A Top Californian Realtor Shares 8 Secrets for Mastering Mid-Century Modern Style

Sam Arneson specializes in selling mid-century homes – and here's their best advice for nailing the interior style.

It was an upbringing along California’s rustic northern coastline that planted the mid-century modern seed for Sam Arneson. The real estate agent and curator’s hometown of Marin was the backdrop for their childhood, growing up within a series of old houses and alongside an architecture and design family. “I was raised in a really groovy, woodsy town and a love of this style was imprinted from a very early age,” Arneson says. “As I grew up and explored the world beyond, I kind of realized this style was the end-all-be-all for me. Canyon cottages, cabins, and anything bedecked in wood + glass + trees is pretty much the way into my soul.”

Now based in Los Angeles and working with real estate firm Bryant/Reichling, Arneson teams up with clients who seek a similar soulful aesthetic. “I love finding really cool people really awesome houses.” They’re also a curator, building a like-minded community with currently 184K Instagram followers who all share a common affinity: mid-century modern style.

Of all the design aesthetics that have gripped the world’s attention in recent years, there’s perhaps no other quite as ubiquitous as mid-century modern. But why? “I think there’s a cultural craving for it,” Arneson explains. “We had this white-on-white aggressive minimalism in the mid-2010s, but I think it’s boomeranged very hard in the other direction. People are realising we want warmth, we want wood, we want natural textures, we want to get out of our houses and feel like we’re in nature – midcentury design has all of this kind of authenticity.”

If this movement speaks to your design sensibilities and you’re looking for ways to weave the narrative into your home, continue ahead for advice given through Arneson’s masterful lens.

1. Understand the pillars of mid-century modern design

For those who are new to mid-century modern, it helps to have a baseline understanding of the aesthetic. “In my opinion, a deeply authentic mid-century modern house feels vintage, organic, and connected to the natural world,” Arneson says. Beginning with the framework, Arneson explains a modular, geometric structure that maintains open, flowing rooms, with soaring walls of glass are all elements one might find in an MCM abode. “Inside, furniture, decor, and tchotchkes draw from an earthy color palette, while all rooms flow towards the outdoors,” Arneson says, adding that ample wood paneling, atriums filled with houseplants, and Noguchi light fixtures are especially in line with their goals when finding a mid-century modern home. “When done right, mid-century modern design is a structural ode to the natural world.”

2. Brush up on the movement’s biggest influences

“When dreaming up a space, it's hard to go wrong with the greats like Charles and Ray Eames, Richard Neutra, John Lautner, Harry Gesner, and Pierre Koenig,” Arneson says. “I definitely lean more towards the 1970s interpretation of midcentury modernism – think: the sleek lines of the ‘50s and '60s (Eames, Koenig, Neutra) meets Topanga Canyon grooviness.”

3. Establish a collector’s mindset

Though we all would surely love the ability to snag mid-century modern icons like an Eames lounger or Camaleonda sofa, it’s not always realistic to purchase these sorts of high-priced pieces – certainly not all at once. “You can still find affordable prices, it just requires a shift in mentality. Even if something isn’t exactly mid-century but it feels old and wooden and completely unique, these secondhand pieces work,” Arneson says, pointing to resources like Facebook Marketplace and your local thrift store for where to focus your hunt. “I feel like when people move into a new place they go into a let’s get all of this all at once mode, but if you don’t have the budget and you want it to look cool it’s just going to take time. It’s about shifting your mindset to: I am collecting. I am going on treasure hunts for these cool pieces and that’s okay.”

4. Master the color palette

To know mid-century modern is to love nature’s beautiful hues, which is why if you’re curating a home aesthetic after the style it’s important to embrace this palette. “Classic mid-century modern design utilizes warm woods with strategic bold colorways. I tend to stick with the 1970s interpretation – a commitment to earthy shades that feel straight out of the forest – without the avant-garde reds/blues/yellows that the ‘50s and '60s used masterfully.” Of course, natural materials will always achieve this. “Unpainted wood ceilings, gorgeously original wood panelling, houseplants galore. A series of creams, cafe au lait, deep greens, maybe a blue, definitely some black. Leaning into tone-on-tone browns as much as possible,” Arneson says.

5. Mix in vintage and secondhand style

If you’re at all interested in interior design then you’re keenly aware that mid-century modern influences are everywhere, which begs the question: how do you channel this aesthetic without feeling like a copycat? “It's tough nowadays, given that MCM has had such a resurgence, to find your own take on the furniture that doesn't feel played out,” Arneson says. Their advice, thankfully, is totally achievable. “Mixing vintage elements and secondhand style with a select few of the iconic pieces is a great way to be original but referential at the same time.”

6. Know when (and when not) to marry it with other styles

No matter how much you love the mid-century modern style, it’s important to imbue your home with pieces that feel personal to you, which might mean mixing aesthetics a bit. Arneson’s advice for this is to approach with caution. “I think maintaining the architectural integrity of a mid-century home is paramount,” Arneson says, offering up the example of MCM homes with stark white ceilings as something to avoid. “Seriously, please stop painting your wood ceilings. I will come in there with a sandblaster if I have to! Just kidding (nope, dead serious).” All jokes aside, Arneson explains that if you keep those kinds of essential elements (walls of glass, original wood ceilings, vintage tones and textures) then you can get creative. “As I've said about eight million times already, I love adding in the groovy elements of late 1970s style that may even hinge on bohemian-meets-strategic maximalist-meets-houseplant fanatic vibes.”

7. Build a directory of inspiration

One of the easiest ways to cultivate a strong design POV is to build a directory of inspiration that you can return to over and over again. “When I was just getting into mid-century design and architecture, I started with Instagram,” Arneson says, adding that mid-century modernism is a massive aesthetic to explore. “I think finding yourself a series of accounts that feel like your vibe is imperative. For collected, warm, mid-century modern meets earthy vibes, I'd recommend some of my Insta friends: Salmon Creek Farm (@salmon_creek_farm), Paige Wassel (@wasselpa), Benji Plant (@benji_plant), West Coast Modern Homes (@westcoastmodernhomes), Orca Living (@orcaliving), DC Hillier (@dc_hillier), and Arvin Olano (@arvinolano). As for sites? Dwell and Architectural Digest are my go-tos."

8. Meld on and offline education

However, in the spirit of mid-century modern, Arneson says inspiration and info can’t all be found online. “My favourite pro tip? Just go to your local library and look in the architecture section. They'll absolutely have books about the mid-century era, and the architects I've mentioned,” Arneson says. “My favourite weekend activity includes curling up with a positively giant mid-century-related book and peeping the goodness my friends are sharing on Instagram. Melding that on/offline education is a great way to become well-versed in the style, and to find your vibes.”

Sam Arneson specializes in selling mid-century homes – and here's their best advice for nailing the interior style.

A Top Californian Realtor Shares 8 Secrets for Mastering Mid-Century Modern Style

Sam Arneson specializes in selling mid-century homes – and here's their best advice for nailing the interior style.

1. Understand the pillars of mid-century modern design