Pictured: Equo Barstool

What is Mid-Century style?

Mid-Century Modern refers to the design of the postwar era, roughly from the mid-1940s to the late 1960s. New manufacturing techniques, such as molded plywood, were combined with traditional craftsmanship. The result was furniture and objects with clean lines, organic forms, and a lightness that still feels modern today. Typical features include slender, often tapered legs, visible wood grain, honest materials, and a clear function without frills.

What types of wood are typical of mid-century furniture?

At the heart of the style are dark woods with vibrant grain patterns: teak from Scandinavian furniture production, American walnut, and, above all, rosewood. They were usually oiled rather than varnished—this keeps the surface warm and tactile, and highlights the grain. A single piece of dark wood is often enough to give a room its signature character.

Pictured: Spin wall hook, walnut wood

Why is rosewood a problem today?

Rosewood was the luxury wood of that era. However, the most famous variety—Brazilian Rio rosewood—was so heavily harvested to meet the demand of the furniture and musical instrument industries that it has been subject to the highest level of protection under the Washington Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) since 1992. Anyone wishing to sell items made of Rio rosewood in the EU today must obtain an official marketing certificate. Since 2017, all rosewood species have also been subject to CITES controls.

Even classic designs had to adapt: The Eames Lounge Chair from 1956 was veneered with Rio rosewood until the early 1990s; today, it is available in walnut and cherry, among other finishes. For that dark mid-century look, walnut is therefore the obvious choice today: deep brown, with a fine grain, and free of any endangered species concerns.

What role do brass and metal play?

Metal adds accents to the mid-century style: hardware, lamp bases, handles, and frames made of brass or black steel. Brass brings warmth and luster to dark woods, while black metal creates graphic lines. Glass is also a key element, often tinted in bronze or smoky gray. The trick is in the balance: a few shiny details instead of lots of gold. Those who prefer a more subdued look will find a understated alternative in the bronze-tinted glass of the Cres Mirror.

Pictured: Equo Barstool

Which designers shaped the style?

Charles and Ray Eames, Arne Jacobsen, Hans J. Wegner, Finn Juhl, George Nelson, Eero Saarinen, Isamu Noguchi, Kay Bojesen—and in Germany, Egon Eiermann.

Mid-Century Meets Contemporary Design: Here’s How to Combine Them

The following pieces are not mid-century designs, nor do they intend to be. They demonstrate how contemporary design can complement the woods, shapes, and colors of that era in the hallway.

Pictured: Spin wall hook, walnut wood

Dark wood on the wall

Spin is not a mid-century design. Yet its solid walnut construction, oiled finish, and turned form harmonize with the woods and lines of that style. The Spin coat hook in walnut by Andreas Kowalewski is turned from a single piece of solid wood at a long-established woodturning workshop in the Münsterland region—it can be placed individually next to a door or arranged in a row to form a coat rack.

A Wooden Object with Character

Wooden animals have been among the style’s favorite pieces since the 1950s. The “Olifant,” crafted from solid walnut by Andreas Kowalewski, is a contemporary design—alongside classics from the 1950s, it adds a distinctive, contemporary touch.

Pictured: Cres Mirror, bronze (Ø 45 cm)

A Tinted Mirror

The round Cres Mirror by Design Studio NIRUK is available with bronze-tinted glass. Its tint complements the style’s warm color palette without directly echoing it.

How can I keep the hallway from looking too brown?

The most common mistake with the mid-century look: wood on top of wood on top of wood, until everything blends into a warm but indistinct surface. That’s why designers of that era always combined different types of wood to create contrast:

• Color: Mustard yellow, orange, and olive green were the accent colors of the time. The Cat & Dog porcelain figurines in Curcuma Orange or Night Blue, or the Olifant in Forest Green, complement this with just such pops of color.
• Light-colored surfaces: A white or light gray wall really lets dark wood shine.
• Graphic lines: Black steel and glass counteract the warmth. The Concierge Mirror by Andreas Kowalewski combines a mirror, a black frame, and a shelf made of light oak—modern enough to provide a contrast to the walnut.
• Mixing woods: A light accent in ash or oak next to walnut looks more lively than a uniform tone.