A view of Wright's studio complex from the sidewalk shows a sseries of low horizontal walls of brick, concrete, and wooden shingles topped by planters designed by Wright. In the center rear is a taller octagonal wooden building that contained the drafting room and the vault that held his blueprints.
Feature

Decorating Tips from Frank Lloyd Wright

by Laura Grey No Comments Share this  

Frank Lloyd Wright (1867 – 1959) is often described as the greatest American architect of the 20th century. But he was much more than an architect. He designed furniture, stained glass windows, tiles, ceramic blocks, sculptures, and decor. Wright thought of his buildings as environments in which every element should work together to create a […]

A monochromatic room with only beige and white elements: white walls, beige textured rug on a pale parquet wood floor, a sheepskin throw rug, a beige knitted pouf footstool with a beige boucle chair and sofa (both in MCM shapes), and woven wicker round mirrors over the sofa. A low marble-topped tripod table acts as coffee table. All furnishings are low and textured but colorless.
What's Your Style?

Midcentury Modern Interior Design

by Laura Grey No Comments Share this  

Because of its versatility, simplicity, lack of pretension, and relaxed quality, midcentury modern (MCM) is one of the most popular interior design styles. MCM was popular from the late 1940s to the early 1970s. It reached the height of its popularity in the 1950s and 1960s. The serene and organic shapes and neutral colors used […]

Design 101

The Birth of Midcentury Modernism

by Laura Grey No Comments Share this  

Midcentury modernism was one of the most celebrated design trends of the 20th century. At times minimalist and sophisticated, at others whimsical and family-friendly, it embraced simple shapes, open space, and modern mass-production technologies. These features made it accessible and affordable, and hastened its spread during the post-World War II economic, baby, and housing booms. […]

Six bent plywood midcentury modern chairs are displayed inside glossy white square cells at the Danish Museum of Art & Design. Three chairs are on the top row, and three more are below. Arne Jacobsen's Series 7 chair is at upper right. None of the chairs is labeled.
Design 101

When Danish Modern Style Ruled

by Laura Grey No Comments Share this  

In the 1940s, during World War II, Danish designers were prominent leaders in the movement to design and make affordable, functional, elegant furniture. Danish designer Kaare Klint (1888–1954) is today considered the father of modern Danish design. He helped establish the Department of Furniture Design at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, and taught […]

Four squares containing bright and busy textile patterns designed in the 1950s and 1960s by textile designer Lucienne Day. The upper left design has a taupe background with black, white, yellow, and red half moon shapes of different sizes and patterns aligned along straight lines like stylized flowers on stems. At upper right are white outlines of leaves overlaid on squares of varying shades of green. At lower left is a grey background overlaid with roughly rectangular faded coral, faded blue, and white shapes with tiny black characters (stars, squares, leaves) overlaid above the colors in lines. At lower right is a goldenrod covered square with many square and triangular lines and dots overlaid in black.
Design 101

Midcentury Modern Colors

by Laura Grey No Comments Share this  

When someone mentions midcentury modernism, what colors come to mind? Chances are, you think of the olive, gold, teal, and orange tones popular in textiles from the late fifties and early sixties. Or maybe you’ve seen so many recent midcentury reproductions upholstered in beige or grey that you think of the era as a time […]