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Exploring California Mid-Century Modern Design

California style is a highly popular, versatile design style. One particular branch of California style is California Mid Century Modern, which takes the calming coastal elements of California style and blends them with iconic mid century modern furniture and accents. To determine if this style is the right fit for your home, it is important to know the style’s rich history, key characteristics, and ongoing influence.

Learn More About California Mid Century Modern

  1. The Origins of Mid Century Modern
  2. Key Characteristics of California Mid Century Modern Design
  3. Iconic California MCM Homes and Buildings
  4. Incorporating California MCM Design Into Your Home
  5. Landscaping and Outdoor Living
  6. Color Palettes and Materials
Queen Size Runner Rug

The Origins of Mid Century Modern

The original mid century style was first popularized in the middle of the 20th century after World War II. After the war, many people wanted a “reset” of style and to create art to show the world’s beauty. MCM style accomplished that goal with iconic designers like Charles and Ray Eames, John Jautner, and Richard Neutra. The furniture and architecture created by these designers would have risen in popularity on their own, but they rocketed into society thanks to the speed of manufacturing, affordability of materials, and publicity through an ever-more communicative society.

Naturally, MCM style became a staple of California along with other states and countries around the world. The California iteration naturally aligned with the original style, but California has a tendency to walk to the beat of its own drum, and so the style became tailored to suit Californian sensibilities.

Key Characteristics of California Mid Century Modern Design

California living celebrates the outdoors above all else. Because of that, California Mid Century Modern highlights nature and the great outdoors by using light and airy colors, plenty of natural light, and natural materials like wood and stone. Whether the home is large or small, these homes tend to feature open floor plans and unobstructed, clean windows and glass doors/walls to make the room feel larger and brighter. California MCM homes tend to blur the lines between the indoors and outdoors to create an organic flow and encourage living the California lifestyle. 

Texture as a whole is a key part of this style. Boho elements like wall tapestries, tassels, and blankets/pillows are prominent accents in this style because they pair well with more minimalist aspects of the style. Using different textures, materials, and accent colors is a crucial part of California style as they work to create a more comfortable, welcoming home that exudes class and style.

Round rug for queen size bed

Image by Mbtrama via Flickr

Iconic California MCM Homes and Buildings

This aesthetic isn’t just highlighted in paint colors, furniture, and accents; architecture is a key component of this style and has been since the very beginning. California remains home to many iconic MCM homes, such as the Stahl House (Case Study House #22), The Eames House, and the Kaufmann Desert House. Each of these homes feature the clean lines and minimalist details associated with the style, but they also accentuate the style’s love of indoor/outdoor living. Even though they have existed for many decades now, these homes remain highly stylish thanks to their embracing of the iconic style.

Queen Size Runner Rug
Design by Studio Connolly, image by Kat Alves)

Incorporating California MCM Design Into Your Home

Linear architecture and defined lines are two key aspects of California design that you can use to establish your style. Architecture is especially important in this style, since you want to create large open spaces full of light wherever you can. This means that having unobstructed windows, glass doors, and even glass walls is highly encouraged. 

Aside from the architectural features of the home, there are many ways to incorporate MCM furniture into the home through iconic chairs from the original style, MCM inspired rugs, vintage artwork, and other trinkets. Since this style puts such an emphasis on lighting, any chandeliers, floor lamps, and other lights can positively impact the room’s tone and aesthetic. Just like the furniture of the time, MCM lighting fixtures are highly iconic and stylish even today.

Landscaping and Outdoor Living

It is impossible to over-emphasize the importance of nature and outdoor elements in California MCM style. While you are highly encouraged to include natural plants, textures, and materials inside the four walls of your home, you are even further encouraged to highlight these elements outside your home in landscaping and architecture. As you create a complete Calforinia MCM home, strive to create a seamless transition between the indoors and outdoors by using plenty of plants and greenery, natural materials, and balanced color palettes. Your outdoor space should also be established as a functional outdoor space that you can relax in without any hassle or impractical design.

Round rug for queen size bed

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Image via Studio Connolly

Color Palettes and Materials

Like other branches of MCM style, California Mid Century Modern style emphasizes natural materials like wood, stone, and plants. Traditional MCM style tended to use purely earth tones like varying shades of brown, clay, and green, but the Californian branch uses those colors as accents as opposed to the primary colors. These hues along with other brighter tones are used as accent colors to reinforce the style’s overall airy, calming tone. Wood furniture and accents used in California Mid Century Modern homes are typically lighter or bleached woods for that same reason.


California MCM style is an appealing style for anyone, whether you live on the west coast, east coast, or anywhere else on the globe. Between the style’s emphasis on nature, simplicity, and human connection, there is a lot to love about this style. Now that you have a better understanding of the style’s iconic features and key principles, you can decide if this style suits your home and if it does, you can create your ideal California Mid Century Modern home.

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