We love mid-century styling. It’s bright, welcoming, and can be personalised to fit in with any lifestyle or space. The versatility of mid-century style is no accident. It emerged in the mid-20th century in response to modernist movements that moved away from the stagnate ornate interiors of the 1800s, and toward more functional furniture that served the needs of contemporary families and their homes.
Our newest collection, Toasty, is inspired by the colours, comfort, and nostalgia of mid-century modern spaces. We’ve broken down the design principles behind some of our favourite Kip&Co styling moments to give you 4 tips to achieve that mid-century aesthetic.
Bring the outdoors inside
Mid-Century modern spaces are immediately recogniseable by their natural touches. Whether it be an abundance of waxy indoor plants, or the natural grains of teak, and oak statement furniture. One of the original minds behind mid-century modern architecture, Frank Lloyd-Wright, prioritised the natural environment into the design of his homes. Honour this tradition by greening up your spaces with indoor plant species like monsterras and ivy.
Not a green thumb? Bring mover nature into your vintage space with the retro Bahamas Linen or small touches with the leafy Canopy Cushion.
Midcentury Modern Colours
We love the ways that contemporary stylists refresh mid-century modern style to fit in with their rainbow colour palettes. However, if you are keen to recreate the authentic 20th century look, Toasty has some of the retro colours you’ll need. Bright mid-century modern colours such as turquoise and soft pink reflected the vibrant optimism of the 50s, balanced out by a strong base of sophisticated neutrals like leafy green and burnt orange adored throughout the 60s. Create a strong retro base for your bedroom with the perfectly vintage Pear Linen Quilt Cover. Warm it up with the warmth of Toasted Marshmellow Linen Fitted Sheet and Pillowcases. Make a statement by injecting the era into your living space with a bright Marmalade Sky Boucle Beanbag.
A true mid-century room is typically grounded by a soft neutral shade to prevent the room from becoming oversaturated by colour - but we’re not typically rule followers!
Vary your textures - from velvet to boucle
This has to be our most important tip to achieving the luxe vintage feel. Incorporating different textures truly makes a space come to life. Create a universe of texture with velvet, boucles, French flax linen, organic cotton, tufted wool, and woven tartans. Slip into the 60s with the groovy Santa Monica Pecan Linen Doona Cover, made all the more cosy with a Pomegranate Tassel Cushion and a Marmalade Skies Boucle Cushion.
We achieve our best cushion looks when we experiment with unexpected combinations of varying size, colour, and fibre.
Balance vintage and contemporary
Like us, you probably dream about teak sideboards and perfectly preserved vintage velvet couches. Unfortunately these dream pieces are either snapped up out of op-shops or are slapped with a huge price tag due to their popularity with collectors. We say embrace what you’ve got and balance vintage touches with your modern pieces.
Stuck with a modern couch that's throwing a spanner in your style goals? Drape it the beautiful Canopy Bedspread for a cosy eclectic look, or arrange a generous spread of velvet and boucle cushions - we’re loving the Bolster Cushion in Rhubarb to add dimension.
Not so keen to put vintage glassware into your high rotation bar cart? Select from a range of beautiful jewel tone glassware. Our new Tropicana Glassware is becoming our go to for a true 70s bar (coming soon!).
