Mid-century coastal: north carolina’s growing design trend
(Photo Credit: Katie Manning)
North Carolina has always been a pivotal geographic and cultural hub of furniture design in America. Start in the early 1790s, when the city of Wilmington was second only to Boston as the country’s most significant port of call for lumber mills, shipwrights, and furniture makers. Fast-forward to 1910, to cities like High Point and Hickory, whose expertise in furniture design and fabrication would later earn them the title of “Furniture Capital of the World.”
Today, North Carolina remains a titan in the world of furniture production, while also being one of America’s fastest growing regions, luring highly-educated professionals from around the world, as well as recent retirees looking to enjoy the state’s pleasant climate and pristine beaches. This post highlights one of the Old North State’s most interesting emergent interior and furniture design trends: Mid-Century Coastal.
After farmhouse furniture, mid century modern and coastal aesthetics ranked second and third in May 2023 among North Carolina’s most popular furniture aesthetics. As it turns out, the pair actually look better when put together. According to architectural journalist Marimar Mcnaughton, this fusion creates “nautical touches and an utterly modern design [which] merge in an island home that’s both historic and contemporary.” Taking the best from both worlds, Mid-Century Coastal provides sleek and minimalist modernism while also breaking free from the more traditional themes of lighthouses, seashells and starfish often associated with the beach house theme.
Image Credit: Collov Home Design
While coastal aesthetics have traditionally incorporated blues into their color palette, more recently that mood has turned toward an emphasis on whites, grays, and warm sandy tones. This accents well with mid-century modern’s focus on earthy tones, like khaki, olive, and rust. Both designs embrace the modernist mantra of “outside in”, using natural fibers like jute, rattan, and sisal in their furniture designs.
The hardwoods of choice for Mid-Century Coastal furniture range in color and tone from warmer woods like walnut and teak, to more brightly colored species such as white oak and ash. Additionally, one thing is certain about wood selection in Mid-Century Coastal furniture–it is most often finished with only a clear topcoat, allowing the natural colors and grain texture of each wood to shine. This is a noticeable transition away from what Architectural Digest considers traditional beach house aesthetics, which tend to embrace white washing and driftwood stains.
Whether it’s in coastal towns like Wilmington or Southport, or in fast-growing metropolitan centers like Raleigh-Durham and Winston-Salem, Mid-Century Coastal design is worth paying attention to as a heavy hitter in growing furniture and home design trends. Here are a few of Brenelli’s custom designs that embrace the look:
