Hasn't mid-century always meant the 50s or thereabouts?

Well, maybe but I thought last centry, mid-century referred to mid 1800's.

rrs626,
If you do a search on "mid-century style" you'll find most everyone is referring to the 1950s give or take a few years.

WE really like the open floor plan. We rarely have company and DH and I always visit with each other while I am cooking. After 24 years you would think we would be all talked out. We just never seem to run out of things to visit about. At our age maybe we are just discussing the same things over and over and have forgotten we have already been there. LOL

OTOH I do find I am waiting to make noise ,as in run the mixer or blender, for a commercial so I do not disturb his TV viewing pleasure.

I really like the looks of granite but I would have to go back to those plastic dishes if I had it. I am loosing my grip in my hands and the softer counters have saved many of slips.

I too like the looks of the older kitchens not so matchie matchie.

Chris

The 1950s-70s era now referred to as midcentury modern went through a number of names none of which have been perfect: post-war, atomic era, Eames-era, and some others.

As soon as mid-century went into heavy rotation, people started saying--"ok, pretty soon people are going to say *which mid-century". Most eras of design are named retrospectively, not all.

In terms of trying to do something that is not easily dated, I would say pick something that is current, something that is already considered a bit "dated", mix in some things that have been around forever, and make it difficult for people to determine when you did it, exactly.

My husband is not big on trendy and has always felt that a black and white bathroom is never dated. I believe he is right cause it was around in the 1920's (our first home) and is still a classic style.

Hmmmm - do you think the things we now consider "classic" were, when new,were referred to as trendy? What appeals to you and what labels you put on things is all subjective and personal....todays "trendy" could very well be tomorrow's "classic." Just a thought.

I have a love/hate thing with the open floorplan. We just opened up the back of our house, and I was initially against it, but once I realized we could repurpose DH's study and the guest bedroom, I was okay with it. I do like having the space, because face it: guests always congregate in the kitchen anyway. My kids will be 12 and 15 within the month, and it's nice to have the big space to house them and their friends.

But I don't think I would have been happy doing it without being able to have a smaller private space that isn't opened up to everything. DH's office is a lovely wood-paneled room with a real fireplace and built-ins and french doors ... we are kicking him out of it and putting the piano and library in there. We very rarely have guests, so he gets to move his office space into that room, which he already half owns (he uses the closet and bath in there, as I am not fond of him waking me at 5 am when I have more time to sleep. So he's kicked out again. LOL)

So I guess I'm saying ... uh.... both? I do stay away from those really tall walls and high windows in great rooms ... that's a lot of wasted space, IMO. I hope that's a trend that goes away. We have a vaulted ceiling in the kitchen that's kind of nice, but I am NOT a fan of two-story rooms.

Son #3 bought his house with cathedral ceilings before Son #2 bought his. Son #3 told Son #2 they should be outlawed for the wasted space and the cost of heating/cooling them, and the fact that you cannot wash the windows yourself because they are too high, but Son #3 bought one, anyway. Now they're both cursing themselves! Lovely, big rooms filled with light from windows they have to hire people with ladders that reach to the third story on the outside to wash that cost a small fortune to live in!

When we remodeled our kitchen in 2001, DS 2 told us not to get certain lights, as they were already dated. In 2009 he bought his new house with the cathedral ceilings with the same lights all over his kitchen - and he and his wife think they're great.

The granite thing makes me wonder, too. Three of my kids have it in their kitchens, and I think it's awful stuff. It's pretty for an hour or two just after you wash and polish it, but it's awfully high maintenance for a busy kitchen. And it's so expensive that I would never be able to change it if I ever got tired of it. I like high-end things, but I'm just a plain old formica girl myself. Mine is still beautiful.

When we built our house last year we decided to have 10 foot ceilings instead of cathedral ceilings. With the cost of heating, we didnt want to be heating the wasted space above. 10 foot ceilings still give you a spacious feel to the room. I believe the very tall ceilings are not as popular now in new homes.

Palimpsest wrote: "In terms of trying to do something that is not easily dated, I would say pick something that is current, something that is already considered a bit "dated", mix in some things that have been around forever, and make it difficult for people to determine when you did it, exactly."
That sounds like what I'd like to try. Only ... since I haven't thought about such things in a long time, and can't review pictures that demonstrate design developments, I only have a very unreliable tool -- my memory -- to sort out the timeless v the trendy.

