Back at the turn of this century, whenever I heard the phrase "mid-century modern," which was rare, I was puzzled. What's modern about a style that started before I was born and that came of age alongside "Leave it to Beaver"?
But now, when I hear the term, which is almost daily because this style is hotter than a lava lamp, I wonder what all the hullaballoo is about.
This mid-century modern home is in Lido Shores. (Photo provided / Seibert Architects)
I finally got to the bottom of it when I talked with two mid-century modern experts, Los Angeles architect Lawrence Scarpa and interior designer Pam Holladay of Sarasota, who will both be speaking at SarasotaMOD Weekend, this weekend.
According to the event's press materials, Sarasota is home to "one of the most impressive inventories of mid-century modern architecture in the world." I'll find out, as I'll be going.
"Help me out here," I start with Holladay. "Why do they call a design style that came about 60 years ago modern, and why has it raged back like the pencil skirt?"
"Well, it was modern then," said Holladay, laughing a little at the how the term must sound to the literal and uninitiated -- me.
"In the '50s and '60s, these homes were radical departures from typical suburban homes," said Holladay a partner at Seibert Architects, a firm that started in 1955, during the heart of the movement.
Driving the resurgence, she said, "is a renewed desire for a simple aesthetic, a look that appeals to those seeking a cleaner, simpler lifestyle, who want to pull back in their aesthetic."
I do not tell her how painful I think that sounds. I've let go of so much over the years, I am clinging to what's left like a barnacle.
"It isn't for everyone," said Holladay, as if reading my mind, "but it's a change from what we've had."
Hallmarks of mid-century modern design include interior spaces that connect to the outdoors, large windows and sleek furnishings that emphasize line and lack embellishment, like in this home on Siesta Key. (Photo provided / Seibert Architects)
Scarpa describes the style this way: "Mid-century modernism addresses fundamental issues in a fundamental way. That in itself is beautiful."
"Huh-umm," I said, which was the most intelligent thing I could think of. I instantly got the feeling that this was going to be one of those interviews that would cause my eyebrows to crochet a small blanket.
When this happens, I try to bring the topic down to earth level, where I live.
"When I think of mid-century modern," I said, "I picture 'The Jetsons,' with those space-age hairdos, the computer maid, conveyor belts delivering dinner and colorful plastic furniture."
"The design approach is direct, not excessive. I don't want to call it stripped down, but it's clean and simple. These are quite nice spaces to be in," said Scarpa.
When I pinned him down on what made the style take hold in the first place, he said, "People got tired of really small windows and not much connection to the outside. Do you or anyone you know not like natural light?"
That I understood.
Then Scarpa, who's also a professor of architecture, continued, "Radicals embraced the movement at first, but ironically those who love these homes today are mostly conservatives. Even though they are called modern, there's a movement to save them because they are historic. Conservatives are embracing the past, while embracing the modern."
Uh-huh, I said, taking notes as my eyebrows struggled to keep up.
To help me get me head around this, I asked Holladay and Scarpa to share what defines mid-century modern architecture and design. Here, they said, are the hallmarks:
A melding of indoors and out. Flooring, ceilings, beams and walls run straight from interiors to outdoor living space blending the two. Designers often use the same materials on these planes to pull the eye through.
Lots of natural light. This comes through large expanses of glass, which also makes the connection to the outdoors transparent.
No frills. These homes feature sleek spaces that are less about embellishment and more about clean lines. You won't find trims or moldings around doors or windows.
Open floor plans. Homes have a single-room feel as opposed to a series of smaller rooms.
Honest materials. Floors of poured terrazzo, walls of exposed cement block, tight-grained woods, such as mahogany, and lots of plastic, which was an exciting development at the time, dominate. Materials, however humble, never try to masquerade as something they aren't. You don't see plastic trying to look like marble.
Everything exposed. Likewise, the architecture often reveals how the structure came together. Nothing is covered over. Joints are exposed. Block walls aren't covered with drywall.
A lighter aesthetic. Lighter-looking furniture made of then-innovative materials, such as molded plywood, chrome, cork and plastic replaced centuries of heavy furniture. "Furniture was up off the floor, Formica counters, which were huge, had a floating look," said Holladay. "Even cabinetry was wall hung as opposed to going to the floor. That lightness represented a big change."
Mid-century don'ts. The biggest mistakes Holladay sees homeowners make when renovating these homes are "adding a lumpy addition that has nothing to do with the way the home flows, adding trim or moldings, or covering the original materials. "They put carpet over the terrazzo. They don't understand."
Contact syndicated columnist and speaker Marni Jameson through www.marnijameson.com
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