Mid century modern shelf: Between organization and décor

Shelves are commonly seen as a purely practical piece of furniture in a modern home, and it is not without good reason. However, in mid century era, as with every other aspect of home interior, shelves became an important décor detail that needed to fit with the overall décor of the room without breaking its aesthetic balance. We are used to thinking that things that end up on the shelves are what contributes to the décor of the room, but what mid century furniture designers and manufacturers managed to achieve is to ensure that even the shelves themselves are stylish and aesthetically pleasing.

Combined with some cleverly chosen décor details and accessories, mid century modern shelf can become a highly stylish piece of furniture that will have an unexpectedly profound impact on the overall aesthetic of the room you choose to place it with. From regular shelving solutions and units to corner shelves, bookcases and floating shelves, these mid century modern furniture pieces can transform the way you think about shelving – and in the process, transform the look of your stylish and modern home.

Mid century shelving in a modern home

Many of the mid century modern classics have been built with timeless elegance and appeal that has stood the test of time. The same is true for mid century modern shelving. These models are unimposing, elegant in their simplicity and undoubtedly stylish. Some of them are exceptionaly minimalist in appearance, with simple dividers separating different areas on the shelving units. Many others feature a balanced yet seemingly asymmetrical look with different shelf levels offset by certain amount in order to provide the whole piece with some visual interest. This same approach is commonly utilized in mid century shelf units which feature a number of different, albeit connected components which can be slightly offset or sometimes with a different and odd number of dividers. Much more commonly than not the full units come with tapered legs which ensure that the space still looks spacious and open.

With this exceptional attention to details, mid century designers ensured that their shelves just as perfectly fit the need of a modern customer. Regardless of your exact stylistic preferences, mid century modern shelving is bound to provide you with a perfect solution. With unimposing yet undoubtedly stylish appeal, these highly functional shelving units will help you clear the clutter, put your most treasured accessories or plants in stylish stands on a perfectly balanced and elegant display and do all that without disrupting the aesthetical character of the room.

Mid century bookshelf and bookcase

Regardless of whether you are bookworm, a dedicated book collector or neither of the two, you are bound to have some books lying around your place. Even if you are not an avid reader, you might be using books as a décor accessory or to highlight some of your interests and make the space more personal. Regardless of the exact scenario, mid century bookshelves are a perfect solution that can easily fit in in countless contemporary interior design styles. And with the wood as the most common material used in the production of mid century modern bookcases, these models can easily match both the more contemporary and minimalist and more conventional approaches to décor.

Mid century corner shelf

Corner shelves are a common way to save space and still get some extra shelving done, but during the mid century era, this type of shelving was actually one of the more expressive and experimental. With an unconventional basic shape due to its intended placing, mid century corner shelves were a perfect opportunity for innovation and out-of-the-box furniture design. While some models are designed in such a way to mimic more conventional shelves, a majority of mid century corner shelving solutions rely on asymmetry subtle ornamentation or certain variations in different levels for a truly unique aesthetic expression.

Mid century record shelf

While not a specific type of shelving as such, we thought there are some good reasons to mention these ones too. First of all, it seems that records are back in style, so what better way to store them than just like they were back during their golden days. Mid century record shelf is more commonly a shelf unit or even a TV stand with shelves and dividers tall enough for record plates being able to fit. A huge hit in the previous decades, they still look stylish in modern homes and when equipped with your collection of vinyl classics, your new mid century record shelf is bound to instantly give your home that warm vintage vibe.

Mid century wall shelves

Mid century wall shelves come in a variety of shapes and sizes. And although they have never reached the innovative heights of some other shelving solutions, they have certainly provided some rather interesting model. From the commonly present asymmetrical layouts to unconventional, even organic and curved shapes and forms. When present, shelf brackets were commonly used as yet another stylistic element, but in majority of cases, mid century wall shelves were designed to act as floating shelves in order not to disturb the décor of the room with exposed suspension mechanisms.