Midcentury Modern Style - by Karen Nepacena (Hardcover)

About the Book

It may seem daunting to design a midcentury modern-inspired home, but up-and-coming interior designer Karen Nepacena shows that by using just a few design guideposts anyone can make any room feel like a set from Mad Men or The Queen's Gambit. Showcasing real-life client redesigns, Nepacena goes room by room--and outside--offering bite-sized ways to create comfortable, stylish, and inviting spaces along the way. Full of approachable insider tips and tricks, easy DIYs, and important historical context, you'll learn how to create inspired, livable spaces full of mid-mod charm without the need for large-scale renovations or a big budget. Featuring the photography of Christopher Dibble.

Book Synopsis

"Karen Nepacena surveys the midcentury modern aesthetic with panache in this vibrant, accessible book--perfect for retro-vibe home makeover inspiration....Midcentury Modern Style is a smart, fun guide to the major design concepts of a popular retro style."--Foreword Reviews

"Lovely and delightful. This will be a sought-after title."--Library Journal

This accessible guide shows how easy it is to bring midcentury modern touches to every room in the house whether you're a seasoned designer or starting from scratch. Full of approachable guideposts to lead you, insider tips and tricks, and easy DIYs, you'll learn how to create inspired, livable spaces full of mid-mod charm.

It may seem daunting to design a midcentury modern-inspired home, but up-and-coming interior designer Karen Nepacena shows that by using just a few design guideposts anyone can make any room feel like a set from Mad Men or The Queen's Gambit. Showcasing real-life client redesigns, Nepacena goes room by room--and outside--offering bite-sized ways to create comfortable, stylish, and inviting spaces along the way.

Full of approachable insider tips and tricks, easy DIYs, and important historical context, you'll learn how to create inspired, livable spaces full of mid-mod charm without the need for large-scale renovations or a big budget. Featuring the photography of Christopher Dibble.

Review Quotes

Interior designer Nepacena and photographer Dibble's book offers ideas for adding midcentury modern touches to every room of the house. Whether one is doing a complete remodel, decorating throughout, or hoping to make some eye-catching but affordable modifications, this book is a helpful guide. It's filled with intriguing ideas with explanations of how they fit into the midcentury modern style of design. Helpful hints about what can be added to customize a space, plus create lines and color schemes, are interspersed with inspiration for simple room changes, such as putting a carefully chosen chair and rug in an office nook or creating a striking vignette on a coffee table. The book shows how these types of considerations can easily add life to a room and create an accessible interior design concept for budget-conscious readers. VERDICT Lovely and delightful. This will be a sought-after title.--Elizabeth Majka "Library Journal" (10/1/2023 12:00:00 AM)

Karen Nepacena surveys the midcentury modern aesthetic with panache in this vibrant, accessible book--perfect for retro-vibe home makeover inspiration with its photographs, decorating tips, and design history.

A manual for recreating the authentic MCM look, the book encourages incorporating the clean lines, chrome and natural materials, futuristic and organic shapes, and funky color palettes into cool, homey environments. There are design discussions for every room, highlighting function and options for individual expression--including for office spaces, well-designed outdoor areas, and pet-friendly places. Appealing color-coded sidebars cover iconic designers and contemporary vendors too.

The reuse and refurbishment of secondhand furnishings is highlighted, as with playful Sputnik light fixtures and Danish modern seating. There are examples from Nepacena's own house and from her interior design clients alongside suggestions for do-it-yourself alternatives to the pricier featured renovations and statement pieces.

An inspiring and useful resource for home designers from a range of financial backgrounds, Midcentury Modern Style is a smart, fun guide to the major design concepts of a popular retro style.--Rachel Jagareski "Foreword Reviews"

About the Author

Karen Nepacena is known for her ability to blend beauty and practicality, solve unique design problems, and make interior design approachable for homeowners. She quickly emerged as one of the country's leading authorities on midcentury modern design when her firm, Destination Eichler, restored her family's Eichler home. Her blog of the same name chronicled the journey and captured the attention of outlets such as Domino, Dwell, HGTV Magazine, Apartment Therapy, and Atomic Ranch. Karen also has a passion for vintage pieces and DIY design projects that get the whole family involved. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, two sons, and rescue dog, Velvet. Midcentury Modern Style is her first book.

Christopher Dibble is a photographer specializing in lifestyle interiors and portraiture. His work has been featured in editorial publications, including House Beautiful, Dwell, HGTV Magazine, Country Living, Entertainment Weekly, Time, Paper, and People, among others. His clients include Sunbrella, the Shade Store, Framebridge, Momentum Textiles, l.a.Eyeworks, and many designers, artists, and architects. Dibble has been profiled in Popular Photography and was named one of The Advocate's "40 under 40." A graduate of Art Center College of Design, he combines his understanding of both portraiture and interior photography to create images that tell a story. He is based on the West Coast.