How To Decorate Contemporary Mid Century Modern On A Budget

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Today I’m sharing Contemporary Mid Century Modern decorating ideas on a budget. We’ll look at design inspiration from popular stores like Design Within Reach and West Elm and I’ll show you how to get the look for less from Walmart. 

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Contemporary Mid-Century Modern is a blend of two design styles. It combines the timeless, retro charm of Mid-Century Modern with the sleek, updated elements of contemporary design. 

The blended style has iconic Mid-Century Modern elements like clean lines, organic shapes, and functional furniture mixed with modern trends, materials, and an updated neutral color palette. 

In this post, you’ll learn how to balance old and new looks to create a space that reflects your unique personality!

This post is all about contemporary mid-century modern decorating on a budget.

READ MORE>>> Home Design Inspiration On Inspired Design Talk

What is Mid-Century Modern?

Mid-Century Modern is all about simplicity and functionality. The furniture has clean lines and simple shapes like this sofa with its sleek, boxy design, and tapered legs. This style from Design Within Reach is over $8000 at 20% off but you can get a similar vibe from Walmart for just under $750. The mixed materials and tufted back add to the simple silhouette.

High End Sofa // Walmart Sofa // Sofa With Wood

Organic Shapes and Materials

Another key characteristic is organic shapes with curved lines like the kidney coffee table from West Elm. It costs $600 but the Walmart version is about $240. Either one is going to soften the look of the straight lines and boxy elements found in mid-century modern design. It’ll add contrast and create a sense of balance.

Kidney Coffee Table // Look For Less

Functional Furniture with a Twist

Mid-century modern design is a mix of natural materials like wood and leather. These materials ground the space and give it a warm, timeless feel. What makes the furniture stand out is the combination of function and unique styling elements that give it personality.

For example, the DWR coffee table has an organic wood base and glass top. The wood adds a sense of warmth while the glass adds an open airy feeling. This style is great in smaller spaces because it’ll make it feel expansive. The best seller Noguchi coffee table is almost $2600 at DWR but Walmart has the look for less for under $450. 

Noguchi Coffee Table // Look For Less

Contemporary vs Mid Century Modern

Now we’re going look at how to add a contemporary twist to this design style. One of the easiest ways to do this is with your color palette. Traditional mid-century modern designs will have earthy tones like brown, olive, orange, rust, and yellow.

Neutral Color Palette

For a more contemporary look, spaces include muted shades like soft white, gray, and matte black.

This DWR moment is an example of how to achieve this look. It features a leather sectional in a mid-century silhouette with contemporary tables. The plush area rug adds warmth and softens the hard edges. The color palette is neutral with ivory, black, white, and tan but has layers of texture for depth and interest. The pieces here not including the pillows would cost you almost $22,000.

Walmart Look For Less

Now if we were to recreate this look from Walmart we could do something like this that has a similar feel. The sofa is not in leather but it has a mid-century silhouette in a linen upholstery. There’s a set of 3 faux marble tables that pull the neutral color palette together. We have texture and pattern in the pillows, throw blankets, and decor. Plus a mixed material floor lamp in black and gold which adds a touch of warmth. 

This entire look for less would cost you under just $2500 which shows you that you can get a high-end look on a budget IF you do your research.

To create an original design pull ideas and inspiration from multiple sources. Also, don’t shop at ONLY one store. The best designs combine a mix of high and low pieces from different stores. 

Mid-Modern Century Furniture

When it comes to furniture in contemporary mid-century modern spaces pieces like the Eames Lounge Chair or the Noguchi Coffee Table will give your design a timeless and elevated look.

High End Eames Chair // Look Alike

At DWR the iconic Eames chair will cost you almost $7000 but don’t have to spend a fortune to get the look. You can get a similar style at Walmart for $640!

Fireside Chair And Table Moment

For a loungy vibe, you can add the fireside chair to create a moment with a cute accent table. DWR has it for just over $4200 at 20% off or you can get the look for less from Walmart for just over $200 bucks.

