If you are into modern design such as in architecture, interiors, and furniture, then you probably have heard of Harry Bertoia. Of course, his most commonly seen object is his Diamond Chairs. Originally wire structures that harken to his love of metal work as in sculptures. The Diamond Chairs come with solid…Continue reading Harry Bertoia Artist
Category: Furniture
Section devoted to modern furniture.
Panton’s Ikea Chair
In 1995, according to Ikea, Verner Panton designed a chair that has always struck me as an almost blatant disregard of the contemporary and a symbol of the strong advocacy of modernism. The Vilbert Chair is just such a symbol of modernist creativity and reduction of forms to only essential elements. Verner Panton (1926-1998) was…Continue reading Panton’s Ikea Chair
Can’t Afford Wall Art?
Sometimes a bare wall can be very depressing, especially if one can’t dole out large sums for original artwork. Many ideas come to mind that would cure the depression besides a trip to the doctor and pharmacist. One could try to feed a starving student artist by offering a reasonable compensation for his or her latest Magnus opus.…Continue reading Can’t Afford Wall Art?
Gio Ponti
“Gio” or Giovani Ponti (1891 – 1979) was a busy Italian architect with an admirable record of buildings in Italy and international locations. Unfortunately, the only example of Ponti’s architecture in North America is the Denver Art Museum (1971), North Building which was done in collaboration with James Sudler Associates. As far as architecture goes,…Continue reading Gio Ponti
Mid-Century Milo
Milo Baughman was an American designer born in the middle of the United States, in Goodland, Kansas, moved to California and at thirteen designed his parents house. After returning from the Army during World War II, he attended the Art Center School of Los Angeles and at Chouinard Art Institute, later known as the California…Continue reading Mid-Century Milo
5 Easy DIY Modern Room Dividers
Room dividers were a common interior element in mid-century design. Screens and dividers of all sorts of invention became a part of separating spaces whether indoors or outdoors. Depending on the style and construction, room dividers provided a way to delineate different areas without enclosing spaces with walls while preserving an open concept. …Continue reading 5 Easy DIY Modern Room Dividers
Jens Risom
Jens Risom passed away last year at the age of 100. During his lifetime he was a major influence in spreading Scandinavian modern design in America. Although if one has only a cursory knowledge of modern design, and even if one has no idea about the designer of a certain chair, one immediately recognizes it…Continue reading Jens Risom
Charlotte Perriand
The emergence of women designers and architects certainly came full force in the 20th century. We all know of Ray Eames, but right up there among the elite is Charlotte Perriand (1903-1999). (For a brief read on 9 prominent women designers, click the image link below.) Even with just a casual knowledge of mid-century…Continue reading Charlotte Perriand
Victorian To Modern
Please, indulge my pleasure for interior design. Here, I have taken a very Victorian room and turned it into a mid-century modern space. With interior design, the principles generally stay the same regardless of the period in history. In fact, the dictums of the use of symmetry, asymmetry, color, spatial arrangements, and any other principle…Continue reading Victorian To Modern
Edward Wormley: Mid Century Mainstream
Edward Wormley (1907-95) was born and grew up near Chicago, Illinois. He spent his high-school years enrolled in interior design courses through correspondence courses, having a keen interest in design. After attending the Art Institute of Chicago and running out of money to continue, in 1928 he obtained employment at Marshall Fields where he…Continue reading Edward Wormley: Mid Century Mainstream
Writing About Featherston
Mid Century Modern Groovy received an email from someone writing about the mid-century Australian designer Featherston which is featured in an article on this website, in the series, “Lessor Known Designers”. As a side note, lessor known here simply means that a designer is not commonly know by the general public, not necessarily by those…Continue reading Writing About Featherston
A Mid-Century Modern DIY Project
I love designing furniture and have created many pieces in my house. I have a bar table that is a little worse for wear and devoid of storage possibilities. Instead, I have taken the challenge to create, using simple materials and techniques, a sophisticated sideboard in mid-century modern style. In doing so, sharing…Continue reading A Mid-Century Modern DIY Project
Aarnio, Finnish Designer
A friend of mine just returned from Finland and brought back one of those tourist magazines placed in hotel rooms to inform one of the local goings on. Knowing I have a keen interest in modernism and particularly furniture design from the mid-century, he brought back an issue from a hotel in Helsinki on Eerno…Continue reading Aarnio, Finnish Designer
My New DIY Book on Furniture
I have just published on Amazon a new book. It is about constructing outdoor furniture with distinctive designs, without making complicated cuts, not using complex equipment and no purchasing of expensive materials. All the furniture is made with only 90-degree cuts, utilizing only 1x4s and 2x4s. The book includes 200 illustrations of furniture construction and…Continue reading My New DIY Book on Furniture
Jean Prouve
Born in Paris to a creative family and imbued with the spirit of design, Jean Prouvé could only have become the prolific designer and architect. His father, Victor Prouvé, was an artist and his mother, Marie Duhamel, a pianist. His father and mother were abundantly involved in an artistic circle which heavily influenced Jean. Jean…Continue reading Jean Prouve
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