A Mid-Century Moment
We have an exciting new listing hitting the market today in one of our favourite Wellington suburbs, Miramar. This home has plenty of selling points, with three bedrooms, space to park up to six cars and a spacious sunroom / conservatory attached to the living room. But, much to all of our excitement, it also has some gorgeous original mid-century features!
Wandering through 20B Argentine Ave, I was reminded of how much I adore this era of design and how hard it is to come by an untouched mid-century home in Wellington. We’ve been lucky enough to visit Palm Springs in California several times and for lovers of mid-century design and architecture, this was an absolute treat.
Of course, there are many things that make Wellington different from Palm Springs (climate being one of them) but there’s nothing stopping us Kiwi’s from bringing some of that mid-century charm into our own homes. Whether you’re working with a mid-century property already or looking to bring some retro touches into a modern place, here are a few of my absolute favourite elements of mid-century design…
01 - Breeze Block
First used in the early 20th century as a practical way to provide shade without sacrificing light and airflow, the breeze block is one of the most common exterior design elements we saw in Palm Springs. A breeze block wall (bonus points if it’s painted a funky colour) can help to bring that authentic mid-century vibe to a space.
I love the use of breeze block internally too, as a design statement or to separate spaces without fully disconnecting them. Breeze block comes in all shapes, sizes and colours and it’s also a very eco-friendly building material, perfect for those prioritising sustainability in their home!
02 - A Statement Fireplace
Of course, a gorgeous fireplace is not exclusive to mid-century design, but some of the coolest fireplaces out there are definitely from this era. When we first walked through the doors at 20B Argentine Ave, the pastel coloured brick fireplace was an immediate standout.
The shift to more simplistic designs, using clean lines and natural materials during this era allowed the fireplace to stand as a piece of functional and timeless art. If you’re lucky enough to have an original in your own home, I’m very jealous!
03 - Colour Palette
Retro 1960s & 1970s colours are trending in a big way, but the mid-century palette is a little more muted and in my opinion, even more timeless. The mid-century colour palette often consists of earthy tones, various shades of beige and brown, brightened up with considered pops of colour. I think this is why spaces designed and decorated during this era feel so calm and tranquil, every colour and shade was carefully considered and intentionally used to create a mood.
If you’re looking to bring some mid-century vibes into your own home, colour is a great place to start. Even if you aren’t ready to start splashing paint on the walls yet, playing around with colour palettes you like through soft furnishings and decor can help you refine your own take on mid-century. And when you are ready for some paint, Resene has a great guide to the mid-century colour palette here.
04 - Materials & Textures
We can’t talk about mid-century design and not touch on materials & textures! Much like the colour palette, the textures and materials often used in this era of design are earthy, organic and tactile. Warm toned timber, natural stone are contrasted by glass, plastic and other manmade materials to create a rich, multi-layered feeling in a space.
When incorporating mid-century inspired materials and textures into your own home, I would recommend starting small, maybe with a rug or textural wall hanging and building from there. Obviously any larger, more permanent changes are a big step on, but if that’s something you’d like to do in the future, grab as many samples from your local supplier as you can, whether that’s stone, carpet or timber. The way these materials feel to the touch is what’s most important and layering them around your space to get an idea for which textures really speak to you is the first step.
05 - Connection To The Outdoors
Lastly, something that struck me as soon as we arrived at 20B Argentine Ave and a pillar of mid-century design is the connection to nature and the outdoors. Argentine boasts an incredible sunroom at the front of the house, with floor to ceiling windows on every wall, something you definitely don’t see everyday here in Welly!
But, connecting interior spaces to the outdoors doesn’t always have to include walls of windows (although that is a nice touch)! Incorporating materials like timber and stone instantly give a space that organic touch and of course, plenty of indoor plants and greenery will do a good job of this too. One of my favourite mid-century design elements is green carpet. It can be polarizing, but if it’s the right shade, nothing makes the greenery outside your windows pop more than this!