
Explaining the enduring popularity of midcentury modern design - juanplusjuan
https://www.fastcodesign.com/3064284/mid-century-modern-is-the-pumpkin-spice-latte-of-interior-design
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soyiuz
I am not sure if the article says anything substantial about midcentury modern
design.

The canonical International and Bauhaus movements---represented by iconic
designers/architects like Gropius, Le Corbusier, and Eames---were (in some
sense) a response to the ornamental style of the previous century. These
privileged clean lines over ornament, modern materials over patina, and
function over decoration. These principles produced beautiful objects that are
modular, uncluttered, and easy to move and maintain. They endure because they
still reflect the values of our time.

I say this owning nothing in that style, except perhaps a Vitsoe standing
desk. Most of my interiors are industrial / rustic, which clashes with
midcentury.

~~~
twelvechairs
Agree the article lacks content.

Just to raise a point on your comment - though 'midcentury modern' is a
slippery term i dont think your references quite capture it. When i see the
term it is generally less canonical modernism (architecture-focussed, pre-
wwii, Corbusier/bauhaus, france/germany-led) and more something different
(furniture focussed, post wwii, influenced by modernism but also arts and
craft/frank lloyd wright/etc., scandinavian led with notable american
examples).

I think theres a reason it has appeared as a term - because many things
described by this term are quite definitely _not_ 'moderism'

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Alupis
Article seems to be mostly an ad for interior design company/service Modsy.

Am I missing something? I didn't really find any real explanation as-to why
"midcentury modern design" is so popular...

~~~
stuntkite
Nope, that's what happened. Literally no substance, just an ad for a service
to render and sell you a new living room.

~~~
wycx
...a new living room that looks like it is straight from
[http://fuckyournoguchicoffeetable.tumblr.com/](http://fuckyournoguchicoffeetable.tumblr.com/)

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santaclaus
I've been seeing a lot of grumpy articles [1][2] by interior designers
lamenting midcentury modern, recently.

[1] [http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/06/style/why-wont-
midcentury-...](http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/06/style/why-wont-midcentury-
modern-design-die.html) [2]
[http://fuckyournoguchicoffeetable.tumblr.com](http://fuckyournoguchicoffeetable.tumblr.com)

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analog31
There was just an article about why everything is beige.

I was unaware that "midcentury modern" was a relatively new term. My
neighborhood was built up between around 1955 - 1963, and there are a lot of
"modern" houses, including a couple attributed to Frank Lloyd Wright.

My family's house is a plain rectangular box with practically no decorations.
Of course we bought it because of location, condition, price, etc. Inside,
it's mostly "Scandinavian." The walls are white.

One thing I like about this style is that it works in a relatively small
house. Things are actually smaller.

The alternative when this house was built, was orange plush carpet, grotesque
wallpaper, and huge stuffed sofas.

~~~
chris_st
> The alternative when this house was built, was orange plush carpet,
> grotesque wallpaper, and huge stuffed sofas.

Hear hear. I also grew up in (mostly) "midcentury modern" interior design
(thanks, Mom and Dad!) and I find that it... just looks nice.

I was trying to explain to someone why I wanted white gadgets (iPad, Kindle,
etc.) and wound up realizing that they are closer to the Braun aesthetic than
the black ones, which I associate with the black-on-black-with-black-and-did-
we-mention-black design of the Panisonics, Technics, etc. stereo equipment of
the 70's.

~~~
loeber
Good point on white and black gadgets. I think you're right.

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nitrogen
As the article suggests near the end, I think you could delete "midcentury
modern" and still convey the same point. When form follows function, similar
forms will emerge and endure for similar functions.

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rayiner
A lot of mid century modern stuff was extremely functional. From Mies van der
Rohe's skyscrapers to Herman Miller's office chairs.

