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To Grandmother’s House (Mid-Century Modern) We Go!

Ikat Suzani design in shades of gold, pink and magenta are reborn in the Eijffinger®’s “Ibiza” Collection from Kenneth James.

Today, a visit to grandmother’s house takes on a new and modern meaning. Brewster kenneth ames ibiza

No longer a den of fusty Victoriana or a collection of chintz, grandmother’s house is a marvel of Mid-Century Modern design. Her preference for sleek chrome, vibrant colors, geometric shapes, bold floral patterns and stripes, hanging lamps, and wood floors and accents is inspiring a new generation of trend setters.

A granddaughter may well drive to grandmother’s house in a vivid red, blue or even orange car, dressed in a sleeveless shift dress, a scarf in an abstract print and oversize sunglasses. It’s the Jackie Kennedy look that grandmother herself rocked back in the ’60s.

And if granny was more into Woodstock than Washington, there are ample accents from the Age of Aquarius for a new generation to emulate. Beads, candles, psychedelic shapes and symbols, flower power prints, nature themes and Indian carvings reinvent The Summer of Love with a 21st-century vibe.

Mid-Century Modern design flourished from 1937 to 1965, according to Paula Berberian, a creative director at Brewster Home Fashions. The style is trending in fashion, food, art and architecture and especially home design, as a new generation discovers the power, style and functionality of the period, Berberian says.

“Styles tend to re-emerge every other generation, and today’s Millennials have a very different aesthetic from their parents,” she notes.

Millennials roundly reject the overdone, overstuffed ruffles and flourishes of the ’80s and ’90s and the dark hues of burgundy and green their parents favored. Mid-Century Modern has captured their imagination and today’s technology makes new and dynamic interpretations of this period possible. Vivid colors, new materials, sustainable wood, bamboo floors and furniture and artisanal accents all appeal to a “green” generation.

brewster luzEijffinger®’s “Luz” Collection from Kenneth James recalls the vish glamour of the 1950s with strong geometric shapes and metallics. Two favorite Mid-Century Modern shapes—metallic squares forming large strips—combine with the chic palette of white and silver to reinvent the era in a highly contemporary and personal way.

But modern isn’t contemporary unless it can be reinterpreted for a new era. And no other design element bridges the generation gap between Mid-Century Modern and Millennial with more impact than wallpaper.

“Wallpaper is back in a very big way,” says Berberian. “Thanks to the ease of application, versatility and dazzling new technology, today’s wallpapers totally transform a room and create a truly personal style.”

 

Brewster Kenneth James 330412 Khatira Stylized Ironwork

Of course, “It’s not retro style itself that makes a modern statement,” Berberian adds. “It is how you reinvent and personalize the best design elements from that era to suit your own needs today. Selecting the right wallpaper is the first step in creating a look that evokes Mid-Century Modern in innovative ways.”

Brewster Home Fashions take the space age shapes and striking colors of the ’60s to powerful new levels in its wallpaper offerings. Metallic accents, subtle textures, beads, intense new colors and new materials like suede have roots in the post-war period.

“After World War II, Americans had many new materials to work with, and that drove a whole new design ethos,” says Berberian.

Reacting to the drab and often fussy décor of the past, Americans chose colors and forms that reflected the optimism, strength and technical prowess of the new American Century. Mid-tone pastels of coral, turquoise, purple, green and yellow provided a perfect backdrop for streamlined new modern furniture, inspired by designs from Scandinavia and Germany.

Floral prints were an especially popular Mid-Century motif, from dainty roses against a pastel background to eye-popping psychedelic blooms. Eijffinger®’s Ibiza and Luz Collections from Kenneth James reinvent retro 1950s’ roses and 1960s’ Flower Power by using new textures, bold patterns and brilliant colors.

Geometric shapes brought drama and symmetry to wallcoverings, often inspired by the modern architecture that was transforming the American landscape. The globes, hexagons and satellite shapes of new homes, public buildings and airports gave new life to once-staid wallpaper. America was reaching for the moon—and stars, sunbursts, clouds and other astral themes reflected a brave new world.

Vivid shades of red, yellow, coral, blue and aqua added drama to ’60s rooms. Thanks to modern technology, these palettes are new, fresh and more intense than their Mid-Century forebears. Today, Brewster Home Fashions wallpapers take the palette to dazzling new levels on feature walls everywhere with innovative prints, rich textures and metallic accents.

Was Grandma a flower child? This striking wallpaper featured in the Eijffinger®’s “Ibiza” Collection from Kenneth James captures the vibe of a Haight-Ashbury pad.
The past is present in the stunning colors, shapes and accents of Brewster Home Fashions’ collections, reinterpreted in 21st century style. “Happiness is not a destination—it’s a way of life” is the vision behind Eijffinger®’s “Ibiza” Collection from Kenneth James. Brilliant colors and lively graphics recall tropical sunsets and seascapes with casual and contemporary flair.

Brewster Kennwth James Luz 330503

The lavish glamor of the Fifties informs Eijffinger®’s arresting “Luz” Collection from Kenneth James. Cosmopolitan and chic, its designs combine modern metallics with geometric shapes in multidimensional shades of blue, pink and silver.

If taste truly does skip a generation, will we one day see a return to flowery chintzes and calicos, lavish window treatments, ruffled pillow and bedskirts and deeper colors? “Quite possibly,” says Berberian, noting that chintz fabrics were brought to Europe from India in the 1600s and that the fabric makes a comeback at least once in a century.

“Whatever era beckons—American Colonial, Victorian, late Twentieth century—beautiful wallpaper will still be the key to reinterpreting the period in a superb and highly personal style.”

 

Brewster Kenneth James Luz 330503

 

(article resource Brewster Home Fashions and Your Decorating Resource)

 

All Brewster Home fashion wallcovering can be purchased through Eade’s Wallpaper & Fabric 1-877-229-9427 www.eadeswallpaper.com