Growing tired of mid-century modern...

Originally Posted by akatsuki

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Despite all the posts - I think mid-century modern is getting a bit played out for me. Sure, lots of architects are building basically modern tributes to Wright and no house is complete without an Eames lounge chair...


mid-century modern when done right is amazing. but i can see where you're coming from.

if you haven't seen it already, you might get a kick out of this: http://unhappyhipsters.com/

-Jeff

Originally Posted by gamelan

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mid-century modern when done right is amazing. but i can see where you're coming from.

if you haven't seen it already, you might get a kick out of this: http://unhappyhipsters.com/

-Jeff

That site is hilarious. This seems to be the popular style here on this forum. Never been my taste. I like things to look warm and inviting. This stuff always reminds me of the movie Gattica.

People make a home warm and inviting. The furniture can suggest, but they certainly don't dictate.

--Andre

If mid-century modern was restricted to what you see in Dwell Magazine, I would be tired of it too.

Originally Posted by A Y

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People make a home warm and inviting. The furniture can suggest, but they certainly don't dictate.

--Andre

I agree that people make a home warm and inviting.

But, there is a difference in how I feel when I walk into certain homes compared to others. A lot of the mid century modern stuff (among other styles) just feels lifeless.

Originally Posted by Milpool

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I agree that people make a home warm and inviting.

But, there is a difference in how I feel when I walk into certain homes compared to others. A lot of the mid century modern stuff (among other styles) just feels lifeless.

Even so, it is better than Bauhaus - the leather and steel thing is almost painful in the austere modern places it is used.

Originally Posted by akatsuki

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Even so, it is better than Bauhaus - the leather and steel thing is almost painful in the austere modern places it is used.

Bauhaus is also pretty darned lifeless. I'm not sure I can say it is better or worse than MCM. . . I'd hate to live in either.

gotta go eclectic. every style has its own set of problems if done too literally.

Originally Posted by pocketsquareguy

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Mixing of styles does offer the potential of a most unique setting. I just wonder though if eclectic isn't starting to become a bit of a formula style?

Yeah, the whole eclectic thing is starting to take off. Most of it ends up looking like a thrift store though.

Any style can be really nice, but most MCM is just being copied off of apartment therapy house tours. It still look nice though.

The Bauhaus were early modernists but they still believe in decoration and form. Most of the stuff, esp. consumer products and architecture, that came out of the 50s took Le Corbusier's ideology to the extreme and we now have a lot of designs built for looks rather than emotional and material comfort. God, I hate those greenhouse boxes made of glass and midget height furniture. That said, without MCM, there would not be 21st century blobitecture, which will be looked upon with the same fascination in the 22nd century that most of us see the Weimar Bauhaus today. I think everything has a place and really people who are true electicist would not produce a seemingly electic living space. Good designs would remain good designs, and many people would not recognize its age. Take one of Marcel Breuer's desk chairs and pair it with George Nakashima tables, the result is a very contemporary look despite the historicism of both designs. Like a bespoke shirt, it's about pleasing the person that lives with the settings. The downfall of MCM is that it started as a uniquely Hollywood/Jewish upperclass design landscape which others soon copied without understanding why it worked for the original designers/commisioners. The Eames just made it more accessible to everyone.

Looking like a thrift store is not necessarily a problem.

The issue I have with eclectic--when it's done well it showcases personal quirks and is a good counterpoint to "buy-a-room" furnishing or the arid collectorism of perfect design-era coherence (esp with mid century). Mixing up antiques, vintage, vintage-styled, and other furniture/decor is also more realistic for most people, and it's silly to "aspire" to a home reflecting a lifestyle you don't live.

But sometimes eclectic is just an excuse to show off how broad your good taste is. And that's dumb.

This could apply to clothing as well.

Originally Posted by gamelan

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mid-century modern when done right is amazing. but i can see where you're coming from.

if you haven't seen it already, you might get a kick out of this: http://unhappyhipsters.com/

-Jeff

Maybe I haven't met any, or at least, real ones, but how are these people hipsters? It seems to me the only person behaving like a hipster is the blog owner writing those lame comments.

Most of those places are very nice, but they are obviously spotless due to being photographed for a magazine.

Originally Posted by celery

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Maybe I haven't met any, or at least, real ones, but how are these people hipsters? It seems to me the only person behaving like a hipster is the blog owner writing those lame comments.

Most of those places are very nice, but they are obviously spotless due to being photographed for a magazine.

Its a great blog if you ignore the author.

I think of the designs are a bit extreme, I dont want to own most of them, but there are some gems in there, really not to over the top modern.

Modern maybe becoming trendy again, and affordable now that places like West Elm are knocking off good design with very poorly made attempts at it.

one of my friends apartments is very simplistic, minimal but not overly modern. It doesnt have lacquered white everything or any gimmicky design elements.

I like design elements and lacquered white finishes, but not the extreme in some of those pictures.

i'm at eclectic with just a few eames/ starck pieces. lots of hand me downs/ items bought from family members that have come into ruin. like a going out of business sale.

i want to paint everything white and go shabby chic but thats more of a decision based on the fixtures of my place. if i bought a new place though i would love to go english bespoke.

http://www.soane.co.uk/Shop/Default.aspx

I'm basking in Empire.....