The Mad Men Effect on interior design

Mary-Frances O'Dea

More posts by this author

Just in case you’ve been hiding under a rock, Mad Men is set in 1960s New York, the sexy, stylized and provocative series follows the lives of the ruthlessly competitive men and women of Madison Avenue advertising, an ego-driven world where key players make an art of the sell.   The series also depicts authentically the roles of men and women in this era while exploring the true human nature beneath the guise of 1960s traditional family values.

The fantastic sets and styling has had a huge impact onto trends in home decor.   In the latest issue of the UK magazine MidCentury an article titled “The Mad Men Effect,” in which author “Huma Qureshi assesses the impact of this stylized drama on our home décor.”

“I want to make Mad Men look real, as if the people really have those pieces. It’s important that they be imperfect,not iconic.” Set Designer Amy Wells

The rest of the article (along with a few more interesting “samples” is available here…

And  I had to grab this picture because isn’t Peter’s lamp awesome – any idea where I can get one?

share this:

Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest

Visit our
travel site:

More articles:

1950’s Modernism: A guide for the clueless.

What is characteristic of Modernist architecture? Do the major design features involve steel and glass? Was the design machine-inspired? (does it look somewhat like a machine?) Do the upholstery’s and fabrics look like those found at www.maharam.com? Does the design lack unnecessary details? Does its form follow its function? Does the design emphasize linear qualities? Are there a lot of horizontal and vertical lines? So, when exactly did Modernism develop as an architectural style? Modernism

Read More

Mid Century Color – or why 50's TV was black and white

I can hear Pam screaming in argument, but I really think one of the issues with incorporating TRUE 1950’s decorating styles into our lives today is that the colors were SO bright. In their defense, I don’t even think these two rooms are really that bad. The bottom one is supposed to be a little girl’s room and the top one is definitely cheerful. But I do think this amazing leap in color is one

Read More

Decorating the kid’s rooms with Mid-Century Style!

Mid-century is a design style that may seem boring to your kids because it’s all about simplicity and minimalism. However, there are many interactive furniture additions that can help you stick with the mid-century motif while keeping your children’s rooms fun. When designing children’s rooms, you must take safety and durability into consideration. What might work for your master bedroom might not work for your kids’ space. Instead of using glass, stick to plastic and

Read More

Banana Republic adds Mad Men line

It’s been a while since we featured something non-architecture related and here’s a good chance. Spotted on Tom and Lorenzo’s site, this fabulous Mad Men line of clothing is being introduced by Banana Republic: LOVE the print dress! Go read the rest of the post (and see more pictures!) here.

Read More