What is it about mid-century design classics? And are we making any equivalents now?

Interior designer Alex Dauley, who often incorporates mid-century pieces into her projects, finds their simplicity a major attraction. ‘They never feel out of place,’ she says. ‘They can feel very contemporary but also add history and gravitas to a newer build.’ Alex cites furniture makers such as Marcel Breuer and Mies van der Rohe among her go-tos. ‘Recently I added a Poul Cadovius shelving unit made of beautiful rosewood into a project. It instantly elevates a space and is built to last. There is a reason why these pieces still hold up after all these years.’ Mid-century pieces were designed with human needs at their core. Armchairs were angled for conversation, tables scaled down for smaller post-war homes and lamps designed to soften light for comfort.

‘One of the things that always draws me to them is they are really easy to mix into a scheme,’ says Charu Gandhi, founder and director of interior studio Elicyon. Scott Maddux, co-founder of Maddux Creative agrees: ‘What I love is how adaptable the pieces are – a Carlo Scarpa table, a Gio Ponti chair, or a Hans Wegner armchair can sit happily alongside contemporary pieces and antiques alike. They bring a sense of warmth and familiarity, but also a sculptural quality that elevates the rhythm of a room. The best pieces manage to balance form and function so elegantly that they slip into a space without shouting, yet they always hold their own.’

While furniture is often the focus with mid-century design, it is important not to overlook its lighting, says Charu. ‘That’s our most typical way of bringing mid-century flair into a project,’ she says. ‘There’s a precision to lights designed during this time. But you can also bring in mid-century through less obvious ways like art or use of materials like chrome.’

For Danish-born, London-based interior designer Pernille Lind, mid-century design has always been rooted in her work. ‘What I take from it is joinery design. Other than the interior architectural details, the joinery gives a lot of very important identity to a house. Mid-century designers would have a red thread of a materiality that goes through the whole building. So a detail on a cupboard door for instance would be on all cupboard doors and wardrobes.’

Mid-century makers are renowned for their honesty in materials. Metals were celebrated for their strength and wood was left to show its natural grain. ‘Oak is a key material and that’s what you would see in a lot of our projects, not painted wood,’ adds Pernille. ‘In my kitchen, I have vintage CH23 chairs by Hans Wegner. They have beautiful curved backs, woven seats and oak. It’s a piece that will never go out of style.’ Like Pernille, Venetia prefers to buy original items when possible. ‘The age and patina of older pieces adds depth to a room and tells a story,’ she says. ‘Whereas when everything is immaculate, it feels like a hotel or showroom.’