The Mid-Century Modernist

Who Is The Mid-Century Modernist?

If good design is a balance of aesthetics and utility, the craft peaked in the years between 1945–1970. This era of modernism hit the design sweet spot: functional beauty. Finding harmony between the natural and the manmade, designers like Bertoia, Braakman, Deam, Eames, Ekselius, Heywood-Wakefield, Pierre Guariche, Jacobsen, Juhl, Kagen, Kjaerholm, Knoll, Loewy, McCobb, Noguchi, Nelson, Paulin, Prouvé, Pucci, Risom, Saarinen, Schultz, Van der Rohe, Vignelli, Vodder, Wegner, and Wormley created objects that were not merely easy on the eyes, but appealing because they served their purpose with organic grace.

The Mid-Century Modernist is dedicated to this movement, as both a historical milestone and a living, breathing ideal, reflected in much of today’s best design and architecture. I post tips and ideas for the home and office, links to furniture for sale (both old and new), information on designers and suppliers, and hot spots around the world where mid-century modern design is celebrated.

Your host is Stephen Coles, a writer and graphic designer living in the San Francisco Bay Area. His other endeavor is Typographica, a journal of typography. Feel free to email suggestions, corrections, praise, or castigation to coles [at] typographica [dot] org.

Pictured: The author in his favorite furniture geek garb, “Moby Was a Consumer”, by Jim Slatton.

This Is Your Design Scrapbook, Too

Look to your right. You should see a little Feedback button. What’s it for (besides interfering with the page’s spartan design)? Click it and find out.

Nearly two years ago, I created the Mid-Century Modernist simply to save design inspiration and information for my future reference. That purpose will always remain, but as readership increases I recognize that this isn’t my own little personal scrapbook anymore. I’m open to your ideas for making this site more useful and interesting to you. Please visit the feedback forum and vote for your favorite suggestions, or post one of your own. Thanks you!