What is Mid Century Modern? The mid-century style that still looks great in Thai homes today

What is mid-century modern, and where does it come from?

Mid-century modern refers to design from the middle of the 20th century, generally counted from the end of the Second World War to around 1970. It was a time of a lot of new house building, and new materials such as bent plywood, moulded plastic and fibreglass let designers try shapes that had never been possible before.

Its look sits between the seriousness of modernism and the fun of the era. Lines stay clean, but corners become rounder, chair legs are slender as high heels, and colours grow bolder.

Names that fans of the style will know include Charles and Ray Eames from America, and Arne Jacobsen and Hans Wegner from Denmark. Their work is still produced, and still copied, today.

The key elements of mid-century modern

See these together in one room and there's hardly any need to guess the style.

• Furniture with slender legs, splayed legs or metal hairpin legs
• Warm, dark woods, especially walnut and teak
• Organic shapes: round tables, curved sofas, egg chairs
• Long, low cabinets and shelving, sideboard-style
• Graphic lighting: globe lamps and long-armed lamps
• Geometric patterns on rugs or fabric
• Wide windows that connect the room to the garden

Mid-century modern colours

Colour is the main mood of this style. Warm brown wood is the base, topped with accent colours that look as if they've been through an old film filter: mustard, olive green, brick orange, teal and chocolate brown.

For walls, you don't need to paint a whole room in a strong colour. An easy formula to live with is cream or warm beige for the main walls, letting the teak stand out, then an accent colour on one wall, a door or the chair cushions. If you like to be bold, a dark green or dark brown wall behind a wooden cabinet looks beautiful, straight out of a 1960s film.

• Base: cream, warm beige or warm white
• Warm accents: mustard, brick orange, caramel
• Cool accents: olive green, teal, pine green
• Dark colours for a single wall: chocolate brown or dark green

Teak and the Thai home: mid-century you may already own

The good news for Thai homes is that a lot of the simple, slim-legged teak furniture from our parents' or grandparents' generation looks very close to mid-century style: low display cabinets, slim-legged desks, rattan chairs with wooden frames. Look through the old family house or second-hand shops before buying new.

Some old pieces only need sanding and refinishing to become the star of the room again. The wall behind should be a colour that makes the wood stand out: warm cream, muted green or grey-green will make the wood look richer.

• A slim-legged teak display cabinet or low cabinet
• A rattan chair with a wooden frame, or a bentwood chair
• A round pedestal table
• An old brass lamp

Decorating a mid-century modern home in Thailand today

Thailand's hot, humid climate suits this style better than you might think, because mid-century loves rooms open to the garden, wide windows, big-leaved plants and natural materials such as rattan, wood and cotton.

What to watch out for are the velvets and thick wools you see in photos from abroad. In Thailand they can be hot and gather dust. Use tightly woven cotton or a linen blend instead.

• Living room: a slim-legged sofa, a low teak cabinet, a long-armed floor lamp, warm cream walls
• Dining room: a round pedestal table, bentwood chairs, one muted green wall
• Bedroom: a wooden headboard, bedding in mustard or brick orange
• Workspace: a slim-legged wooden desk, a curved chair, a warm brown wall

Mistakes that turn a room into a period drama set

Mid-century that looks good today isn't a copy of a whole 1960 room. It's taking the essentials and mixing them with things from the present.

If you want a 1960s accent wall but aren't brave enough yet, order Voqe sample pots and paint a test board to stand next to your real wooden furniture first. Accent colours change a great deal next to dark wood.

• Every piece is vintage, so the room looks like a museum
• More than two accent colours, so the room feels chaotic
• Too many wood tones in one room: walnut, teak and pale wood together
• Slim-legged furniture packed so tightly you can't see the legs