was influenced by:
- Nostalgia and vintage collecting (1990s–2000s)
- TV shows like Mad Men (2007)
- Sustainability trends (restoring vintage pieces)
- Minimalism
It should also be mentioned that big name box stores like IKEA and West Elm continue to thrive off of Mid-Century Modern furniture.
Current Mid-century Modern Furniture Features
- Clean lines.
- Natural looking curves.
- Smooth surfaces.
- Combination of natural and manmade materials.
- Neutrals
- Modern geometric shapes.
- Tapered legs.
Mid Century Modern Furniture Done the Amish Way
While this style may not be the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of Amish furniture, it is a style you can find in many catalogs and Amish furniture stores. Amish craftsmen adopted this style into their catalog because of how it blended into their skillsets and to offer something that felt a little different from their more bulky and traditional designs.
How It’s Similar to Other Common Amish Furniture
Mid-Century Modern furniture reflects many aspects of Amish culture and woodworking:
- Simplicity
- Use of natural materials
- Focus on practicality
While the look felt different, it does bear some semblance to the Shaker style in it’s simplicity, use of natural wood, and clean lines. At it’s core, Mid-Century Modern was the perfect addition for many woodshops. It inspired them to use their traditional techniques to build sturdy and dependable versions of this style.
How it’s Different from Other Amish Furniture
Most Amish furniture styles like Mission and Traditional focus on more on heavy designs and rich dark stains. Mid-Century Modern feels much lighter in color and silhouette. It feels a lot more airy than some of the furniture you might find on the market. It doesn’t bear any heavy carvings and MCM has much thinner legs. However, the appearance is one of the few places where this style feels very different. Because these craftsmen don’t sacrifice their building techniques, Mid-Century Modern has the same level of quality and craftsmanship as any other style they build.
Explore Mid-Century Modern Furniture at Steiner’s Amish Furniture
Mid-century modern Amish-made furniture is built upon the principles of strength, durability and beauty, contributing easily to this style that it serves. We offer mid-century modern for the dining room, living room, bedroom, office, and bathroom.
Create your own mid-century modern mix with our Amish furnishings – available with an array of custom options to make the style uniquely yours! Browse our selection online at www.safaz.net