Mid-century Modern Design: 5 Blogs That Do It Right

Mid-century Modern Design has been around since, well, the mid-20 ^th century. It is defined by the progress of modern, architecture and urban design from the early 1930's to the mid 60's. It is now globally recognized as a significant design movement. This style of design is characterized by minimalism and simplicity. The best mid-century modern examples follow simplistic patterns and natural shapes. Architecture with large windows, open floor plans, and an organic incorporation with nature can be categorized as mid-century modern.

"Today's design-minded readers aren't looking for ruffles, frills, and '80s excess; they're looking for an unfussy aesthetic, and mid-century modern gives them just that."

Democratic design is closely related and can be attributed to the growing popularity of mid-century modern products today. It is defined by five dimensions: function, form, quality, low price, and sustainability. In other words, democratic design is when a designer can create something eye-catching, yet Practical, innovative and economical, and sell that product at an affordable price for everyone to enjoy. This is strikingly similar to what we see in mid-century modern design today. Here are some mid-century modern design blogs that really put the spotlight on this popular design method.    

No Pattern Required

No Pattern Required was started in February 2009. This blog is about as mid-century as you can get. It is written from the perspective of homemakers and enthusiasts. Owner and creator Ruth started this site to express her new-found interest for everything vintage and mid-century after purchasing her 1950's home. Find inspiration by browsing through topics such as Time Capsule Homes, Mid-century Decorating, Culture & Media, and more.

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  Modern Asheville Modern Ashville has over 600 articles on real estate, modern artists and architecture with a focus on the mid-20^th century. I talked to Lindsey Rhoden, an architect and the owner of SPARC Design, to get her expert opinion. Rhoden loves this blog for its mix of informative mid-century posts and design-centric local events. "It was sort of ingrained in me during architecture school to admire these pieces (furniture, houses, fixtures) and recognize them by name and designer or architect. Then, when faced with making decisions about my own pieces for a home, mid-century modern seems to win every time. The pieces are honest, warm, and beautiful and still have the end user in mind."

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Mr Modtomic Mr. Modtomic is a fun blog to follow because of the always witty and knowledgeable posts. Vintage furniture finds are the focus on this site. What you will usually run into when visiting the site is a post about a product Mr. Modtomic has purchased or found elsewhere, and refurbished. He usually sells his refurbished products to interested buyers, but sometimes a find is too good to let go. There are also some project posts scattered here and there.

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  Wow Haus Although based in the UK, this popular site covers mid-century modern architecture found around the world. WowHaus features interesting houses on an almost daily basis. Categories include classical, art deco, modernist, mid-century, contemporary, and more. I talked to Decor Aid's editorial director, Colleen Egan for more. What attracts her to mid-century modern design is "that it's classic, yet it still feels fresh. I would happily reupholster my grandparents' 1960's furniture and put it in my apartment! So much of modern life is about using technology to streamline everything from our phones to the way we pay our bills, and the clean lines and minimalism of mid-century modern architecture and design fit with this philosophy." Egan perfectly sums up one reason why this site appeals to so many: "Today's design-minded readers aren't looking for ruffles, frills, and '80s excess; they're looking for an unfussy aesthetic, and mid-century modern gives them just that."

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  Mid2Mod Site owner Dana Perez loves vintage design and the creative men and women behind it. She started this blog to research the iconic and obscure found in mid-century modern design. You will occasionally see posts about her home improvement efforts, present-day designers, and new modern furnishings as well.   Do you have a favorite mid-century modern blog? Let us know about it below!

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