9 Iconic Mid-Century Furniture Alternatives You Need to Know About
Conversations around mid-century modern furniture overcrowd the internet and social media, bringing attention to a style that at first glance sounds and looks familiar. What is so exciting about the design movement and can you really define the concept of it? The name alone suggests that mid-century modern comes from the middle of the century. But if we dig deeper we get lost as to why and what the style is famous for.
Mid-century modern is a true phenomenon. We’ll review what the buzz is all about and show you how to recreate it by yourself! We’ve listed 10 iconic mid-century furniture designs and their alternatives that will organically fit into your home.
Close your eyes and imagine the middle of the 20th century. Take a moment and put yourself into the shoes of people of that era. What did it feel like to be them? The post-war years come to mind straight away. People all over the world wanted only two things — a peaceful sky and warm homes. Tragic circumstances are reflected in artists’ works: interior design, and furniture with an emphasis on fabrics, ergonomics and cozy atmosphere. The desire for abundance and luxury was replaced by a desire for joy and tasty trifles. Preference shifted to household items that gave their owners convenience and comfort. The thirst for change in the 1950’s led people to create furniture and interior details that have already become classics. Therefore, it isn’t surprising to see modern designers eagerly using the mid-century motives in their new collections.
Mid-century modern is associated with bright wallpapers, colorful patterns, lamps of futuristic form and, of course, pleasant-to-rest sofas and armchairs. The furniture in the mid-century style isn’t massive. Distinctive features include thin armrests and sofa backs, thin plywood cabinets and thin metal legs that are present in everything from coffee tables to massive dressing tables.
In the era of human space exploration, furniture makers were not afraid to experiment. They produced models that are now considered to be the mid-century style standards — the plastic chairs, including the Panton by Werner Panton, Tulip Chair and Tulip Table by Eero Saarinen, the Eames Lounge Chair, and many more incredible designs we’ll discuss later in this article.
Designers wanted to break standards and impress the public. Can you imagine a chair without legs? It seemed impossible. But the Danish designer Werner Panton made this a reality by creating the first chair in history without the usual four legs.
The Panton Chair is not only very durable, but also eco-friendly. It is a vivid example of the birth of a successful unique idea. The chair has a solid backrest, which can safely handle the weight of an adult. A sleek S-shape made the Panton Chair a frequent character of advertising campaigns and glossy magazine covers
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While Werner created a chair without legs, the Finnish designer Eero Saarinen created a chair on one leg, because he was very concerned about the theme of “visual noise”. Just imagine how many legs of tables and chairs intertwine in the interior. To get rid of the excess details, Eero Saarinen invented a chair on one leg, which resembled a tulip in its form.
To finish the composition Saarinen also created a one-legged table, which even today fits perfectly into any interior.
Seeing mid-century modern works of art, you probably get a sense that era is perhaps the most positive period, imbued with hope for the bright.
Nowadays, many modern designers are using this trend in luxury homes, but this does not have to come with the price-tag of these mid-century masters original designs. We’ve prepared for you a list of alternative furniture pieces that show, a great replica can bring fresh accents into your own home.
We start our selection with the invention of Eero Saarinen.
When designing the kitchen, the first thing that comes to mind of mid-century furniture lovers is an ensemble designed by Saarinen. A round table accompanied with chairs on one leg. No extra details that create a mess. These “sculptures” can be easily decorated with bright details. Don’t to be afraid to play with contrasting colors.
(1) The Tulip Table, $5670
Organic Modernism: Round Dining Table $1,295.00
Surrealist designer Carlo Mollino and the records of his works at auctions deserve your attention. Collectors and connoisseurs of furniture from the middle of the last century are ready to give away fortunes for historical objects. In 2005, the table Mollino left at an auction for a record high of 3.9 million dollars. But in case you also would like to enjoy having dinners at Mollino table, we offer our readers the Amsterdam table without an auction, but with all its glory.
(2) Carlo Mollino Reale Dining table, $3.9 million
Organic Modernism: Amsterdam Rectangle Dining Table, $1,159.00
Hans Wegner, the master chair design, created in 1949 a simple wooden chair with a wicker seat and a rounded back. Later he modified the same chair and added leather details. The Wishbone chair is probably Wegner’s most famous work. He said: “All I wanted was to do ordinary things in unusually high quality.”
We offer the same high-quality chair for those who know for sure that it is a subject of high comfort.
(3) The Wishbone Chair, $1,205.00
Organic Modernism: Wish Dining Chair, $419.00
The Spanish chair, which was invented by Børge Mogensen, has gained wide popularity due to its quality, which goes hand in hand with the outstanding design. The armrest of the chair is well thought out, and you can safely put a glass or a small plate on it. We can talk for ages about the comfort of the chairs. The leather is stretchy as if you are sitting on a saddle. You can try it out yourself for at much more affordable price.
(4) Børge Mogensen Spanish Chair, $5,795.00
Organic Modernism: Belt A Lounge Chair, $1,195.00
When you imagine any desktop in front of you, massive tables with huge legs and heavy drawers come to mind. Massive desktops create a massive mess and massive negativity around them. But designer Finn Jule gave the world a compact desktop that gives a sense of composure and practicality to its owners.
(6) Finn Juhl Teak Desk, Bovirke Denmark 1953, $24,677.42
Organic Modernism: Vista Desk, $1,895.00
The furniture on thin legs is characterized by bizarre beauty — beauty in simplicity is what the American George Nelson embodied in his dresser. A modern interpretation of the dresser in lighter colors is available on our website. A chest of drawers will be appropriate in the living room and in the bedroom because it is a universal furniture attribute.
(7) George Nelson Thin Edge Dresser for Herman Miller, $11,000
Organic Modernism: Cincinnati C Large Credenza, $2,429.00
The iconic American furniture designer Harvey Probber was known for his designs of elegant residential furniture, so it’s not surprising that he used exotic wood and luxurious upholstery materials in his works. An alternative to the works of Probber can be found on our website.
(8) Harvey Probber Sofa with Jupe by Jackie, $19,900
Organic Modernism: Florence C Sofa, $2,449.00
The simple geometric contour of the sofa by Florence Knoll became a godsend in the world of practicality while delivering a lot of visual pleasure. When choosing natural colors you can pick up the bright accessories available on our website.
(9) Florence Knoll Sofa by Florence Knoll (1954), $11905
Organic Modernism: New York 3 Studio Sofa, $2695
Who wouldn’t want to spend a cozy evening laying in the couch that appeared on Pedro Almodovar’s advertising of the film “Juliet”?
Last, we’d like to share a modern mid-century alternative to the sofa of the legendary American star. Not surprisingly, world-famous celebrities are often owners of the most expensive furniture on the market. This sofa was a precious belonging of Michael Jackson, which he used during the rehearsals of the concerts “This Is It”. Our Linz B Sofa is a modern alternative to Michael Jackson’s available on our website.
(10) Michael Jackson’s sofa, $215 000
Linz B Sofa, $1,329.00
To wrap it all up,
We hope that by this point you’ve fallen in love with the mid-century design movement just the same as us. Despite its futuristic design, the furniture creates an atmosphere of reliability and confidence. Bold decisions in colors can reflect your unique vision and express your identity.
Today it is not necessary to be a talented interior designer to bring clever furniture design into your home. With Organic Modernism you can bring form and function to your home affordably.
This publication originally published in Organic Modernism blog:
https://www.organicmodernism.com/blogs/news/mid-century-modern-furniture-replicas
