10 Mid-Century Modern Living Room Designs You'll Want to Copy

10 Mid-Century Modern Living Room Designs You’ll Want to Copy

Mid-century modern design is ubiquitous for good reason: it celebrates simple forms and natural shapes, making for rooms that feel airy and inviting. The key with this look, popularized from about 1933 to 1965, is not to over-stuff it, but to let each stick of furniture stand on its own. To really go retro, opt for throwback hues such as olive green and dirty orange. Need inspiration? Keep clicking!

Tracey Ayton

1 / 10

The Highs of Being Low

Low furniture is a trademark of mid-century modern sofas. Here, a low coffee table – almost Japanese in feel – and a stash of pillows is the epitome of relaxation.

Wayfair

2 / 10

Tuft Love

Want to get that MCM flair? Check out this combo from Wayfair. Blue and chartreuse makes an alluring combo. The dapper sofa is perfectly paired against the coffee table with its chrome hairpin-style legs – not too matchy-matchy!

Overstock

3 / 10

Pastel Palette

Orange crush, alert! Layering the peachy hue throughout this charming space from Overstock – the rugs and the pillows and the books – are totally on point. We love the dainty peg legs on the couch and the way they’re echoed in the Noguchi-esque coffee table and armchair. Talk about cohesion!

Twenty20

4 / 10

Natural Selection

Bertoia and Eames were stalwarts of MCM design. Here, the Diamond chairs are iconic Bertoias and the lounger is an Eames. The forest setting is fitting for the era that celebrates nature.

Getty Images

5 / 10

Unimpeded Flow

Mid-century modern design champions introverted interiors, so to speak. Rooms like this one, where a rustic stone fireplace, simple furniture and unadorned book shelves don’t call attention to themselves. It’s all about the view beyond the windows and the sight lines. Doesn’t this room make you want to do a digital detox?

Wayfair

6 / 10

Think Walnut (or Teak)

After that MCM look? You’ll need to bring boatloads of walnut wood into your home. Case in point: this fun scooped sofa from Wayfair that’s perched on walnut legs. Side it with a walnut table and credenza and you’re good to go!

Article

7 / 10

Laid-Back Vibes

Low-to-the-floor furniture evokes an uncluttered feel – nothing gets in the way of the sight lines. If you’re after this vibe, Article’s birch sectional may do the trick. A modern take on a mid-century classic, the sofa features gentle tufting, crisp lines and bolster pillows.

HGTV

8 / 10

Room With a View

Joanna Gaines

doesn’t disappoint in this living room, which has a decidedly mid-century modern feel, from the side table to the sofa. We like the designer’s use of restraint when accessorizing so the focus is on the view.

DWR

9 / 10

The Real McCoy

If you’re a mid-century modern enthusiast with a decent budget, then you’ll need the gold standard in your living room: count those iconic pieces! Congregating here are the Platner table, the Swan chair, Eames walnut stool and Serge Mouille floor lamp from Design Within Reach.

HGTV

10 / 10

Sleek and Simple

This living room from the Extreme Makeover team is part of an entire home designed in the mid-century modern style. From the furniture to the architecture to the decor, it all feels like a gorgeous throwback to the Mad Men era.