Mid-Century Marvelous!

It's no wonder that so many of us love mid-century modern -- the clean lines, bold colors and materials  such as teak, stainless, and molded plastic are just as chic and comfortable as they were 60 years ago. We recently had the chance to help a hip and enthusiastic couple furnish and decorate their mid-century home in Oakland -- a dream job for us!

We had fun with color in the living room. You'll see the awesome orangey-red popping up throughout the home.

Note how iconic pieces such as an Eames Lounge chair and Noguchi table mix with the destined-to-be-classic leather Karlstad sofa. We scored the paintings at Urban Home in Emeryville.

This shot shows the classic beams found in many mid-century homes.

The dining room features a clean-lined wooden table paired with molded plastic chairs (we love the surprise of two random reds among the whites!). And don't overlook the Nelson Saucer pendant and Spindle clock.

Check out the gorgeous entryway/stairway -- the windows are perhaps the best design element of all! (Although the Moooi Random Light -- a new modern classic -- is pretty nice too.)

Here's a view of the outside of the house -- and another look at those impressive windows.

We'd like to thank Bobbi Jo and Martin for allowing us into their home. It was our pleasure to help them bring color, comfort and style to their sleek mid-century jewel.

All photography courtesy of Lauren Hosmer.
Plant design by Marco Marchesini Landscape Design.

Visual Jill's top 5 tips for unique style

We're really excited about the house we just completed. It showcases the top 5 ingredients that we always include in our projects to make them shine.

1. Modern in the mix -- Our designs always include at least a few mid-century modern pieces, mixed in with more transitional styles. In this living room, note the iconic Nelson bench paired with the upholstered green armchairs and white couch.

And in the library, we used our favorite Eames lounge chair with a colorful rug from Joss and Main.

2. Color -- We've said it before, we'll say it again. An amazing accent wall can bring a completely new energy to a room. In the guest room we chose Benjamin Moore's Million Dollar Red, which complemented the rich woodwork in the house.

3. Artwork -- We search high and low for unusual pieces of art for our projects. Some of our best come from flea markets and street fairs. For example, Jill found the fun painting above the child's bed at the Temescal Street Fair. We mix these one-of-a-kind pieces with basics from Ikea and other retailers.

4. Global influence -- Our designs usually include a touch of the exotic -- a painting from Bali, fabric from Tahiti, or a pouf from Morocco, as seen below.

5. Unique accessories -- We look for inspiration pieces that set the tone and/or color scheme for a room. These can be paintings, pillows, vases, or even a funky lamp. In the dining room, for example, the centerpiece vase from Anthropologies filled with succulents is just the right touch for the room.

In the master bedroom, you can see all five of our ingredients working together: modern in the mix (orange ottoman); color (accent wall in Benjamin Moore's Wisteria AF-585); unusual artwork (a painting from Mexican artist Javier Fernandez); global influence (pareu from Tahiti on bed), and unique accessories (Anthropologie pillow).

California Modern

We just bought a new book called Living in a Modern Way: California Design 1930-1965 — the accompaniment to the exhibition at the LA County Museum of Art (which closes June 3). For those of us who can't make it to southern California within the next 2 days, this is the next best thing.

The book presents a comprehensive study of mid-century modern California design -- furniture, architecture, textiles, graphic design, and more. The book states that "the California modern look was one of studied informality, sophisticated simplicity, and carefully considered casualness."

Quincy Jones house, 1955, photo by Julius Shulman

There are many pictures showing the indoor-outdoor living idea that was popular in the 1950s. We love this house -- the red beams, red Eames chairs, and the sliding glass doors. The book also explores product design and graphic design of those times.

Greta Magnusson Grossman for Glenn of California screen, 1952

This screen looks fresh even 60 years after its creation. We'd love to have this in our homes!

These book jackets designed in 1944-1945 by Alvin Lustig showcase his belief that "well-designed objects would function as art in everyday life." We couldn't agree more, and if we could get our hands on these they would be framed and hung on our walls!

Check out Living in a Modern Way for a great dose of mid-century design, in all its fabulous facets.


All photos from Living in a Modern Way: California Design 1930-1965, edited by Wendy Kaplan, published by The MIT press

Inspiration: Charles and Ray Eames

Here at Visual Jill, we are fans of many designers, past and present. But the duo of Charles and Ray Eames holds a special place in our hearts. The Eames' core philosophies -- that design should be for the masses, not for the elite; and that good design is important for the commonplace as well as the complex -- are truths that we try to adopt in our own work. We also use the Eames beautiful, functional pieces in our own homes and design plans.

The Eames are famous for their innovative molded-plywood techniques that led to the design and manufacturing of a line of chairs, tables and screens. While these are valuable vintage items today, they were affordable and accessible when originally created in 1945. Below, top is the Molded Plywood Lounge Chair, and bottom is the Leather and Molded-Wood Lounge Chair and Ottoman.

Here we've used the same two chairs in our design work.

Below right, you can see the Eames molded-plywood screen. On the left is another design revolution: the fiberglass-reinforced plastic armchair. It was the first one-piece plastic chair with an exposed, rather than upholstered, surface.

These plastic chairs were eventually offered in vinyl and upholstered versions as well. Below is one of our coveted blue vinyl Eames armchairs, in front of our beloved screen.

When it comes to good design, Charles Eames said, "The real questions are: Does it solve a problem? Is it serviceable? How is it going to look in ten years?" By creating furniture that could be easily mass-produced, was comfortable and still looks good over 50 years later, he met -- and surpassed -- his own requirements.

Note: If you're in LA, be sure to catch the "Living In a Modern Way" exhibition at the LA County Museum of Art, which studies California mid-century modern design -- including pieces from the Eames collection.

Eames furniture images from The Work of Charles and Ray Eames: A Legacy of Invention, published by Harry N. Abrams Inc.

A Mid-Century Modern Masterpiece

The Eero Saarinen-designed home of J. Irwin Miller, the wealthy industrialist who put Columbus, Indiana on the mid-century modern map, is opening its doors for tours to the general public. All the design magazines are a-buzz, and let's just say Indiana is lookin' like a great destination vacation right about now! Of course we're not going to make you take our word for it. Just try not to drool on your computer, ok?

The sunken conversation pit. We're dying over the pillows--aren't they amazing?!!
(Elle Decor :: The New York Times magazine)

The Dining Room makes us giddy: The illuminated table base! The custom tile-patterned rug! The chandelier! Oh my...
(Dwell)

The Library/Office with custom-designed textiles
(Elle Decor)

The Floor Plan :: A custom-designed rug and Eames lounge chair in the den :: Textile Designer Alexander Girad's textile master plan :: A detail of the den rug, with a design based on the floor plan of the house
(Elle Decor :: Dwell)