A Designer’s Guide to Mid-Century Modern Interior Design

Mid-century modern interior design balances clean lines with organic warmth. For New York City apartments where maximizing light and space is essential, this timeless style offers an uncluttered, functional home with nostalgic appeal. Discover how to bring mid-century modern style to your NYC home and create a space that’s both stylish and practical.

Whether you want to add a single vintage piece or update an entire room, follow these expert tips to implement mid-century modern interior design in your NYC home. Learn how to choose furniture, materials, and colors that reflect the iconic look while fitting your lifestyle.

A primary element of this style is the use of natural woods such as teak, walnut, or oak. These materials provide a warm, organic foundation for your furniture and flooring. To complement these wood tones, use a neutral paint palette that lets the wood grain remain the focal point.

For example, using a warm white or a soft gray on your walls creates a crisp backdrop for a walnut credenza or a tapered-leg coffee table. Add visual interest by introducing a single accent color—such as mustard yellow, olive green, or burnt orange—through a textured rug or a ceramic vase. These choices provide the pops of color characteristic of the era without making the room feel busy or crowded.

In a mid-century home, window treatments should play off the architecture of your space while enhancing privacy and providing ample light control. You can achieve this by choosing treatments with low profiles and natural textures.

• Woven Wood Shades: These shades add a natural texture that pairs well with mid-century wood furniture. They filter light effectively while keeping the window area looking clean and structured.
• Hardwood Blinds: Selecting blinds made from real wood ensures your window treatments match the quality of your furniture. You can tilt the slats to block glare on your television or computer screen during the day.
• Roller Shades: For a minimalist look, a simple fabric roller shade in a neutral tone stays out of the way when open and provides a flat, clean surface when closed.

By installing these treatments inside the window frame, you preserve the square edges of your windows and maintain an open, airy feel in your living space.

Functionality is at the heart of this design style. In smaller NYC apartments, you can use light to make a room feel more expansive. Placing a floor lamp with a slim, arched neck near a seating area provides targeted reading light without taking up significant floor space.

Layering your window treatments is another practical step. You might install a cellular shade for its energy efficiency and top it with a simple, solid-colored drapery panel. This lets you fully darken a room for sleep while maintaining a tailored, professional look during the day. This approach ensures that every element in the room serves a specific purpose, a core tenet of the mid-century aesthetic.

At Janovic, we love designs that span eras, like mid-century modern design. If you’re looking for ways to incorporate this style into your home, let our experienced team help. From paint to window treatments, we’ve been helping our New York City neighbors make their apartments a little cozier for over a century.

When you’re ready to kick off your project on the right foot, we’ll be here. Book a Free Shop-At-Home Appointment or visit one of our NYC window treatment stores to get started!

We are located throughout the New York City area, including Manhattan, SoHo, Chelsea, Long Island City, Gramercy Park, Hell’s Kitchen, Lower East Side, Throgs Neck, The Bronx, Upper East Side, Upper West Side, Uptown West, and Yorkville.