Aligning Your Mid Century Home With Its True Colors and Style!

If you’ve been following along with my recent series, you’ll know that I’m going through some of the most popular home & architectural styles in America along with exterior paint color palettes that align with the design style’s roots & traditions.

We’ve already covered Victorian house colors and Colonial house colors, so next up is mid century modern colors! Mid century modern homes depart from the very classic and traditional Victorian and Colonial styles to give us homes that are modern, futuristic, and interesting to the eye. 

Let’s dive into some of the most common design elements in these homes along with some color expert approved color options. 

A Brief History of Mid Century Modern Homes

As the name suggests, mid century modern homes were built and popularized in the mid-20th century from around the 1930s through the 1960s. 

Many find these homes to be reactionary to the more traditional Colonial homes and a great departure from the heavily adorned and decorated Victorians. 

Mid century modern homes are traditionally minimalistic with clean and angular lines in the architecture. Design elements also often include an emphasis on something similar to biophilic design looking to bring nature and other natural elements into the design.

Mid century modern homes often have large and expansive windows to expose the house to sunlight and views of nature. The interiors are often quite open floor plans while the exteriors show off strong, angular lines.

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Looking for the right color but not sure where to start?

Contact Amy Wax, online paint color consultant, for an expert opinion

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Traditional Mid Century Modern Colors

Aligning with the minimalist aesthetic of many of these homes, color palettes for these homes usually would choose 3-4 colors.

The connection between these homes and their natural surroundings was often reflected in their exterior paint colors. Home body colors often included:

• Various shades of brown
• Tans
• Rich, earthy greens
• Reddish-browns
• Greys
• Deep purples & maroons

Orange and brown was a classic combination during this time.

Accent and trim colors could align with a more subdued look. These include light browns with yellowish hues or colors like deep browns with hints of orange, dark purples, and rich taupes. You could also see lighter accent colors in light salmon pink, light greens, greiges, yellow, and soft blues.

While minimalist, natural colors were common, traditional mid century modern homes also could have some bright “retro” style influences. Pops of bright oranges, yellows, lime greens, turquoise, and teal weren’t uncommon for everything from shutters to garages to the front door. 

Need Help Deciding on Your Mid Century Modern Colors? 

Mid century modern colors align perfectly with the design and architectural style of these homes. 

Rich and earthy tones connect the homes to nature. The simplicity of the color combinations matches perfectly with the minimal and open style of the homes. The angular lines that set these properties apart work great with pops of retro oranges, teals, and muted yellows.

There are so many unique home and architectural styles that align with various color palettes and combinations. Keep checking back to my blog for more installments in this series!

As you can see from this post, mid century modern homes can have a range of colors and styles. These colors depend on the personality of the home, the location and, of course, the homeowner. 

I can work with you to understand all of the factors that could influence your home’s exterior paint colors.

Choosing colors for a home is a combination of listening to the style and taste of the homeowner, and choosing colors that work well with the style of the home. Whether you are choosing the colors on your own or would like the help of a professional, spend some time thinking about what your goals are and what you want to accomplish by changing the colors of your home. 

Getting ready to start the process?  Learn more about my online paint color consultant and virtual consulting services, or contact me to set up your appointment.