High End Fireside Chair // Silver Table // Look For Less Chair // Table Set

This chair is perfect for relaxing in your living room, family room, basement, or kids’ bedroom. This look from DWR would cost you over $5000. At Walmart, you can get the chair and two tables for under $500 because they’re sold as a set.

Iconic Pieces With A Twist

High Accent Chair // Side Table // Look For Less

For a contemporary update to the classic wood frame, you could go with boucle upholstery instead of leather. The neutral boucle will add texture and contrast to the warm wood tone. At DWR it’s on sale for $3000 but you can get the look for less at Walmart for a little more than $120. So for that price, you can add a pair opposite your sofa with a cute accent table between them for an updated look.

Cowhide Shell Chair // Look For Less

The shell chair is another mid-century modern silhouette. DWR had this version for almost $6000 but you can get a similar look for way less from Walmart for $180.

High End Grey Chair // Look For Less

Either one of these neutral accent chairs is perfect for contemporary mid-century spaces. To give you a comparison the high-end armchair, also available in grey would be $2400 and the look for less is just under $275. Amazon has a cream boucle chair for $160.

Pacha Chair // Look Alike

The pacha chair at DWR is $4800 but Walmart has a version for about $533.

Lounging In Style

Another amazing find is this lounge chair moment from DWR that costs over $5500 but you can get the look for less at Walmart for $360. Add a cute contemporary accent table and floor lamp to complete the look.

High End Lounge Chair // Walmart Lounge Chair

Contemporary Decor Accents

Aside from furniture, you can combine contemporary decor and accents like geometric art prints, minimalistic shelving, and metallic light fixtures. Less is more and adding a few touches to the classic mid-century look will make a big impact.

Layered Textures

To soften the sleek straight edges often found in modern spaces you can add layers of texture for a more cozy vibe. This can be anything from throw blankets, velvet pillows, plush accent chairs, and wool rugs to create a warm inviting atmosphere. The mix of textures will add balance and interest to your design.

Designing Your Space: Practical Tips

Now for some practical tips to achieve a Contemporary Mid-Century Modern look in your home.

1. Pull 3 Pinterest images with the look and feel you want to create in your space. 

2. Find a piece to create your color palette. This can be a rug, artwork, or a print. Create a color palette that blends mid-century tones with more contemporary neutrals. Keep your walls neutral and add pops of color with accent furniture and decor.

Furniture With Color

This terrazzo table is a fun way to add a hint of color to your design and then you can pull out accents for your pillows and decor. The high-end table costs $1500 but you could get this look from Walmart for about $235.

Terrazzo Table // Look For Less Terrazzo Table

3. Once you have the vibe you’re after measure your room and create a floor plan. Don’t skip this step and if you haven’t already download the free floor plan measure guide in the description below. You’ll save time and money and avoid returns.

4. Choose one or two key mid-century modern pieces, like your sofa, coffee table, and maybe an iconic accent chair to set the tone and anchor the room.

It will be the foundation of your design to mix old and new pieces to complete the contemporary mid-century modern look. This will create a space that feels cohesive and not too busy. It’s all about finding the perfect balance of vintage and modern so don’t be afraid to edit as you go through the process.

Designer Home 101

For more help designing a home you absolutely LOVE check out my course Designer Home 101 in the description below. In the easy-to-follow course, you’ll learn everything from finding your design style to adding the finishing touches that make a home feel complete.

Final Thoughts

You now know how to add a contemporary twist to the classic mid-century modern decorating, from updating your color palette to mixing materials and adding iconic furniture. I hope you found these ideas helpful and feel inspired to design your space.

Remember good design takes time so don’t rush the process and no matter your budget there’s always a way to get the look for less. Don’t be afraid to mix high and low because no one will know unless you tell them. 

This post is all about contemporary mid-century modern decorating on a budget.

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• Traditional Living Room Design (Walmart Pottery Barn Dupes)
• 7 Home Decorating Ideas On A Budget (Look For Less)

Last Updated on September 29, 2024 by Nicole DelaCruz