It's sort of funny, but I keep wondering how much of my choices will ultimately be determined by whatever the most common current trend happens to be. For instance, I've been reading recent threads here voraciously and certain colors and color trends keep popping up. If that happens to be what is "trendy", it will become more and more available. More and more persons will suggest colors or items that "trend" in that direction.

The end result might not be due to me choosing a trendy thing to be trendy, but just choosing it because it's what's out there. Of course, once a "trend" is pretty well established, you can bet that it's also on the way out!

So, what I'm trying to do is to stick with ideas that have at their core some reason for being chosen by me. I've mentioned that I may follow irises for ideas in my guest room. Not really wanting an old-fashioned look, but the connection for me is multiple generations in my family that have loved gardening and have passed on irises to the next generation. I would be choosing the idea because it resonates with me at that deeper level.

For our family room I'm considering resurfacing the painted brick fireplace with granite. I'm aware of the "new" rejection of granite by some. But I'd be choosing it first of all because my father, a geologist, showed me and my brothers the beauty of stones from an early age. When he and my Mom put granite into their home, it was an act of love on his part. Now, I don't like the way that some granites have come into the market through extremely cheap labor and detrimental extraction methods (more or less blasting it out of delicate eco-systems). That's what put granite into the reach of so many people in recent years and I'd be one of those needing to find it at a reasonable price. But, all that being said, if I chose granite, it would be because it's an exquisite material and reminds me of my father, who recently died.

Odd reasons for choices, I suppose, but since I can't see my environment, I tend to want it to tell me a story. Which, if you think about it, may be one of the reasons certain places ... even certain homes ... become timeless.

Wellspring

Wellspring I agree.
I guess I live in a timeless home. It was built in the 1900 and doesn't have the exquisite detail of other period home of it's time but it has character. When my brother bought his home in the "new developments" in the 1970's, his house had no moldings, wood floors, etc. It lacked character and any details. Sort of like buying a striped down car. Yeah it was big and he had his 4 bedroom and baths, but no tile in those bathrooms? Fake marble top vanities? He had 1/2 acre and I guess that he felt that was the thing to do, rejecting the old home like in the movie "Mr.Billings Buys his Dream House" (I think that was the name). Old homes need fixing and updates, but they have a history for those who appreciate that and were built with quality in mind, not quantity. You know that when you knock down a plaster wall in an old home. I swear you need a container just to fill the debris. Knock down a wall in a sheetrock house, no problem. I know the trend has changed and the new homes have more details. So in a sense, people are realizing that old was not necessarily bad or dated, but something to be admired. BTW, I love granite and not because it was trendy. It's so functional and I love having something that is natural. Not sure why people say upkeep is hard? I just wipe it down and once in awhile spray some cleaner made for granite on it.

What's in will be out, and what's out will be back in style so I'm not going to get my panties twisted in a knot over the issue of trendiness. :-) Timelessness is just an idea conjured up to get you to buy things. A lot of the things we called "timeless" (1920's hotel chic, wood floor, marble) were considered dated before. People used to put wall to wall carpet over beautiful wood floors. Carpet was the in thing then. The same with wallpaper. In the 80s & early 90s I remembered people ripping out gorgeous expensive wallpaper and replaced them w/ special paint finish (Tuscan plaster, faux glaze, sponging, dragging, suede, etc.) Now I heard that wall paper (especially vintage ones) are back again. It's an exhaustive merry go round. .

Out of this madness, certain thing would age better. In general, I like to buy furniture that are well designed, well crafted, of nice proportion, and reasonably scaled. I tend to pay less attention to how things measure up to the trend-o-meter. I have things that are no longer in style, but I love them then I love them now. that's what matters.

When it comes to houses, I like to buy houses that are thoughtfully designed, well made, have flexible & versatile floor plan. I like appropriate architectural features for the type & style of houses, i.e. putting double story window in places where such drama is warranted (formal living room, foyer, etc.) and keep low ceiling in rooms like TV rooms, bedrooms, where people want that cozy nesting feelings. I prefer open floor plan because for me, it's just more flexible. It's easier to put up a screen or use bookcases to divide up the space when you want privacy, then remove the screen for large parties & entertainment than having to remove walls.

