Mid-Century Color Tips

Spread the love

One thing that has always stuck with me are some of the color combinations used back in the mid-century. These color combinations weren’t always in the domain of the modern house but were widely utilized by those with all sorts of architectural styles. Although a bit more subdued than the stereotype mid-century modern color palette in vogue today, people during this time were not as afraid of color as are the miles of endless tract homes with red tile roofs and beige walls seen in suburbia today.

 

Indoor, a Mid-Century Interior Design Magazine.
Indoor, a Mid-Century Interior Design Magazine.

 

Even though there seems to be a shift from the variations of beige, contemporary modern styles seem to be more of a charcoal sketch of modernity with an overabundance of shades of white to black. It is just as likely to see someone paint their beige house a grey with white trim and accents of charcoal grey. The insides are frequently in the same neutral color condition. Color is left to accessories and splashes here and there.

 

Contemporary Modern.
Contemporary Modern. (Image from http://www.deviantom.com)

 

Even though Frank Lloyd Wright is known for the use of natural, organic materials, he made plenty of use of bold colors. Of course, the Case Study House #8 by Charles and Ray Eames starts with bold primary colors on the outside.

 

Eames Case Study House #8, Pacific Palisades, Ca 1949.
Eames Case Study House #8, Pacific Palisades, Ca 1949.

 

Even though bold, pure colors are not out of the question when it comes to mid-century modern color combinations, some colors were certainly more frequently used than others. In fact, some might shock you; that is, shades of browns, tans, and pale yellows. As ubiquitous as beiges and neutrals are today, browns were used, usually in combination with more vibrant colors such as oranges and greens.

 

Browns in the Mid-Century.
Browns in the Mid-Century. (Image from www.dominiquebaderblog.com)

 

Browns and Orange.
Browns and Orange.

 

Tan was popular for many things, even wall color. However, tan could be seen usually on furniture.

Tan Sofa.
Tan Sofa.

 

Two common colors in objects, fixtures, tiles, appliances, walls, and exteriors are canary yellow and avocado green. I cannot emphasize enough the popularity of these two colors. If you talk to anyone from the period they will remember these colors as the tile in a bathroom or the appliances in a kitchen.

 

Kelvinator Ad.
Kelvinator Ad.

 

Canary Yellow Kitchen.
Canary Yellow Kitchen.

 

Chrome trim, which one might think of for autos was also popular as an accent for countertops, for instance.

 

Chrome Trimmed Dinette Table.
Chrome Trimmed Dinette Table.

 

Pink seems to have been a weakness in homes built around 1950, especially in the bathroom and kitchen. My own house still sports the pink ceramic tiles in the master bath, the house having been built in 1949.

 

Pink Tile Bathroom with Maroon Trim.
Pink Tile Bathroom with Maroon Trim. (Image from retrorenovation.com)

 

Which leads us to another favorite color Maroon. This color was matched with almost anything. It enhanced furniture made of leather and types of vinyl, drapery, rugs and found its way on walls and trim. All sorts of accessories used maroon, especially combined with gold and chrome.

 

Jennifer Taylor Mid Century Sofa.
Jennifer Taylor Maroon Mid Century Sofa. (Image from www.geshyuk.com)

Black was also very popular in fabrics, leathers, ceramics, trims, and accent colors. It also was enjoyed with many vibrant colors such as yellow, dark blue, maroon, reds, and dark greens. One of the greatest uses of black was in contrast to rich wood stains in furniture.

 

Mid-Century Credenza from phylumfurniture.com.
Mid-Century Credenza from phylumfurniture.com.

 

White and Black End Table from http://urbandwellers.net.
White and Black End Table from http://urbandwellers.net.

 

And, of course, a deep Chinese red found its way as the color of many an object or wall or door.

 

Modernist Red Swivel Chair.
Modernist Red Swivel Chair.

 

Molded Chair by Verner Panton.
Molded Chair by Verner Panton.

 

At any rate, just as of today, the modernists of the mid-century also favored the purity of white and featured color as a contrast to this neutral hue. The various shades of grey found in contemporary interiors would not have seen any interest in mid-century design except in rare cases. People then preferred color even if it was a collection of light pastels.

 

HBosler

Self-Portrait in Grey Watercolor.
Self-Portrait in Grey Watercolor.