When you embark on a renovation, it’s important to decide on an overall design concept to create flow throughout your home. This is especially important when you redesign a space to fit your needs. Currently, a popular renovation style is mid-century modern. Mid-century modern design is most recognized through simple, clean lines echoing from organic forms in nature. Functionality is important to emphasize, as Scandinavian influences induced a breath of fresh air in the post-war era architecture of both residential homes and urban areas.

Always keep it simple. Expose architectural elements within the home to add visual interest that is completely original. Keep in mind organic lines and simple architectural form. Avoid embellishments and ornate finishes to create a sense of flow alongside nature’s influence. Let natural light in as much as possible, but include visually interesting fixtures to keep with a modern touch.

Lighting is the most important characteristic of mid century modern design. Large pane windows let in ample natural light for a sense of openness and connectivity with nature. Stay in touch with natural elements when choosing the materials of furniture, flooring, ceiling beams and countertops. Think you’ve found your choice in wood flooring—forget the fancy finish and install the wood in its natural state. Bring in materials from the exterior of the house indoors, or keep the original architecture such as exposed brick or crown moldings to accentuate the original construction.

Partitions throughout a mid century home are also important to create a sense of privacy as you move from one space to another. Choose opaque glass partitions instead of building a solid wood partition to stay consistent with a mood of transparency, while still creating private spaces throughout the home. If you’re faced with a large room, splitting the room into two parts will further influence the feeling of mid century modern design.

Keeping open spaces between the indoors and the outdoors was very important to one couple in north-central Phoenix, who purchased a home built in 1954 by Phoenix architect Ralph Haver. They chose to replace the windows to bring in more natural light, and changed the location of the front door to create a better flow from the entrance to the exit of their home. They chose geometric stone slabs separated by river rock for a modern stepping-stone walkway. The couple included small details to accentuate their love of mid century modern design using bolts instead of nails and painting the front door a mustard-yellow color to create a strong contrast to a dark pewter color for the exterior of the home. In keeping with simple lines found in nature and creating angles throughout the home, their dream of a beautiful mid century modern home came to life.

Mid-Century Modern furnishings combine beauty and function. Representative of clean lines, vibrant colors and unique material constructed with sweeping dramatic curves. Color choice in mid century modern furniture looks forward to a contemporary palette rather than light, airy pastel colors. Do your best to reflect the existing architecture of your home.  Think sleek, clean lines and organic fabrics. Choose furnishings with unusual materials such as plastics, lucite, exposed wood or stone. Geometric patterns and unique lighting fixtures will evoke the era.  Eames and Herman Miller furnishings are great inspiration.