For me most important things in design is thoughtfulness, appropriateness, and craftmanship. The rest is just gloss.

My neighbor took out his dark wood cabinets, now they're back in style! He also put in "labrador antique" granite, it grease stains easily.

I LOVE an open floor plan. The windows have solar value. My utility bills are the same at this house as they were at my last house(both homes were newly built the same year),which was exactly half the size!! :0)

Yes, I have granite counters. LOVE them! & stainless steel appliances.

I have not bought into the trend of flat screen TV's & computer monitors .......yet. I still have an amoire in the MB....which is outdated. I purchased a puffy leather couch, which is not the current trend, but was the most comfortable we found. It's a mix.

I used to live in a small western town a long way from anything and the saying there was, "By the time it (trend)gets here, it has be been out of style everywhere else for a long time." It ws sort of true.

There are things I like about granite and stainless but just wonder what will be the next "best" thing. More eco-oriented products maybe?

I'm over the "garden tub" and miss my clawfoot tub that used a lot less water and was just the right size. I didn't have to take off my shoes and climb into it to open the shades in the corner windows like I do with our current behemoth of a tub.

I do like the flatscreen TVs because they free up more space - I don't care to see them over the fireplace.

When entering our house, the living/dining/kitchen ares are all visable. If I'm cooking anything in the kitchen, it looks messy. I think a modified open floor plan would be a good choice.

Frugality prevents me from updating electronics until they are worn out but I always get the latest greatest when it is time to replace computers, telephones, tvs, etc. Technology is always changing and usually for the better. I don't think it's the same as decorating.

There was a store in Ithaca, NY called Contemporary Trends. They had a shipment of stock sent to them, addressed to Temporary Trends.

I'm not a trendy person but I am amused when my color schemes become trendy again.

I grew up in a home with reds and greens, the jewel tones. Many many years ago when we bought our house, I decorated it the same way. When we did the remodel earlier this year..ditto.

I had reds and forrest green long before it became popular in the 90s.

So I choose to decorate the way I want to, and if it happens to come back in style again then go out, so be it.

I sometimes think our personalities are made certain ways where we have our own comfort zone with regard to color.

Oh, before the remodel and new room, my kitchen was very close to the living room and I was around the action in the house. With the new room, my kitchen is waay back in the house now, and it gets lonely in there!

I like double ovens but we couldn't find a house with them in our recent search. Most houses had the slide-in stoves. Ours is a slide in with two ovens-one tiny one and the other regular sized with the door almost touching the floor - I have to squat down to put anything in it. Husband and I both have burned ourselves a few times already. I also don't like the space between the stove and the granite where crumbs and stuff can fall into. My wish list if we ever build include double ovens.

I'm all over the place with my "style"...I just buy stuff that appeals to me. I like the clean lines of "mid-century modern" but I also like carved pieces...we joke that our house is decorated in Early Auction House. Honestly, though...it is. We've only purchased three of the LR pieces new. Everything else is from thrift shops, resale shops, and auction houses.

Only "rule" I have is-there will always be a red sofa. I LOVE my red sofa...it's my Mother's Henredon from 1970. Had it lengthened and reupholstered a few years ago...it's about time to have it reupholstered again. (Note to self, no brushed twill this time. It holds cat fur like a lint brush.)

My house has what I'd call a "modified" open floor plan. The kitchen is in the front of the house, but I have a pretty significant half wall between it and the dining room. We don't have a television in our LR, so that's not an issue.

Living Room:

Looks timeless to me!

I think Candace Olson says that Eclectic furnishings need to be separated by at least one or two "design decades" to make it all work.

Oh, and I ought to have said "thank you."

I like Candace Olson's designs. Can't seem to find her show these days.

That is a pleasing paint color you selected.

Living room wall are Ben Moore's Berkshire Beige...
the two walls that are the "kitchen cube" are Ben Moore's Tate Olive. I like the BB because of the way it shifts with the light...takes on different hues depending on whether the trees have leaves, etc.

Here's a pic of the corner of the kitchen cube...I've got the artwork hung now...so ignore the bare walls:

Very nice! Thanks for the info. Maybe one day I'll be able to talk DH into painting our new (to us) house.