Mid-Century Modern Design and Symmetry

Last night, me and Amy went to Modern Antiques to look at the space, get to know the owner, share a bottle of wine, and start moving stuff around. It was a great time.

The owner is staining the concrete over the next few days to complement our cool wall colors. 

Soon, we’ll introduce some of the pieces that we’ve selected to pull into our 20x20 booth. We'll also share the histories of some of the pieces, and for a few, the really cool spots that they're going to sit for the next few decades. 

Today, I'd like to share a topic that me and Amy chat about during our deeply theological decorating discussions. I mean, we must have said something good at some point for this guy to let us paint and stage his warehouse, right?

We are both avid readers of design blogs and there are a few, that we have a deep devotion to.

The It's Complicated House, Image via Cote de Texas

For me, one of those is Cote de Texas. She has written about her Top Design Elements several times, and I find myself thinking about these specific posts on numerous occasions.

Her top design elements include

• Linen
• Slipcovers
• Seagrass
• Curtains
• Light/Fixtures
• Wall Decor
• Antiques
• Symmetry

Recently, I've been focusing on the last one--symmetry. I like symmetrical rooms.

Symmetry defined is beauty characterized by such excellence of proportion: harmony or balance. This means the left side has the same balance as the right. When the room can be split in half and the two sides mirror each other. These are photos of symmetrical design taken from Cote de Texas's posts.

When we selected furniture for our booths, we acknowledged that symmetry is an easy way to fill a booth, quickly. Two of the same chairs in a booth take up more room and look 'designed' more than 2 different chairs or 2 different side tables. Symmetrical design will be one of the things that we put to the test...

...Because, our booths are at a mid-century modern (MCM) antique store! MCM design styles feature asymmetrical wallpaper and design, as well as open space. It specializes in interesting and unique conversational pieces within airy and bright spaces.

So, maybe the spaces will take on a mix of symmetrical with an asymmetrical accent thrown in for good measure. Or we can create an asymmetrical booth just to see how it feels. Right now, we'll let our eyes guide us, and hopefully later, we'll be able to explain how symmetry can work in mid-century modern spaces...

Photo from Design Within Reach