There’s a reason mid century modern never really went away.
It showed up in the 1950s and 60s as a response to excess — a deliberate stripping back to what furniture actually needed to be.
Clean lines. Honest timber. Forms that earned their shape. And somehow, seventy years on, it still looks right in a contemporary home
. That’s not trend. That’s good design.
Classic style that lives on for ever.
At Bywater Design, we’ve been making furniture since 1986, and mid century pieces are among the most requested work that comes through our doors.
Not reproductions of specific designs, but new pieces built in that spirit — the tapered legs, the sculpted timber arms, the way the frame itself becomes part of the aesthetic rather than something to hide.
Mid century design looks effortless. Making it well takes time and skill
The joinery has to be precise — these frames rely on the integrity of each connection, with no decorative moldings or fussy details to mask any imperfections. The timber selection matters enormously.
We work with species that have the warmth and character that suits the style: Qld Maple, Silky Oak and Tas Oak to name but a few.
Timbers that respond beautifully to a hand-rubbed oil finish and only get better with age.
The shaping is where the craft really shows. Those curved arms and angled legs aren’t just aesthetic choices . They are worked by hand, refined through trial, and finished to our high standard every time
Everyday elegance
We work closely with clients on upholstery, because fabric choice can completely shift the character of a piece. The charcoal linen on the two-seater reads calm and contemporary.
A bold geometric print on a pair of armchairs — that’s a different conversation entirely, and both are right depending on the room.
Mid century furniture fits modern homes because it was never really about a moment in time. It was about restraint. About letting the material speak. About making something that sits well in a space without demanding attention.
It also photographs beautifully, which doesn’t hurt — but more importantly, it lives beautifully.
These are pieces that work as hard in a family home as they do in a considered interior design project.
Elegance in grey, which works so beautifully with the bright geometric pattern
And because we make each piece to order, nothing is a compromise. The proportions, the timber, the finish, the fabric , all of it is decided in conversation with the person who’s going to live with it.
That’s what makes custom work worth it.
It begins with a conversation.
