What is Mid-Century Furniture?

Mid-century furniture is a term usually applied to a furniture style developed in the early 20th century but that was adapted and gained worldwide attention after World War II. Also referred to as modern furniture, the most celebrated of mid-century furniture styles was a simple design option known as Danish modern. While the popularity of this design waned considerably after the 1960’s, mid century modern furniture is still available today. The origins of what would become known as mid-century furniture are found in the designs developed by Alavar Aalto and known generally as Scandinavian Modern. Using bleached plywood and other wood elements, Aalto created settees and chairs with relatively simple lines that were the opposite of the heavy, dark, and carved furnishings common to the day. As the line was refined, decorators and others around the world began to pay more attention to Aalto’s designs. By the time of the New York World’s Fair in 1939-1940, interest was sufficient to ...  more