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Mid Century
Modern (1950-1970) was a self
conscious style and attempt to
put the past
behind us and move into the future
embracing a new modern culture and
leaving the Depression era of the
1930's firmly behind us, along with
the scars of the second world war.
With the surging
economy of the post war years,
families were quick
to embrace this
new style that was reflected in all
the new modern conveniences
attributed to the era.
Extreme lines,
molded plywood, plastic laminates,
fiberglass and latex
foam were some of
the new state of the art materials
and designs that
helped shape the
look of the 1950's
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"Everything
is going from the
Heavy
to the
Light,
From the
Gross
to the
Subtle,
From the
Opaque
to the
Transparent,
From the Dark to
the Light,
From the Colorless to
the
Colorful,
From the
Fragmentary
to the
Unitary,
From the
Complicated
to the
Linear,
Anyone going in the
Opposite direction
is in Error"
-Gle Pontl, Architect &
Designer, 1951
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Today, dealers
and designers use the term Mid
Century Modern
when referring to
this time period of style. It's
hot...and has become highly
collectible.
There's a certain
amount of nostalgia with the 1950's
furniture and
accessories.
Collectors are quick to embrace an
era that they connect with, even
though they may not have lived
through it.
So what are
people actually looking for when
collecting Mid Century
Modern Furniture?
There are a few designers that come
up right
away when
discussing mid century modern
furnishings. The names Eames
and Herman Miller
are brought up when discussing
pioneers
of the modern
furniture designs of the 50's.
Some Eames pieces
have fetched $25K or more at
auction.
Heywood Wakefield
has become very popular with the mid
century modern collectors, and has
become highly collectable. Since it
was somewhat mass produced, there's
a good deal of Heywood
Wakefield
furniture available, but much of it
is in need of refinishing.
Knoll is a maker
who is still producing office
furniture to this day.
Knoll has become
very popular with collectors in
recent years.
Of course, high
end Items made by the likes of
Herman Miller or
Eames fetch high
end dollars, but if you do your
homework and know what
to look for,
there are plenty of treasures out
there still waiting to
be rediscovered.
Is your Mid Century Modern Furniture
the real deal or a fake?
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