Classic Modern: Midcentury Modern At Home [Hardcover]

Starting off with side-by-side photos, we see several modern houses when they were originally built and how they now appear. They look both futuristic and contemporary in the companion photos and are impressive in the way they integrate easily into the outdoors. The first section of the book concentrates on the "flexible system of elements tailored to the climate and topography of a certain site" and "interior spaces [which] flowed into one another, rather than being divided by separate boxes connected by hallways." The second section invites you to tour especially significant or evocative modern estates, some of which are inhabited and others which are showpieces. Particularly interesting is the curved glass Palm Springs home of Raymond Loewy, designer of the Coca-Cola bottle, which is arranged around a free-form pool lapping the desert. A subsequent chapter examines modern architecture in the suburbs where the midcentury influence can be seen on a smaller, less expensive--but not less impressive--scale.

The photos show the sophisticated appeal of midcentury modern and illustrate the careful placement furniture for the greatest effect. And for those who want to know more about the furniture and the architects, the author has included lists of "where to buy" and biographies in the back of the book. --Dana Van Nest

Midcentury modern is back. From the American classics of Charles and Ray Eames to the Scandinavian elegance of Arne Jacobsen, nothing is hotter today than the endlessly inventive, sophisticated work created by modern architects and designers in the 1940s and 1950s.

This beautifully illustrated book is an unparalleled look at the revolutionary design of the midtwentieth century -- a period that today reigns unchallenged among style setters and a new generation of homeowners and collectors. Filled with stunning photographs of landmark midcentury houses and exuberant collections of furniture and decorative arts, Classic Modern tells us why, where, and how midcentury modern design came about. It also shows how people are living with the brilliant work of such timeless figures as Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Eero Saarinen, Richard Neutra, George Nelson, Isamu Noguchi, and Marcel Breuer, not to mention the prodigious Eameses.

Showcasing the style's elegance, wit, and humanism, Deborah K. Dietsch introduces the basic tenets of midcentury modernism, walking us through the era's distinctive look and presenting influential homes by inventive European architects such as Neutra, Mies, Breuer, and Albert Frey. She then follows this dynamic style as it moved into mainstream American culture. When European sophistication met American invention, led by the charismatic polymaths Charles and Ray Eames, the result was dazzling. Recapturing the energy and optimism inherent at midcentury, the book concludes with a visit to outstanding collections that show how comfortably modern pieces fit into today's homes. And, for those who want to furnish their own residences with appropriate reproductions and the classic pieces still being made, an illustrated catalogue presents fifty items, from the Eameses' famed molded-plywood lounge chair and Nelson's whimsical marshmallow sofa to Saarinen's pedestal chairs and the sensuous ceramics of Eva Zeisel.

Classic Modern is a marvelous celebration of the twentieth century's most important contribution to design. Hipper than ever, midcentury modernism is here to stay -- an American classic.