Tips for designing the perfect Mid-Century Modern Home Office

If there is one style that can be considered the apple of the eye of the twentieth century, it’s the Mid-Century Modern aesthetic. Running its course from the 1930s all the way to 1950s, this style was a precursor for what was to come later.

While most of you might know it from the vintage decadence of the Mad Men TV show set, it’s important to understand that the Mid-Century modern look is still appreciated and considered timelessly stylish in contemporary times. The unfettered charisma of this aesthetic is one of the best ones that you’ll ever come across. This is why designing a Mid-Century Modern home office can prove to be a fun project. If you’re wondering how you can go ahead and emulate this theme in your offices, here are a few ways you can do so:

Finding focus on the furniture

The magnum opus of a Mid-Century Modern home office is always the furniture. It’s the basic element that your eyes always latch on whenever you enter the space. Of course, it has to be complemented by the right ambiance, but for the most part, you can always relay the message of the Mid-Century Modern style by picking the right furniture. Let’s take a look at this aspect in a little more detail:

• The desk: The desk is the veritable centerpiece of an office, and even more so for a Mid-Century Modern themed one. The idea is to emulate a sleek, sophisticated, and space-saving look without compromising any of the glamour that is so inherent of this theme. You can choose your pick from some of the most popular Mid-Century Modern themed office desks.

The Nelson Swag Leg Desk is a great choice for those who want a classic Mid-Century Modern look with wood and chrome with small bursts of accent colors. The Naver 1340 Desk is perfect for professionals who want an understated by stylish look. The Finn Juhl Nyhaven Desk is a great choice for those who prefer a minimalist workspace with great ergonomics and a timeless appeal. If you go through Pinterest, you could also find a number of desk designs with needle-point style legs in the Mid-Century Modern category. Those can be a good option as well.

 

If you have a lot of space to spare, then you can easily find bulkier desk designs in the market as well.

• The chair: The chair is such an important fixture in a Mid-Century Modern home office because it can be used as a centerpiece as well as an accent piece. As a thumb rule, all Mid-Century Modern style chairs are simple, classy, and a little avant-garde, but in an elegant and sophisticated way. There are a number of popular styles that you can choose from.

The fk 6725 Bucket Chair is a fan-favorite with its tall backrest, bucket-like seat and a sleek, trendy outlook that would spruce up any desk design it is paired with. The Saarinen Executive Armchair with its swivel base and stylishly upholstered seat is an elegant choice if you want to emulate understated sophistication and chic within the office ambiance. Or you can go for the Time-Life Chair, also known as the Executive Chair, whose stately charisma is known to reinvent spaces with its eye-catching style and boldness. There are a lot of other chairs that you can find on the internet.

• The relaxing chair: If you’re designing a Mid-Century Modern style home office, then you need to create a relaxation area as well. Here, you can feature a stylish accent chair where you can carry out some work-related or pleasure reading when you need to. It can also be a space for some down-time. The LC4 Recliner by Le Corbusier is the perfect chair design for such areas. It’s trendy, ergonomic, and perfect for lying down on when you need a little pick-me-up nap. The Shell Chair and Womb Chair with Ottoman are also some pretty great options.
  
• The shelves: Mid-Century Modern shelves are simple, stylish, and do not take up a large amount of space. Some of them are designed like asymmetric compartments floating on slim poles. These can be used for both functional as well as decorative purposes.

Alternately, you can also go for a large sideboard buffet in gorgeous wood and sleek styling to effectively emulate the Mid-Century Modern aesthetic in your offices. You can easily put all your files, stationary and other office essentials in them. You can also go for accent shelves that are small in size. They can be placed next to the relaxing chair and can be outfitted with beautiful decoration accessories. Other than that, you can also find some vintage filing cabinets that can be used as both functional and accent pieces. Note that closed storage is much more preferable to open storage when it comes to the Mid-Century Modern style.

Essentials of the ambiance

The Mid-Century Modern home office would never be complete without all the essentials that make up the ambiance. Here’s everything you need to know in order to cultivate the right surroundings:

• Color scheme: You can never achieve the best of the Mid-Century Modern style if you do not opt for the right color scheme. Usually, white backdrops are considered the best. They’re understated, makes the space feel bigger, and let the classic wooden aspects and furniture shine more beautifully. However, you can always incorporate bolder and much more unique colors – especially if you want to stay on-trend. Just remember not to go completely overboard by picking tints that are too out there. Vibrant colors like pink, yellow, or lavender are a huge no. stick to dull hues such as ruby red, Kelly green, charcoal, etc.
  
