What does MCM mean?

Hello Hoomans!

Lucy here with an episode on "So what’s all this talk about MCM when it comes to furniture?" Hoomans talk about MCM all the time, not to be confused with #mancrushmonday on Instagram (although Colene and I do enjoy seeing all those hunky man pics). This MCM is entirely different. And I’m not confident enough folks know what it means in the furniture world, so I’m here to clarify this popular furniture era’s details. Every furniture era has a story, and this one seems to be one of the most popular so we’re going to dedicate a whole blog just to it!

To cut to the chase, MCM = Mid Century Modern furniture. Perhaps you've heard of it? But even if you haven't, you've definitely seen MCM pieces, maybe without knowing they fell within this style of furniture. MCM furniture design started in the 1920's and began transitioning out around 1965. Its name is actually quite literal - the "Midcentury" in MCM refers to the time period this furniture design trend piqued, which was the 1950s; smack dab in the middle of the 20th century.

And, giving credit where credit is due, author Cara Greenberg coined the phrase "Midcentury Modern" as the title for her 1984 book, Midcentury Modern: Furniture of the 1950s.

Let’s talk about characteristics of furniture from the MCM era. People were growing tired of the foofoo (technical term ) lines and dark woods of the Victorian era that preceded the MCM era. So they gladly welcomed this new style featuring:

1. Smooth clean lines and curves.

2. International woods such as teak and bamboo.

3. Colors? Let’s talk aqua, red, bright yellow and orange.

4. Post WWII materials such as plastic, aluminum, glass and foam padding were introduced.

Probably the coolest chairs ever came from this era. The Barcelona, the Egg and the Eames chairs just to name a few. Knockoffs and reproductions of these chairs are everywhere. So be careful if it’s important to you to have an original. Tips on this? Later.

Geometric forms flourished - starburst, mod pods, and boomerangs to name a few. Boomerang shaped coffee tables made of glass on teak wood stands were seen in the homes of the cool kids. Starbursts showed up in fabrics for home decor textiles and clothing. This little pillow happens to show almost all of the geometric designs.

Get the look:Society 6pillow ($23)

Did you ever see the tv show, The Jetsons? Great examples of MCM furniture, style and color. I think Astro (their dog) was super cool. I digress.

Clearly we're all partial to certain eras of furniture design. Which styles and genres are your favorite?

• Art Deco

• Victorian

• Art Nouveau

• Shaker

• Arts & Crafts

• Early American

• Federal

• Post Modern

• Any of these strike your fancy or another one?

Leave a comment and we'll consider highlighting your suggestions in our next post!

PLEASE check out https://lucysfurniturecreations.com for a gallery of sold and available pieces. There’s also a group of pieces that are NAKED and ready for customization!

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