I love to see a mix of modern and traditional pieces in a home. That tension, as some decorators call it, helps give balance to a room the same way pairings like warm and cool tones, and smooth and rough textures do.
The Saarinen, or Saarinen-style, chair was really one of the first mid-century modern items that I was interested in. The undulating lines of the chair are a perfect foil for the straight legs and sharp edges of dark metal bookcases (like those above) or wood tables (like the one below). The smooth lacquer finish contrasts perfectly with nubby linen or wool boucle.
I could see that the chair was a piece that could not only fit in myriad settings, but give that setting a twist, a fresh slant to the design.
The pictures above and below touch upon how I would style these chairs in a room. I love the sleekness of the chairs mixed with the rough-hewn wood of oak tables.
This is a gorgeous version of an oak table I saw in a local Birmingham, Alabama shop called
At Home (
not the junky big-box one).
This combination of pale wood with black tile is fantastic! And adding some greenery and plants is always a good idea. It brings life to a room.
I am not a minimalist by any stretch of the imagination, so I would have to go a bit further with furnishings: adding things like paintings and candlesticks, pretty cushions and rugs.
The Saarinen-style chairs shown above are part of my collection for
Chairish. The cushions that come with them are actually the original red-orange corduroy, so I would update them in an interesting new fabric like this faux shagreen:
From all white minimalism to French flair, there are so many decorating approaches you can use to combine pieces of different styles and eras. How do you all handle mid-century in your mix?
I hope you enjoyed the post and will visit back soon!
