Mid century modern living room ideas and inspo.

What’s the best way to design and decorate a mid century modern living room?

They say the kitchen is the heart of the home. But if you ask us, the living room gives it a run for its money since it’s likely the most used room in your house. From entertaining guests to lounging around reading a book to watching way too much TV (no judgment here), your main living space has to be both comfortable and functional. Open-concept living spaces may also include an eating area or a full dining room for easy living.

Whether you're in the process of a living room remodel or looking to makeover your existing one, these are the key elements to include in your design:

• Paint or Wallpaper: Select a color or pattern that sets the desired mood for the living room and complements the mid century modern style you want to achieve. We are partial to covering walls, ceilings, and trim in a uniform paint color to create a cohesive look. Or consider an accent wall to serve as a focal point.
• Sofa, Couch, or Sectional: A staple of any living room, the sofa or couch provides a comfortable seating option for relaxation and socializing. The sofa should be the functional focal point of the room. When creating the furniture plan for your living room, start with the sofa as the largest piece of furniture and plan the rest of the room around it. If you have a small living room, you may want to select a sofa with a shallower depth or a L-shaped sectional to maximize your seating space. If you have a large living room, you may want to consider multiple couches to take advantage of your space.
• Armchairs: These individual accent chairs offer additional seating and can be placed strategically around the living room to create cozy conversation areas. In addition to leaving space around furniture groupings, make sure to also leave space around each piece of furniture. This allows people to move freely using various routes within the living room. It's important to strike a balance between creating a cozy seating area and providing enough room for easy navigation.
• Coffee Table: A central piece, the coffee table sits in front of the sofa and provides a surface for placing drinks, books, and other items. Pro tip: The recommended distance between a coffee table and the sofa in a living room is roughly 15-18”. This allows for enough space to move around comfortably and ensures that the coffee table is within easy reach from the seating area.
• Side Tables and/or Ottomans: Placed next to sofas or armchairs, side tables offer a convenient surface for placing lamps, drinks, or other small items. Ottomans are even more versatile and can serve as a footrest, extra seating, or even a side table or coffee table when paired with a tray. Choose side tables or ottomans that are proportionate to the furniture they accompany. The height of the side table should be similar to or slightly lower than the armrest or seat height of the sofa or chair.
• Console, Entertainment Center or TV Stand: This furniture piece typically houses the television and often includes additional storage for media devices, gaming consoles, or to display decorative items. Ensure that the size of the media console is proportionate to the size of the screen it will be supporting. Even if you don’t plan to include a TV in your living room (we support your decision for less screen time!), a freestanding console or built-in shelving unit is great for storage and organization. You can hide (or replace) your TV with a large piece of wall art.
• Area Rug: It’s common to include an area rug in a living room for extra warmth and coziness. If possible, all furniture pieces should “live” on the rug in your living room. If your rug doesn’t really allow for that, then at least the front legs should be atop the rug. This ensures the furniture doesn’t look like it’s floating in the room.
• Decorative Lighting: Combine task, ambient, and accent lighting for a layered lighting scheme. Typically in a living room, you’d want a flush surface mount light or chandelier on the ceiling and wall-mounted sconces or table lamps placed around the room for mood lighting.
• Mid century modern Decor Accessories: Decor in a living room can transform a living area into a vibrant tapestry of textures, colors, and forms, creating a welcoming and personalized environment that reflects your mid century modern style. The strategic placement of books, vases, and candles on coffee tables or shelves infuses the room with character and warmth. Throw pillows and blankets introduce texture and color helping to make the space feel cozier. Wall art helps to ground the space and showcase your personal taste and interests. Mirrors can amplify light, making the room feel more expansive.
• Curtains or Blinds: Window treatments not only help control the light and provide privacy but also serve to tie the room's design together. They offer an opportunity to inject color, texture, and pattern into the living space, making it more inviting and personalized. Whether flowing and sheer for a light, airy feel or rich and textured for a more luxurious look, curtains play a pivotal role in setting the tone and atmosphere of the living room.

Get creative and have fun with your mid century modern living room makeover! If you need an extra hand, check out our step-by-step guide on How To Design a Living Room.

What materials and home decor should I use to achieve a mid century modern living room design?

Mid-century modern interior design celebrates the aesthetic of the mid-20th century, characterized by organic shapes, clean lines, vibrant pops of color. This style reflects a love for sleek, timeless designs and an emphasis on both form and function making it a great design style choice for contemporary living.

The style's genesis post-World War II was a creative rebuttal to the period's austerity, with visionaries like Charles and Ray Eames, Arne Jacobsen, and George Nelson at the forefront. These designers embraced novel materials such as molded plywood, fiberglass, and plastic to forge furniture that was not only aesthetically pleasing but also lightweight, durable, and accessible. Their work often featured futuristic elements reminiscent of space-age aesthetics, including aerodynamic forms and motifs like boomerang patterns and starbursts. Iconic mid century modern furniture pieces include platform beds, tulip bases for tables and chairs, and egg-shaped lounge chairs.

To achieve a mid century modern style in your living room, look for pieces with tapered legs, streamlined silhouettes, and organic curves. Furniture pieces are often made of teak, walnut, or rosewood, with polished finishes and fluid forms. You can add mid-century flair with accessories like a statement sculptural light fixture or funky wall art featuring geometric or abstract patterns. Don't be afraid to experiment with color and vibrant hues. Common mid century modern color palettes include burnt oranges, deep teals, and lime greens mixed with warm neutral creams and beiges. Many mid century modern spaces embrace a seamless flow between the indoors and outdoors. If you don’t have outdoor space, consider bringing the outside in with greenery and plants.