Mid-century modern and the Apolin lamp collection - style and design that draws from the past
Mid century modern - what is the style?
The term Mid century naturally means mid-century, but in the world of furniture, interior and accessory design it refers to the style and aesthetics of the mid-20th century, specifically the designs and interiors of the 1950s and 1960s. Midcentury modern design and interiors derive from the Bauhaus school, which promoted clean lines and futuristic (for the time) designs, emphasized functionality and minimalism.
The development of technology, mass industrial production, rapid urbanization, and the massive migration of people from the countryside to the cities that characterized this period in history, coupled with strong demographic growth, meant that designers had to create designs that could be produced in large quantities and in many patterns and colors. The fact that people were moving en masse from large houses in the countryside to apartments with decidedly smaller space, at the same time fostered the idea of minimalism and functionality, which are among the basic features of the mid-century modern style.
The assumptions of the style, which developed in the era of mass production to respond to the needs of a growing number of customers, were best summed up in their manifesto by some of the most famous designers of this period, also known as the 'Eames era' - married couple Ray and Charles Eames: "Getting the most of the best to the greatest number of people for the least amount of money." ("Offering the best to the greatest number of people for the least amount of money.". At the same time, the raw materials used by designers - metal, glass, wood - meant that mass-produced items actually turned out to be designs for years to come.
What are the basic features of the mid-century modern style?
But let's get back to the style itself and the interiors, whose design continues to inspire contemporary architects and designers. What exactly characterizes the style of mid-century modern and what to pay attention to when decorating an apartment or apartment in the modern version of mid-century aesthetics?
1. Minimalism and functionality - Derived from the Bauhaus school, the adoration of simple lines, functionality of furnishings and orderly, clean space
2. A mix of textures and materials - Mid-century modern is a style that allows you to combine different types of materials and textures and play with them to get the desired effect. In modern interiors decorated in this style, there is acquiescence to the combination of natural and artificial materials - for example, wood and fiberglass.
3. Nature in interiors - Midcentury modern interiors are styles that feature a lot of natural materials and elements. A great way to bring the "outdoors in" is with houseplants as well as any treatment to let sunlight in.
4. Colors of the Earth - in addition to the Bauhaus aesthetics, the interior style of the middle of the last century is firmly rooted in nature, which is also manifested in a natural, earthy color palette, broken by accessories in yellow, orange or green.
5. Flat surfaces - other important features of this style in interiors are flat surfaces, symmetry and geometry, which apply to both the interior and exterior of the body. It is common in interiors to find angular furniture of varying heights, overhangs and changes in height, while maintaining an overall feeling of symmetry and orderliness.
6. Abstract accessories - in addition to clean lines and minimalism, mid-century modern style interiors often feature abstract accessories and decorations - abstract art, wallpaper, paintings, prints, carpets in abstract patterns or other decorations.
Design of the middle of the last century - great designers, design icons, inexhaustible source of inspiration
Industrial and technological conditions and circumstances accompanying, and actually leading to the formation of the mid-century modern style, fostered creative thought and made it the period that saw the emergence of many prominent designers, creating furniture, lamps and accessories that today we call design icons. Designers such as Ray and Charles Eames, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Verner Pantone, Arne Jacobsen, Isamu Noguchi, Poul Henningsen and Achille and Pier Castiglioni designed with mass production and an affordable product in mind.
Also in Poland, there was no shortage of designers who created during this period and whose works - although not as famous as the icons created by their colleagues from the West - have gone down in the history of Polish design. Józef Chierowski's armchair 366, Teresa Kruszewska's Shell chair, Roman Modzelewski's RM 58 armchair, or the furniture cabinet - a concept and icon of the People's Republic of Poland - designed by Bogusława and Czesław Kowalski are just a few of our domestic designs of the middle of the last century. Not infrequently, designs created and put into mass production "in the West", were also produced by our domestic factories, which, in the search for fast, as well as cheap in production and durable - in the face of perpetual shortages of raw materials - products for Polish apartments and houses, looked at and copied designs from foreign catalogs. Projects created in Europe (in Italy, Austria, Denmark or Germany) and also in Poland between 1945 and 1960, not only entered the history of design and became design icons, sought after, coveted and exhibited at numerous auctions and exhibitions, but are also an inexhaustible source of inspiration for the next generations of architects and designers, who on the one hand wink at the history of design, and on the other hand pay tribute to colleagues creating in the middle of the last century.
Not just furniture - lamps and lighting in mid-century modern style
But let's return to the furnishings and interior design of midcentury modern. One of the key elements of this style, and also a typical feature when it comes to lighting fixtures used in interiors decorated in this style, is the use of materials such as metal, wood and glass. These materials are often combined, and this marriage results in designs with an elegant, bauhaus, timeless character.
Apolin lamp collection - lamps inspired by the Bauhaus and designs created in the middle of the last century
Apolin lamp collection, designed for Kaspa by Grynasz Studio, is an excellent example of mid-century modern design. Design, inspired by both the aesthetics of the middle of the last century and the designs that were created at that time in Europe and Poland, especially the output and lamps produced during that period at the Polish metal works MEOS and ZAOS. The collection takes its name, by the way, from the figure of Apolinary Galecki - an architect, soldier of the Home Army, participant in the Warsaw Uprising, as well as designer and designer of lamps at the Capital Metal Works No. 2 of the Territorial Industry in Warsaw.
The collection includes pendant lamps (linear and multi-arm), wall lamps, as well as table lamps. All fixtures in the collection are made of metal - 1.5 mm powder-coated stainless steel or (for table lamps) brushed steel and brass. Inspired by history, however, the designers, Marta and Dawid Grynasz, did not forget about the modern user, his lifestyle and well-being, equipping the modernistic form with modern technologies that allow adjustment in the intensity and color temperature of light. Thus, the type of light emitted can be tuned to the time of day, your needs and your mood, while enjoying the timeless midcentury modern vibe.
Living in mid-century modern style - 5 tips for style lovers
Finally, we have some additional tips for you to arrange your interior in a timeless, functional and pleasing to the eye mid-century style.
- choose one or two eye-catching pieces - an abstract painting, a rug or a chair - a design icon,
- experiment with color - although the color palette typical of midcentury modern is neutral, don't be afraid to add a few drops of vibrant shade to add character to the interior,
- don't forget about art - put up a bold painting or graphic, preferably large in size and with a specific, strong color scheme,
- choose many, different types of pendant lamps and use them as functional but also decorative lighting. Bold designer table and floor lamps will also work great,
- remember simplicity, space, cleanliness, nature and light - remove unnecessary furnishings and decorations, let in air, plants and sunshine!
Interior design decorated in the mid-century modern style has a fresh vibe with an old-school flair, is aesthetically pleasing, ergonomic, and minimalist, combining comfort with functionality. It is these features that make it timeless and... on trend again! No wonder. Being the epitome of pure forms and shapes, fond of orderly space and retro vibe, the midcentury modern aesthetics perfectly suits contemporary apartments and condos and meets the needs of their users.
