Today's blog comes to you from Linda Bolstad, Central Library Staff:

Clean, sleek lines. Beautiful wood. Minimalist. Well-constructed. Some of the reasons I like mid-century modern furniture. In particular the Scandinavian designers such as Finn Juhl, Arne Jacobsen, Hans Wegner and Greta Jalk. Teak was a favorite wood used for this style of furniture, but walnut and rosewood were also popular. Some of the pieces are strikingly sculptural.

My husband and I have several items we bought when we were first furnishing our home back in the 70s and 80s, including a rosewood dining table and chairs, and they have withstood the test of time. Lately there is a resurgence of interest in this furniture and I have collected a few more items. It is getting more difficult to find, but I have had some luck finding pieces in thrift stores and on kijiji. Almost my entire living room is now furnished with mid-century teak. My husband is very understanding.

If you aren’t familiar with this type of furniture, here are a couple of books on the subject.

Danish Modern by Andrew Hollingsworth has lovely color illustrations of lounge chairs, sofas, tables, sideboards, etc with lots of information on the designers. A section on using the furniture in contemporary spaces is well worth paging through and makes me wish I could refurnish more of my home.

Mid-Century Modern by Bradley Quinn is another interesting book. It deals with more than just furniture. Many of the ceramics, glass and metalware from the 50’s and 60’s are to me lovely and graceful, and would fit beautifully into most homes. I think these will definitely be on my radar during my next forays into the world of second-hand shopping.

And one of the best things about locating and purchasing mid-century items is that you are recycling. Rather than buying something new, why not check out the variety of used items that are available.