ART OF SIMPLICITY

Mid-century modern (MCM) design was born in the wake of World War II. Though iconic pieces – such as Eero Saarinen’s ‘Tulip’ table and anything by Charles and Ray Eames – now sell for a small fortune, the original intent was to use mass production and low-cost materials to provide good design for everyone. Furnishings fall roughly into two categories: ‘machined’ items took new technologies and materials – plywood, plastic and fibreglass – and created space-age shapes, while ‘handcrafted’ pieces combined timber craftsmanship with pure, simple forms. These worked harmoniously together, the warmth of the timber balancing what some saw as the coldness of the machined pieces.