Mid Century, But Not Retro

Yesterday, a friend of mine texted me some pictures of a few mid century pieces of furniture she found for sale. The prices were incredible, and she asked me if she should buy them, possibly for resale. I answered a quick "Yes!" Based on my experience searching for mid century modern pieces on Craigslist and in flea markets, I was pretty confident telling her it was a good investment. This elegant, distinct style is very popular right now, which is bad news for those of us who try to find it for cheap.

This home is a space I really wanted to share for a couple reasons. First, the owner of this home is Elizabeth McTague, a talented macrame artist who inspires me daily with her creativity. If you don't follow her on Instagram, you really should fix that.

Second, sharing this home gives me a chance to talk about that iconic furniture style that's getting harder and harder to score for a thrifty price.

When people say "mid century furniture," they mean furniture in the style of mid century modern-a sleek, sometimes space age style of furniture popular in the 1950's and 60's. It's my personal favorite, when used with other elements that keep it from feeling "retro." When decorating with this style, I recommend bringing your mid century pieces into the present by adding in plenty of elements that don't scream 1950's. Layer in some rattan, textiles, and objects from other time periods to keep the room from looking like a time capsule.

One of my favorite features of this style is the long tapered legs you often see on pieces like the dresser above. So sleek, and it leaves a great hiding spot for cats underneath.

This home also has a bit of a "globalist" vibe, with the variety of textiles and interesting objects. In my dreams, I would travel all over the world, and my home would be filled with the beautiful rugs, pillows, art, and other accessories that I pick up along the way. If you are like me, and can't afford to travel the world, much less buy stuff all over the world, you can still fake it with some exotic looking thrifty finds.

Some of Elizabeth's own macrame work is displayed in her bedroom. I love how calming white macrame rope looks on the wall. You can see and purchase her work on her website. And, you know, I have macrame available in my Etsy shop too. :)

You can find the full house tour here on Design Sponge.