13 Mid-Century Furniture Makeovers to Thrill Your Inner Vintage-Lover
Known as MCMD among DIY enthusiasts, mid-century modern decor is a term used to describe architecture and furniture from the middle of the 20th century.
Marvelous Mid-Century Modern Furniture Ideas
Whatever you want to restore, revive or reinvigorate, there’s a mid-century furniture idea for you. Our community has upcycled and upgraded all manner of furnishings. One of the most impressive projects we’ve found is this dresser from At Home with The Barkers. Perfectly Get tutorial here
Mid-century Modern Chair: Reviving a Retro Classic
The beauty of mid-century furniture is that it’s as sturdy as it is beautiful. Taking advantage of this, JRR restored a Craigslist bargain. Dismantling the chair, JRR went over the surface with 80 grit sandpaper to remove the old stain before smoothing with 120 grit. Once prepared, Varathane "espresso" stain was applied before four coats of wipe polyurethane provided a protective sheen. To finish this impressive mid-century modern chair, a vibrant cushion was added. Get tutorial here
Mid-century Chair Restoration
Mid-century furniture doesn’t have to mean tired and uninspiring. Picking up a pair of mid-century chairs for $15, Lisa knew a bit of TLC and creativity could bring them back to life. For this project, she decided to think outside of the box and use lime green paint and pink damask fabric. The end result is a mid-century chair that’s full of fun and character. Get tutorial here
Mid-century Coffee Table
Bring a touch of reverence to your home with this mid-century coffee table fashioned out of a church pew. Removing the chair from the backboard, Eric used a table saw to cut the bench into 2” strips. After stripping the varnish and sharpening the rounded edges with a planer, he made spacers to sit between each strip. Finally, non-spaced strips were added to each end and everything was glued in place to create a truly unique mid-century coffee table. Get tutorial here
Mid Century Step Tables Get a Geometric Mid C
Fusing contemporary patterns with mid-century furniture designs can bring a touch of vibrancy to an otherwise mundane household object. This mid-century modern coffee table by Joan shows what you can do with a solid base, tape and some paint. Picking up two mid-century modern step tables for a bargain, Joan upcycled them using geometric artwork. Marking out her shapes using painter’s tape, she matched the triangles to other shelves, creating a clever symmetry across each level. Get tutorial here
Mid-century Dresser
Any mid-century dresser can be made to look beautiful, Hometalker Susan has proved that.However, there’s something about this rustic dresser we love. Starting with four legs, this Hometalker crisscrossed two 2X3 struts to form the base. With the legs attached, plywood was used to build a simple box. The drawers were made using four lengths (two long, two short) and a base. Finally, wood pulls were attached and it was stained in a natural varnish to complete the rustic look. Get tutorial here
Mid-century Modern Desk
Bringing a mid-century modern desk back to life is easy with a bit of elbow grease. Admiring this desk for its legs, Alyssa knew that a simple restoration would make it the ideal feature in her home. Using nothing more than Old English Scratch Cover, she wiped liberally over the surface. As well as removing scuffs and stains, the solution added a sheen to the desk, allowing its kitsch beauty to shine through. Get tutorial here
Mid-century TV Stand
The only thing better than upcycling an old mid-century TV stand is repurposing another piece of furniture. Instead of scrapping her mid-century dresser, LB decided to turn it into a TV stand. With drawers at either end, she filled the middle with two custom-made shelves before cutting cable holes in the back. Finally, two coats of red-brown chalk paint, three coats of high gloss and two layers of clear wax were used to make this mid-century TV stand pop. Get tutorial here
Mid-century Modern Dining Table
When it comes to making your mid-century modern dining table stand out, it’s all about the accessories. After purchasing this mid-century modern dining table from a thrift store, Ashley knew there wasn’t much she could do to it. What she could do, however, was make it a focal point with two reupholstered chairs and contrasting round-base stools. To finish, a mid-century weave-effect stool and retro chandelier were used to complete this seventies’ look. Get tutorial here
Mid-century Book Case
Windows were all the rage when mid-century bookcases were in vogue. Turning the clock back, Lance Irwin used two seemingly contrasting objects to create his own vintage book shelve. Although it needs a coat of paint, Lance was able to batten a mid-century window to the front of an old book stand. All Lance had to do was add hinges for the window/door and install metal casters underneath the existing shelves so they could support more weight. Get tutorial here
Mid-century Lamp
This project from Sweet Papaya Creative is an excellent example of how you can light up a room with mid-century furniture. Purchasing a mid-century lamp for $20, this Hometalker knew the way to update it was to accentuate the three-pronged stand. To do this, she painted the shaft yellow and the base black. She continued this color scheme with a piece of fabric glued around an old lampshade. The end result is a mid-century lamp that shines. Get tutorial here
Mid Century Modern End Table
Some plywood and paint are all you need to restore the sleek, flowing lines that characterize many of the best mid-century end tables. Understanding that solid architecture will never go out of fashion, Cindy Hagemann spent $10 on a corkboard topped table. Seeing that the base was the most attractive feature, she covered the old top with lengths of plywood. From there, the top was stained before the legs were painted in Velvet Finishes white. Perfect! Get tutorial here
Mid-century Modern Bedroom
The challenge with any piece of mid-century furniture is making it fit with contemporary culture. Taking an aunt’s mid-century modern bedroom set, Kristen Koehler was able to restyle her teenage son’s room with a modern retro look. All she had to do was remove the blond veneer and repaint in a dark (almost black) stain. Finally, instead of gaudy gold handles, sleek silver pulls were screwed into place, creating the cool look you see above. Get tutorial here
