[ ]styleguide

Discover Mid -Century Modern by OSWALD HOMES

“Contemporary retrospective”

www.oswaldhomes.com.au

M id-Century Modern is a term used to broadly describe the design movement of the mid 20th Century, notably the 1950s, ’60s and early ’70s. It was a time when innovation and design purity reigned and the ‘impossible’ became possible thanks to ingenious new materials and manufacturing technologies, and designers such as Noguchi, Eames, George Nelson and Eero Saarinen who shunned the over-ornate in favour of the simple, sculptural and uncomplicated.

Meanwhile, architects such as Harry Seidler, Philip Cox and Robin Boyd were exploring new building materials for Australians hungry for the latest styles after World War II. The homes were inventive, daring and designed for the environment they sat in. Often characterised by �at roofs and long lines, they had open �owing �oor plans with vast plate-glass windows to bring the outdoors in. Materials and structural elements were allowed to shine instead of being obscured by needless detail.

Here in Perth, in the 1960s and ’70s, Iwan Iwano� was connecting panels of timber and glass, unadorned concrete blocks and �oating planes to create cutting-edge homes that are still talking points in suburbs such as Dianella, City Beach and Floreat.

Making it our ownWhen we remember that the Mid-Century Modern

movement was most popular in California, which

enjoys similar weather to Perth, it’s easy to see why

the style works so well here. Emphasising volume,

light and open living spaces that draw the outside

in via huge windows and glazed doors, it’s a perfect

�t for our naturally clear and sunny climate.

In fact, we can thank some of those early Mid-

Century Modern designers for pioneering the

passive solar design principles we use today to

create homes that harness winter sun and naturally

cooling breezes to stay comfortable all year round.

Design detailsMaterials never jar with the landscape, rather they

�t with it, letting the house become one with its

surroundings. Think subtle layers of stone, timber,

glass, copper and steel, often set o� by soft white

and soft natural tones. Interior spaces are light and

airy, and the layout is typically simple with gener-

ous open-plan areas connecting to the outdoors

where a pool often provides the focal point and a

pool house adds extra outdoor living space.

Finishing touchesToday we’re reinventing classic ‘retro’ elements such

as teak-coloured panelling to walls and ceilings,

room dividers, stone �replaces and feature brick,

and using them in a contemporary fashion. We’re

seeking out simple structural furniture such as

collectible veneer sideboards, and tables and chairs

with splayed legs. Oversized light �ttings are also

simple, yet sculptural, while understated metallic

�nishes, often in simple geometric shapes, add

sheen and a delicate shimmer. Fabrics and textured,

but unpatterned. Colours are generally soft, muted,

and re�ective of the environment, but we’re not

afraid to add colour, with splashes of orange,

olive-green and teal-blue. Flagstone paving is

enjoying a revival in the garden and around the

pool, with retro-styled outdoor furniture reminding

us that what was once the humble Australian

backyard has become today’s glamorous outdoor

room.

www.oswaldhomes.com.au

Mid Century Modern

[ ]to get the look, we love- Hunters + Collectors, Mosman Park, huntersandcollectorsinteriors.com.au

- Square Peg Home, Fremantle, squarepeghome.com.au

- West Elm, Perth City, westelm.com.au

- Freedom, freedom.com.au

- Angove St Collective, North Perth, angovestreetcollective.com.au

- Post Irving, Fremantle

If you like this style, you may also like...The luxurious Californian bungalow, which is arguably a Mid-Century Modern

classic, or the clean, pared-back lines of a Scandinavian-style home.