mid-century modern furniture Archives

Scheming: Playful Dining Room with Flat Vernacular Wallpaper by Helios Design Group

When Ariel Roth’s clients,a young family of five in a suburb of Boston, asked her to dress down their formal dining room, she went right for the wallpaper.

“They wanted the rooms in their early 1900s Colonial to be fun and comfortable,” says Roth, an interior designer with Helios Design Group in the Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts. They enthusiastically embraced her suggestion to cover all four walls of the formal dining room with whimsical wallpaper. “We used the word ‘happy’ a lot,” the Boston designer says.

The wallcovering she chose? Flat Vernacular Swallowtail, an organic, stone-like pattern in a mix of sweet and earthy colors. She pulled out the pink with simple drapes, and grounded the room by painting the millwork in Benjamin Moore Old Navy.

Photo by Michael J. Lee

I wrote about this space last year in the Boston Globe Magazine, a year ago. Here, I pulled similar pieces so you can pull the look together on your own. (Or call the designer, I’m sure she’d love to hear from you!)

G E T the L O O K

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Get the Look: 30 Modern Rocking Chairs

A few weeks ago I did a small roundup of modern rocking chairs to accompany a decor story in the Boston Globe. (Every Monday my lovely colleague Jaci Conroy writes an interior design article for the Globe and I pull together a corresponding group of furnishings & accessories.) I found so many great modern rocking chairs + contemporary rocking chairs that I figured a blog post was in order.

These all have great styling and are a far departure from traditional rockers or overstuffed gliders for the nursery. We have an Eames molded plastic rocker in sky blue on the Cape that we bought for my son, though I think it’s in our room now. Sometimes I use it on our little deck. I didn’t include that iconic example here, but there are other examples (mid-century modern furniture replicas), like the #16, the Swerve which has jaunty cut-outs and a full wooden base.

I love the look of #5, a very spare rocker from NYC shop Matter, and of love the tall mint-upholstered one by Normann Copenhagen. And if only I could place that blush colored Artifort rocker in the model apartment I’m decorating. Probably thought, the one that makes the most sense for my lifestyle is Gus Modern’s GT rocker (#13). It is definitely a contemporary rocking chair in style, but with enough cushion to be comfy.

Shop 30 modern rocking chairs from StyleCarrot partners and other favorite shops.

1 Comback Rocking Chair by Patricia Urquiola for Kartell, $890 at YLiving.

2 Taxed Rocking Chair by Segis, $1,309.99 at AllModern.

3 First Rocking Chair, $3,170 at Matter.

4 Buttercup Rocker by Blu Dot, $899 at Lumens.

5 Era Rocking Chair by Normann Copenhagen & Simon Legald, $1,860 at A+R.

6 Terra Rocking Chair by Antonio Forteleoni for ATIPIC, $1,172 at AllModern.

7 Outback II Rocking Chair, $329 at CB2.

8 Hand-Woven Rocker, $299 at Urban Outfitters.

9 Geneva Wood Patio Rocking Chair by Safavieh, $216 at Target.

10 500 Series Rocking Chair by Artifort, $4,006 at YLiving.

11 Stingray Rocker by Thomas Pedersen, $4,537 at Danish Design Store.

12 Luxembourg Rocking Chair by Fermob, $1,024 at Horne.

13 GT Rocker by Gus Modern, $1,150 at 2modern.

14 Rapson Rocker by Ralph Rapson for Loll Designs, $1,159 at YLiving.

15 Aquios Bentwood Rocking Chair by CorLiving, $102.05 at Overstock.

16 Swerve Rocking Chair by Modway, $299 at IFN Modern.

17 Regatta Rocking Chair, $499 at Crate & Barrel.

18 POÄNG Rocking Chair, $169 at Ikea.

19 Risom Rocker, $2,470 at DWR.

20 Version 5 Rocker by A. Jacob Marks for Skram, $5,302 at Lumens.

21 Voido Rocking Chair by Ron Arad for Magis, $985 at YLiving.

22 Mod RockerBy Iglooplay, $326 at 2modern.

23 Mid-Century Rocking Chair, $599 at Land of Nod.

24 Mod Lounger by Lisa Albin for OFFI, $599 at YLiving.

25 Rocker Chair by Guidecraft, $109.95 at AllModern.

26 Sleepytime Rocker by Nursery Works, $499 at YLiving.

27 Rapson Greenbelt Rocker with Arms by Ralph Rapson, $1,695 at YLiving.

28 Wicker & Chrome Mid-Century Rocking Chair, $850 at Chairish.

29 Springwood Rocking Chair, $799 at Land of Nod.

30 Mademoiselle Rocking Chair by Artek, $1,538 at 2modern.

31 Windsorrondack Single Rocker by Board by Design, $4,100 at Aha Life.

32 Rocking Chair in Scrapwood by Piet Hein Eek, $921 at The Future Perfect.

33 Rocking Chair by Adrian Pearsall,$3,000 at Azalea Modern, 1stdibs.

34 Upholstered Mid Century Rocking Chair, $281.71 at shopladder, eBay.

35 Rocking Bent Wood Chairs, $1,875 at S.Julian, 1stdibs.

36 Do Do Rocking Chair by Jean-Marie Massaud for Poltrona Frau at Switch Modern.

ARTmonday: Finn Juhl’s Art Collection

Richard Mortensen

Last week I was in Copenhagen for the first time on a press trip with VisitDenmark/Wonderful Copenhagen, compliments of Design Milk. One of the highlights was a visit to the home of Finn Juhl, Danish mid-century modern furniture designer and architect. You are likely familiar with his iconic Pelican chair and Poet sofa (now produced by Onecollection and available in the U.S. through DWR). He is also known for his design of the Trusteeship Council in the UN building in NYC.

Finn Juhl’s house, Kratvaenget 15, built 1941—42

In 1942, Finn Juhl and his first wife, Inge-Marie Skaarup, built a house in Ordrup, designed by Juhl. They hung many works by Danish art painters of the time: Lundstrøm, Richard Mortensen, Eigill Jacobsen, Robert Jacobsen, and others. I’ll post photographs of the house later, but right now I today I thought it would be fun to see his art collection. I wish I could identify the artists; I will write to the press person at the museum and add the attributions when/if I get them. UPDATED: I found the brochure I brought home with me which identifies the artwork.