There are always varieties in any style as it crosses the range of public tastes.  There is “homey fifties kitsch” and “fun fabulous fifties” and to the other extreme is the elite “highbrow” take on Mid-Century Modern.  What we might not realize is that part of the more highbrow style in 1950’s American homes involved warmth and texture in a very rough naturalist un-mechanized way. There was often a wall length hearth at the center of the home for example.

In his book “Fifties Style: Then and Now” Richard Horn states,  “The piece de resistance of many a Modern house built in the fifties was its fireplace – ideally a whole wall of native stone – in the living area.  Crisply tailored yet inviting seating units would be grouped around it.  The oddly reassuring effect was of doing something quite primitive (warming up around a blazing hearth) in a setting of absolute modernity.”

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