Bringing Home Mid-Century Modern Design

By Yanic Simard
May 21, 2014
[caption id="attachment_4968" align="aligncenter" width="880"]Mid-Century Modern Design Mid-Century Modern Living Room by Yanic Simard[/caption]Photo by Ted YarwoodWhen Grimsby couple Patricia and Frank came to our firm, they asked us to design the front den of their home to become a multifunctional getaway where the family of five could relax and hang out, and also use as a makeshift office area when working from home. They wanted it to be calm and relaxing, yet still have a sophisticated edge to it. I knew right away that this space would host an eclectic mix of furnishings, inspired by the mid-century modern design.When my firm Toronto Interior Design Group first came in, the white walls were bare and there was little furniture in the room. The possibilities were endless, as the clients allowed us to really let our imagination run wild with this project and trusted us completely with whatever we wanted to do. The first task was determining the floor plan and flow of the space. After trying several different configurations on paper, we decided to incorporate a small sofa, desk and two lounge chairs, which could be used for either working at the desk area or moved toward the sofa for a conversation area – perfect for the purpose they wanted the room to serve. After the homeowners fell in love with the floorplan, it was time to create a design they would fall in love with, too.Our starting point in terms of the design was painting the walls in Benjamin Moore’s OC-23 Classic Gray (my go-to shade) and then coming up with this unique feature wall which is a combination of alternating mirror slabs and grass cloth wallpaper installed on MDF – this adds instant drama to the room while still remaining quite subtle. We then moved on to sourcing the furniture; we decided to go with a custom sofa, floating glass top desk and two of my favourite beautiful mid-century inspired Brno chairs, which we re-covered in a luxurious velvet for a more personalized look. The small space room was really beginning to take shape.Fast forwarding to the finishing touches, we brought in a mix of chrome and brass, which really balanced out the entire look, while also adding the edge and sophistication that Patricia and Frank longed for. For a hint of exotic, a natural brown cowhide rug hugs the floor, while extremely textural horse sculptures linger in the background near the retro looking walnut lamp. But the element that we all felt really brought life to the room was this amazing art piece by world photographer Tony Koukos.However the real key component that tied this space together takes me back to the beginning of this article – the mid-century items. The beauty of them, which you can notice from looking at this space, is that they would work well in any setting effortlessly, while always remaining timeless. These pieces are such a great way to connect the old world with the new and in adding a touch of elegance to any interior.My job at this Grimsby residence was done when the homeowners told me they absolutely loved their new den and that they have been using the space every day – another happy client, which keeps me motivated to continue doing what I’m doing.  

About Yanic Simard

Yanic Simard is the principal designer of award-winning Toronto Interior Design Group, tidg.ca, and a guest expert on City’s Cityline.

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