M i d -century modern design as we know it today is a curated vision of an aesthetic that was once reserved for the elite and a v a n t -garde While the 1950s through the 1970s are celebrated for their sleek lines organic forms and futuristic optimism the reality is that most homes of the era were furnished with holdovers from previous decades traditional colonial or d e c o -influenced pieces that made true c u t t i n g -edge m i d -century design a rarity outside of h i g h -end showrooms and d e s i g n -forward homes What we now recognize as m i d -century modern was largely an aspirational style featured in design magazines and exclusive collections rather than in the average household The iconic