Hardly any interior style has lasted so long. What emerged between the late 1940s and the early 1970s fills design magazines, flea market stalls and plenty of living rooms today. Mid-Century Modern is more than a retro trend. It is an attitude that comes from a very particular time and whose principles still convince. In my shop I come across it above all in ceramics, porcelain and brass.
A style born from the rubble
After the Second World War, millions of homes in Europe had to be furnished anew. At the same time, new materials and techniques were available: plywood could be pressed into shape, plastics became affordable, tubular steel was light and stable. Out of this came a way of designing that left ornament behind and asked: what do people really need?
After 1945, modernism becomes fit for everyday use. What the Bauhaus and the Werkbund had thought up now arrives in series production in homes, offices and children’s rooms: clear forms, new materials, things that work and look friendly while doing so. You see this best not in design classics but in perfectly ordinary objects. Three areas, three examples from my shop.
Mid-Century Modern (c. 1945–1970): function with optimism
The style of the post-war decades combines clear lines with soft, organic forms. Wood stays visible, metal becomes slender, plastic joins in. And everything has to hold up in everyday life.
Around 1900, people have had enough of Historicism and its mix of styles. Artists and craftsmen look for a new language of their own. Within a few decades, three styles emerge that still shape our idea of modernity: Art Nouveau, Art Deco and the Bauhaus. Here I’ll show how to recognise them, with pieces from my shop.
Art Nouveau (c. 1890–1910): plants and flowing lines
Art Nouveau brings nature into design: tendrils, blossoms, water, sweeping lines. In German it is called Jugendstil, and it owes this name to Munich. From 1896 the magazine “Jugend” was published there, and the whole movement was named after it.
In the 19th century, the home becomes the centre of middle-class life. People furnish their homes, read, collect and show what they have. Many of the books and prints in my shop come from this period: hymnals, songbooks, lithographs and illustrations. They make it easy to tell three styles apart.
Biedermeier (1815–1848): simple and homely
After the Napoleonic Wars, the middle classes withdraw into private life. Furniture becomes simpler, lighter and well proportioned, often made of cherry or pear wood. Comfort and craftsmanship matter more than splendour.
There is no Baroque or Rococo furniture in my shop. Yet the forms of these periods turn up all the time: as a putto on a carved candlestick, as a porcelain pattern from the 18th century, as a vase in the antique style. If you know the early periods, you will recognise them in much younger pieces too. Here is a short overview, with examples from my stock.
Baroque (c. 1600–1750): splendour and movement
The Baroque loves the grand: sweeping forms, strong contrasts, gold, rich carving. Typical are putti, small naked child angels sitting on altars, picture frames and furniture. In Bavaria, the Baroque still shapes countless churches and monasteries today.
