Midcentury Modern Decorating

What sparked the beginning of my collecting days of mid century modern was this memory: "my dad just gave away my bright yellow Eames rocker to the goodwill. I think I am going to faint!". Needless to say I recovered beautifully by finding an exact match a week later.

Whether you have memories or not, let the excitement and momentum of seeing great examples of 20th century for the first time set the stage for your collecting modern. There are beautiful objects out in the world waiting to be found by you. Remembering a few simple tips can keep you on the right path to successful collecting.

In order to be successful in the collecting world of modern you must have the knowledge. Galleries, shops, modern museums and auctions set the stage in the urban marketplace for information on collecting. Knowledgeable dealers can offer the collector important history of certain pieces.

Buying the right piece of mid century modern depends on identification. Learn to recognize an original from a fake. Always check for any identifying marks.

There many bookstores that offer a wide variety of books and magazines on 20th century modern. They include design and architecture, buying and selling, how to care for mid-century furniture and accessories as well as its history. These books and magazines will prove to be invaluable to you.

Keep in mind the condition of anything collectible you buy. Normal wear and tear from usage and age is to be expected. Condition is crucial, be careful of anything that has been tampered with.

What can be most exciting is the possibility of finding a coffee table designed by George Nakashima, a Harry Bertoia sculpture, [http://postitmodern.blogspot.com/]Greta Grossman dining chairs, or maybe an unknown but desirable and collectible piece of mid century modern furniture or decorative art.

The learning process is never ending. As your empire of knowledge builds, your interest, focus and goals will continuously be redefined. What you invest in today could make you a happy camper in the future.

To all levels of income, opportunities are always available. You may find the deal of the century for literally pennies. Keep your eye on the prize.

There are an abundance of resources that the Internet has to offer. You can find ideas and inspiration, including where to start buying your new found love for collecting mid century modern design. Remember, have fun and happy hunting!

Sydni Taylor,
Freelance Writer
For more great design ideas on mid century modern visit http://postitmodern.blogspot.com and http://areamodern.com

Charles and Ray Eames? Though you may not recognize them, countless monuments to their achievements are found in schools, homes, airports and office buildings across America; they are the many stacks of multi-colored molded plastic chairs, luxurious lounge chairs, tandem airport sling seats and polished aluminum office chairs designed by this creatively prolific Southern California couple.

While the Eameses are remembered principally for the many chairs they designed, they also made groundbreaking contributions in architecture, industrial design, manufacturing and the photographic arts. Scores of their most-influential creations can be seen, sat upon, learned about and purchased at the "Eames Office" a gallery and store in Santa Monica. For appreciators of fine design, the Eames Office is more than a furniture store. Though nearly all of the most important Eames chairs and sofas (including several rare examples) are displayed and sold there, the store is more fundamentally a tribute to the remarkable lives of two American originals.

Ray and Charles Eames met in 1940 at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan, where Charles was experimenting with molded plywood, as head of the industrial design department, and Ray was a design student. The next year, they married and moved to California where they believed, that in anonymity, they would have time to explore how to mass produce molded plywood into compound curves. Those experiments were put to practical use in World War II when the Eameses produced 150,000 molded plywood leg splints for the U.S. Navy, as well as stretchers and experimental aircraft parts. Each was as much an artistic statement as it was functional... (cont.)

More about Charles and Ray Eames is found at http://www.californiafun.us John Poimiroo is a travel writer, photographer and marketing communications specialist based in El Dorado Hills, CA.

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Contemporary living room furniture is modern furniture of the latter half of the 20th century. There are various types of contemporary living room furniture available, and remember that the living room furniture that you choose plays an important part in the welcome message you give to your guests.

Those who enjoy the innovations that modern living brings usually turn to contemporary furniture to use in the living room. This furniture is sure to suit their choices in terms of comfort, elegant styling and contemporary flair. Contemporary living room furniture experiments with new synthetic building materials like vinyl and tubular metals, an understated monochromatic color scheme, curvilinear shapes and integrated modular elements with multiple uses. Designers like Florence Knoll Basset, Charles and Ray Eames defined the era of contemporary living room furniture with pedestal tables, sleek sideboards, abstract light sources and modular sofas. Many pieces of contemporary living room furniture fulfilled many functions to change the organization of informal living space. Kidneys, oblongs, S's, ellipses and flares replaced the circles, squares and rectangle of pre-WW II homes. With contemporary living room furniture, captivating monochromes like gray and black are used. In other words, contemporary living room furniture flaunted style, but still complemented the new generation of families and their homes.

Some contemporary living room furniture that is available nowadays includes accent chairs, wicker coffee tables and end tables, and the normal sofas and chairs. Accent chairs are used to fill up bare spots of the living foam. It gives the right ambience to the living room. If you need a piece to place your drinks, then the answer to this is the coffee or end tables. These also add a touch of elegance and interest to the living room. Once upon a time, wicker furniture was considered to be the furniture of the tropical lands. However, nowadays, it has the perfect charm to add to your home.

Living Room Furniture provides detailed information on Living Room Furniture, Cheap Living Room Furniture, Discount Living Room Furniture, Contemporary Living Room Furniture and more. Living Room Furniture is affiliated with Upholstered Ottomans.

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