Customers say
Customers find the book easy to read and enjoyable. They appreciate the beautiful pictures and great information quality. The book provides a good overview of mid-century design with enough details without being overwhelming. It is considered a terrific reference for fans of the style, with footnotes explaining the styling choice and designer. Many consider it a great investment and a must-have for collectors. However, opinions differ on the text quality – some find it well-written and interesting, while others feel it contains filler text that doesn’t contribute to any end point.
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A quick rundown of this product’s key features:
The 1950’s house was a scientific triumph, designed in a laboratory and tested on inhabitants of all ages before being built for the masses. Never had homes been so thoroughly contemporary, with antiques and period styles entirely banished. Mid-Century Modern explores the interior decor of this seminal decade, concentrating on all aspects of a home’s decoration―walls, flooring, surfaces, lighting, and, of course, furniture. Case studies examine beautiful present-day homes that exhibit mid-century style in an exemplary way, and suggest ideas for taking the 1950’s look―complete with collector’s pieces―and mixing and matching it with elements from other eras.
Our Top Reviews
Reviewer: darkisland51
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Mid-Century Modern Interiors
Review: Good book. Arrived today in quite good condition. A lot of good information and clear pictures about this architectural period. It’ll be very interesting to study it in depth.
Reviewer: Angela Anderson
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Great book !
Review: Enjoyed the pictures and script.
Reviewer: SaraPooh
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Nice book
Review: Just what I needed for my coffee table. Lots of beautiful colorful pictures
Reviewer: Maia Malanee
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Great inspiration, a lot of text
Review: There are beautiful pictures, both new and old. I especially liked the section that focused on some of the regional styles. The book touches on things you wouldn’t really think about at first, like patterns and materials.I did notice that there is a lot of text that is interesting to read, but there are times where the pictures and text doesn’t match up. I think that is because the text is more general and the pictures are just examples. Together they don’t exactly work, but separate they are extremely interesting to look at and read. For the pictures, there are footnotes that explain the styling choice and designer, which is nice.
Reviewer: Tucson Blue Hair
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Nice Overview of MCM Design
Review: Brief descriptions of areas of MCM design may be concise, but they are full of history and detail that helps collectors and interior designers alike. Well written and a great plunge into this most enduring era of style.
Reviewer: Brandon
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Outstanding coffee table book packed with information and great photos!
Review: A must own for all fans of mid-century modern! Extremely detailed with some superb photographs throughout. I know a small amount may be put off by the fact that this is, to me at least, seem to be a majority text versus photos, but it’s easy to read and interesting throughout. Highly recommended!
Reviewer: Magdolyn
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Stunning photography and informative text
Review: I am so glad I ignored those who complained about the text for this wonderful book. True, the author is clearly an art historian (hence “streamlined and functional” becomes “streamlined and functionalistic,” thus referencing the Functionalist Movement) but it’s hardly incomprehensible. This is an expansive, detailed, and exhilarating exploration of mid-century architecture, furnishings, and overall design sensibility. Perhaps not definitive, but nearly so.
Reviewer: Brant
Rating: 3.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Too few pictures, too much pointless text
Review: I was highly disappointed with this book – I’m being generous with 3 stars. There’s just too much dull text in this book. Maybe my expectations didn’t match the author’s intent, but with books like this I expect lots of cool, inspiring pictures, with some captions talking about the items in the photo, maybe a little history, who designed the items, etc. This book was light on the photos, and had page after page of sleep-inducing text (seriously) that for the most part didn’t really add anything to the book. The first page could have started out, “to understand Mid-Century Modern design, we must first go back to when humans invented the wheel” because that’s how pertinent the text felt to me, and how “academic” it felt. If you’re looking for details on what pieces to buy, how to identify “the style”, how to set up rooms, or just general inspiration, there are much better books out there.
Reviewer: Helen
Rating: 1.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Ordered a book twice, both times not in a presentable condition. There was a damage to cover.
Reviewer: n7misc
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: I’m interested in the period and I would have said pretty well informed, but this gorgeous book was a revelation. Full of beautiful photographs, often from private homes, this book is wonderful to flick through as a (very classy) coffee table book, but offers much more of an insight into the important design trends and designers of the period. The author clearly loves his subject matter and his passion shows.The book covers different geographical movements / emphases and considers overall design, looking at whole properties and rooms (including some you might recognise), but also focuses in on furniture, fabrics, objets d’art and kitchenware. It has a very good reference section at the back, with advice to those collecting / wanting to begin collecting – covering care as well as where to find the right stuff.One nice thing to note – the author isn’t snobbish about only having original (expensive!) pieces. He also looks at how such pieces can be combined with contemporary products and environments in such a way that a fresh, but ‘respectful’ or authentic modernistic setting can be created and enjoyed by anyone with an interest. I’ve enjoyed this book as an aesthetic piece and as a reference guide – having read around the topic, I feel confident in saying that this is the only book the average reader will need on domestic design in the 1950s.
Reviewer: Andrea
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: E’ un bel libro fotografico con molte immagini di ambientazioni mid-century. Mi aspettavo più ambienti scandinavi e invece sono soprattutto americani.Peccato che il testo sia in inglese, se fosse in italiano si potrebbero carpire maggiori sfumature (almeno per il mio livello di inglese).Per un appassionato di mid-century design è un volume che non può mancare nella propria biblioteca.Rapporto qualità/prezzo: ottimo.
Reviewer: Fran F.
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Libro que detalla en profundidad este estilo de decoración y mobiliario, del cual yo soy un gran amante.Lo recomiendo
Reviewer: 4lDo
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Ofrece una buena colección gráfica e información extraordinaria..
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