Rare Brick
Living room - transitional formal and enclosed carpeted living room idea in Portland Maine with white walls, no fireplace and no tv

Mid-century modern design isn’t just a trend—it’s a legacy that’s endured for over half a century! Emerging in the post-WWII era, it introduced a bold new way of living, combining simplicity, function, and natural beauty. Shaped by movements like the Bauhaus, International Style, and Scandinavian minimalism, mid-century design emphasized clean lines, organic shapes, and purposeful materials. Designers and architects like Charles and Ray Eames, Eero Saarinen, and Arne Jacobsen were instrumental in the era, pushing forward design trends that were both aesthetically pleasing and accessible to the masses. This era wasn’t just about furniture—it was a holistic approach to living that celebrated innovation, optimism, and a break from traditional design norms. Fast forward to today, and the allure of mid-century modern design continues to captivate homeowners and designers alike.

Example of a transitional living room design in Dallas with gray walls

Inspiration for a transitional formal medium tone wood floor living room remodel in San Francisco with beige walls, a standard fireplace and a stone fireplace

Donn Koh
Mid-sized danish master dark wood floor and brown floor bedroom photo in Singapore with white walls

This project, an extensive remodel and addition to an existing modern residence high above Silicon Valley, was inspired by dominant images and textures from the site: boulders, bark, and leaves. We created a two-story addition clad in traditional Japanese Shou Sugi Ban burnt wood siding that anchors home and site. Natural textures also prevail in the cosmetic remodeling of all the living spaces. The new volume adjacent to an expanded kitchen contains a family room and staircase to an upper guest suite. The original home was a joint venture between Min | Day as Design Architect and Burks Toma Architects as Architect of Record and was substantially completed in 1999. In 2005, Min | Day added the swimming pool and related outdoor spaces. Schwartz and Architecture (SaA) began work on the addition and substantial remodel of the interior in 2009, completed in 2015. Photo by Matthew Millman

Living room - small contemporary formal and enclosed medium tone wood floor, brown floor and brick wall living room idea in New York with white walls, no fireplace and no tv

The True Ofuro Mini came about as the direct result of your requests. It too is inspired by the ancient traditions of Japanese bathing that led to the development of our incredibly popular True Ofuro. It too draws on the best ergonomic principles to sculpt a bath with internal seating and built-in headrest, made available in a very compact footprint to fit into even the smallest bathrooms. In fact, Aquatica’s clever designers have managed to create this ‘small and tall’ tub, deep enough for full body soaking in a footprint of just 43”. Now we have made one more important innovation to the Ofuro Mini - the addition of a stunning graphite black option, using our award-winning and ground-breaking AquateX™ solid surface composite. Just think how that might look in your bathroom! It is taller and deeper and features a slightly elevated rim for improved neck and head support, as well as a convenient ergonomic built-in seat, allowing the body to comfortably emerge to maximum water capacity. The height of the True Ofuro Mini Japanese style soaking bathtub is substantially taller than the original True Ofuro bathtub, and therefore we recommend people who are shorter than 170cm also purchase our stylish teak wood step. Aquatica’s international industrial design team, used advanced CAD tools, modeling and repeated testing with real size prototype units so that we could reach the optimal balance between ergonomic comfort and visual appeal. Our AquateX™ material is the star in this Japanese soaking tub as it retains heat much longer and also has a silky and velvety surface. This bathtub is currently one of our most space conscious bathtubs at a size of 43" x 43" (1090x1090mm), making the freestanding and petite construction of this Japanese style bathtub easy to be installed in any sized bathroom.

This single family home came with a recently updated kitchen, but a cramped living space and obtrusive fireplace. We kept the furniture simple and clean with a Scandinavian bent, changed out kitchen pendants and stools to make it more modern, and transformed the adjacent room to a bright home office. We also created a sweet and simple nursery for their newest addition.

Inspiration for a mid-century modern open concept family room remodel in Detroit

Inspiration for a transitional dark wood floor living room remodel in Indianapolis with gray walls, a standard fireplace and no tv

A Scandinavian Modern kitchen in Shorewood, Minnesota featuring contrasting black and rift cut white oak cabinets, white countertops, and unique detailing at the kitchen hood.

Morgante Wilson Architects incorporated windows that enhanced the beauty and functionality of natural daylight. The twin sofas are by Burton James and upholstered in a deep navy blue velvet fabric from Kravet. The acrylic sofa consoles from Pease Plastics add a modern touch to this otherwise traditional room. The front X-Back chairs are from Baker and the elegant clover-back accent chair next to the fireplace is from Hickory Chair & upholstered in a ggrey and blue circular fabric from Pollack

Eli Chamberlin
Example of a small transitional open concept light wood floor living room design in Vancouver with gray walls

Photo: Sarah Greenman © 2014 Houzz Design: New Leaf Construction
Inspiration for a contemporary formal concrete floor living room remodel in Dallas with white walls

Tad Davis Photography
Living room - mid-sized traditional formal and enclosed light wood floor and beige floor living room idea in Raleigh with white walls, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace and a wall-mounted tv

The juxtaposition of wood grain and saturated, high gloss panels creates a dramatic statement in this fun, mid-century modern living room. Photo by Jeri Koegel

The Arianne is a custom made piece of furniture crafted by the world-renowned Spanish manufacturer Famaliving. This particular design has a retro look to it with the greatness of modern comfort. This sectional is crafted with a modular design so that you can arrange them in any configuration that suits your needs. Attached to the bottom of each piece are metal hooks that hold the separate sections together to form a solid sectional. Unhook each piece and spread the sections apart to create a individual seating setup. The Arianne can come upholstered in a wide variety of colorful and patterned fabrics and over 150 different leather color options. The frame of each section is crafted from pine wood and MDF construction making it very durable. All Fama products use a webbing system for suspension and support instead of the old spring design that will sag over years to come. The leg supports come in a round, black-finished wooden design or chromed metal option for a sleek look. We deliver Nationwide! Visit our showroom at: Famaliving San Diego 401 University Ave, San Diego, CA 92103 Questions? Ready to purchase? Tel. 1-619-900-7674 sandiego@famaliving.com

The design of this remodel of a small two-level residence in Noe Valley reflects the owner's passion for Japanese architecture. Having decided to completely gut the interior partitions, we devised a better-arranged floor plan with traditional Japanese features, including a sunken floor pit for dining and a vocabulary of natural wood trim and casework. Vertical grain Douglas Fir takes the place of Hinoki wood traditionally used in Japan. Natural wood flooring, soft green granite and green glass backsplashes in the kitchen further develop the desired Zen aesthetic. A wall to wall window above the sunken bath/shower creates a connection to the outdoors. Privacy is provided through the use of switchable glass, which goes from opaque to clear with a flick of a switch. We used in-floor heating to eliminate the noise associated with forced-air systems.