The mantra 'reduce-reuse-recycle' was never more important than it is today in our 'throw-away' society, with plastic packaging continuing to be used on almost every purchasable piece of food (with some to-be-encouraged exceptions) and gadgets which used to last half a lifetime ( I still have my 1970s calculator - and it still works!) being upgraded with ever-increasing (and largely unnecessary) frequency and household appliances built almost as if purposely to fail just after their 3-year guarantee.
So it is encouraging to see small businesses bucking this trend and my short stint thus far on Instagram has shown me that the vintage-collecting and retro-seeking global community are playing an important part: some through collecting and buying second-hand or vintage items; others by sourcing, cleaning, fixing or upcycling and re-selling partly to meet this demand, but often also because they enjoy doing so.
Creating your mid-century modern home is a brilliant opportunity to do this too: whilst the demands of modern living necessitate contemporary purchases also, by using as many original pieces as possible you will not only be giving your home an authentic mid-century feel but you will be doing your bit for the planet too. Mid-century furniture compared with today's pieces was built to last and has lasted, so you will not be continually having to replace things which are falling apart after a short period of wear. Things don't have to look absolutely perfect either: the solidity of a teak item for example more than makes up for the odd undisguisable mark and the beauty and heavy quality of a mid-century barkcloth fabric forgive a tiny pull or two which would be unacceptable on something purchased 'brand new'.
One of the most enjoyable trends in terms of reusing/recycling has been the re-purposing of old items to new uses, and this is perfectly applicable to the mid-century modern style : the odd beautiful piece which might no longer be fit for its original purpose can be reused in a different way or simply as a decorative object.
On this page are just some examples of re-purposing which can enhance a mid-century/mid-century modern home - mostly on a shoestring budget ! Watch this space as this page is still in the process of being created and will be continuously added to!
So it is encouraging to see small businesses bucking this trend and my short stint thus far on Instagram has shown me that the vintage-collecting and retro-seeking global community are playing an important part: some through collecting and buying second-hand or vintage items; others by sourcing, cleaning, fixing or upcycling and re-selling partly to meet this demand, but often also because they enjoy doing so.
Creating your mid-century modern home is a brilliant opportunity to do this too: whilst the demands of modern living necessitate contemporary purchases also, by using as many original pieces as possible you will not only be giving your home an authentic mid-century feel but you will be doing your bit for the planet too. Mid-century furniture compared with today's pieces was built to last and has lasted, so you will not be continually having to replace things which are falling apart after a short period of wear. Things don't have to look absolutely perfect either: the solidity of a teak item for example more than makes up for the odd undisguisable mark and the beauty and heavy quality of a mid-century barkcloth fabric forgive a tiny pull or two which would be unacceptable on something purchased 'brand new'.
One of the most enjoyable trends in terms of reusing/recycling has been the re-purposing of old items to new uses, and this is perfectly applicable to the mid-century modern style : the odd beautiful piece which might no longer be fit for its original purpose can be reused in a different way or simply as a decorative object.
On this page are just some examples of re-purposing which can enhance a mid-century/mid-century modern home - mostly on a shoestring budget ! Watch this space as this page is still in the process of being created and will be continuously added to!
