Mid Century Modern is still alive and rockin’.  Along with Scandinavian and Coastal Living, Midcentury Modern is one of the definitive forces of decor in America and Europe. Quite popular, lots of enthusiasts try to set their own version of Mid Century Modern in their houses, but one frequent question arises before any movement: What color should we use if I want to go Mid Century Modern? Should I paint my walls white? Or use brown on the walls, just because wood is basic in Mid Century Modern?. Let’s talk a little about it.

Brown and orange, the classic pair.

Mid Century Modern has a lot to do with wood and the tones of wood. Due to its natural tendency to experiment with materials and colors, orange, a natural complement to brown,  turns out a very popular choice. Usually, Wood is present in a Mid Century Modern room whether with tables, wall panels, the arms of chairs, and several details; so orange has a very good chance in sofas, rugs, or accent chairs, like a womb chair.

Chartreuse and gray

In Mid Century Modern you have to keep in mind always that wood, and in consequence, brown is a constant presence. So, your natural partners will be on the side of orange or green, in any hue. There are some extra colors, that combined with green and orange that may work marvelously with MCM, like grey, for example.

Actually, grey seems to be one of the preferred tones nowadays in walls, due to the current trend of neutral colors in the walls. With a neutral grey, the yellow-green subtle tone of chartreuse is a very natural and smooth way to present the Mid Century Modern wood vibes.

With grey walls, a good bet is a chartreuse couch or sofa, complemented with blue cushions and throws. This way you will have a perfect color mix but in a subtle setup, of cool temperature.

White, Tile, and Brown

With the unavoidable presence of brown, you have to play with alternative, complementary choices. In the same trend of neutral colors, white turns out to be a predominant choice. In a set of white walls, your brown furniture will benefit from tile, a hue that can be considered the opposite of chartreuse (while chartreuse is a yellow-green hue, tile is a green-blue hue).

So, a typical setup is made of white walls, brown furniture, and cushions or throws of tile. Always remember that the colorful notes have to be part of the 10% of the color distribution. No more. 

A beautiful room, with a beautiful palette of colors, can only get improved with the addition of a Barcelona Chair, a black leather piece, elegant, smooth, and sober to create a classy place. Go to Barcelona Design, the site for Mid Century Modern furniture with the best offers in staple design articles, like the Barcelona Chair, the Hans Wegner Chair or the Barcelona Ottoman.