• Materials: When you think of the perfect material scheme for a Mid-Century Modern home office, wood is the primary one that comes to mind. That’s because this material has become a staple of the Mid-Century Modern aesthetic over the last century. It’ rugged, organic, can be made sleek but still retain its natural beauty, and is a great option for creating a warm ambiance. Other than that, you can go for rugged leather, plush suede, and other understated fabrics that contrast well with the overall color and material scheme of the space. 

It’s important to remember that the Mid-Century Modern style features the perfect harmony between natural and synthetic materials. This means that you can always get creative with how you mix-and-match things up within your spaces. Concrete always provides an understated but elegant look. It also contrasts beautifully with wood, so it would make a nice addition to your office theme.

• Artwork: As far as artwork is concerned, you can easily find a bunch of classic graphic art as well as statement pieces for your Mid-Century Modern home office. The main theme is always geometry and the colors used are always a variation of the primary palette. A quick run through Pinterest will show you some great designs and ideas. You can easily find triptych style frames that can be used to create a statement wall within the office. You can also find individual pieces that suit this aesthetic and place them strategically around the office space to create eye-catching accent nooks that uplift the bare walls. Just remember to pick simple frames in order to maintain the essence of this style.
  
• Lamps: Both floor and desk lamps can be used to provide excellent accentuation within a Mid-Century Modern home office. You can find a number of unique styles to suit your space. The Arco Lamp is a classic and would look great when paired with your work desk or relaxing chair. In contrast, the Serge Mouille Two-Arm Wall Sconce can be mounted on the statement wall of your office as both a decorative and functional aspect. Its sleek aesthetic will definitely add to the charisma of your office theme. The Serge Mouille Tripod Desk Lamp would make a beautiful addition that will diversify and accent your work area with flair. If you want something more straight-laced, then the Grasshopper Table Lamp is also a great option.

 

• Lighting: As far as the actual lighting is concerned, you need to emulate as much natural and ambient lighting as you can in your Mid-Century Modern home office. Therefore, large windows are a must-have design element. This type of lighting is natures best cure for making you feel energetic when you work. It’s also highly uplifting and stimulates your brain to form better ideas. 

Ambient lighting can be incorporated through a statement ceiling fixture affixed in the center of the office. The PH 4 1/2 - 4 Glass Pendant would make an excellent addition in a Mid-Century style office ambiance. The Artichoke Lamp is another innovative Mid-Century Modern inspired light fixture that would make an amazing centerpiece in your ceiling.

 

• Décor: Retro accessories and vintage décor are a great way to effortlessly emulate the Mid-Century Modern aesthetic in your home offices. The most obvious choice is a desk lamp, but you can also find a number of other functional accessories such as vintage stationary holder and alarm clocks.

Why the vintage vibe is important?

The Mid-Century Modern home office style feels charming because it actually is quaint. This style was born in a time when glamour and simple styling were synonymous with each other. It’s a style that emulates the old Hollywood vibe and exudes old-school charisma. This is why it’s important that you always focus on emulating the vintage vibe within such offices.

If you’re wondering how to do that, you can focus on a number of things. This includes the style of the furniture, choosing colors, materials, and patterns that used to be popular during the Mid-Century Modern era. Light fixtures with distressed finishes are a good option as well. Window treatments and décor are also some subtle but important elements that can help you evoke a vintage vibe within such spaces.

How to merge old-school with contemporary?

Despite the vintage undertones, the Mid-Century Modern home office style always had an undercurrent of sleek modern-ness about it. It’s important not to overlook this aspect because creating harmony between the old-school and contemporary elements is what truly makes this office style so pleasing and currently on-trend.

The best way to do so is select paint colors that are up-to-date and charting on the design markets. You can even experiment with unique wall painting techniques such as color blocking and sponging. A modern statement accessory as the focal point of the office can create good balance between the old and the new. It can a floor lamp, a post-modern art piece, a bookshelf, or just anything that you really want.

Reasons for choosing the Mid-Century Modern home office?

There are a number of reasons that you should go for a Mid-Century Modern home office, and we’ve listed some of them right here:

• It’s got a restrained sophistication and glamour that merges well with the professional usage of the space.
• It’s a style that blends old and new elements without taking away from the elegance of the space.
• This style prioritizes ergonomics and you can easily find a number of trendy Mid-Century Modern office furniture items that can totally reinvent your space with little effort.
• This style is timeless and you’ll find that your home office will always feel fresh and on-trend no matter what theme is currently taking the world by storm.
• Your Mid-Century Modern home office will always look handsome and glamorous.
• This is a style that exudes charisma, so if you want to feel powerful and in-control when you’re working, you should really consider remodeling your office interior in this theme.

So this is a comprehensive guide on you can use to design your own Mid-Century Modern home office. It’ll tell you what colors, materials, lighting, and décor to pick and what kind of undertones you should incorporate within this theme. We hope you find it helpful when tackling your own project!