An Outlet: Part 4

17 August, 2018.

I took the Mr Kate What's My Aesthetic Test and this is what I got.

27% Mid-Century Modern

You are so retro! Do you feel like you were born in the wrong era? Don’t worry, the Mid-Century Modern aesthetic has made a major comeback and is super on trend once more - but who cares about trends because all creative choices are valid! Mid-Century Modern is characterized by the designs that came forth in the 1950s and 60s. The furniture is not fussy, think straighter lines on sofas and chairs and tables that have a center pedestal or tapered hair-pin legs. Earth tones as well as organic shapes inspire the Mid-Century Modern look like various browns, orange and brass alongside chairs shaped like eggs or woven from rattan or wicker. Watch the first couple seasons of Mad Men and you’ll get lots of Mid-Century Modern inspiration.

Get the Mid-Century look by painting your walls white or retro shade like mint or buttercream, if you’re craving more color. Pick furniture that looks square or round but nothing in between and avoid items with embellishments like scrolling arms on chairs or chesterfield sofas. Arc lamps are a Mid-Century staple as are anything Eames-inspired. Mid-Century Modern furniture mixes really well with other styles like Bohemian and Vintage Eclectic so don’t worry about straying off trend if you find a drum side table or Turkish rug that tickles your fancy. Shop Mid-Century Modern items at stores like West Elm and Target!

18% Industrial

Are you a loft liver… or do you want to be? Industrial style has been all the rage for a while now, and I don’t see it ever going out of style. An Industrial aesthetic is characterized by a ‘factory chic’ vibe - think exposed brick and shelving made out of metal pipes. There is something vintage feeling about an Industrial look because even though it uses a lot of hard materials like concrete and metal, it’s different from the Modern / Dramatic aesthetic in that it’s never polished or glossy. The concrete is worn and tells a story and the metals have a patina, like oil-rubbed bronze or tarnished copper. Steampunk vibes are closely related to an Industrial look.

If you aren’t fortunate enough to live in a loft with high ceilings, concrete floors and exposed pipes, you can get an industrial look by incorporating some of those items into your space. Try faux brick paneling painted white, a DIY shelving unit using steel or black pipes, or a large matte-finish concrete coffee table styled with a copper tray. In a bedroom, use an iron bed frame and wall-mounted swing arm sconces with filament bulbs… filament bulbs will be your best friend! Industrial style is an aesthetic that embraces the beauty in materials so don’t be afraid to use a cool piece of beat-up metal or an old gear part as a piece of art!

Shop Industrial items at your local flea market or salvage yards, shop Etsy for some amazing Industrial light fixtures or just hit up a hardware store for some pipes!

18% Minimalist

Well aren’t you clean and peaceful!... or at least you want to be. A Minimalist aesthetic is first identified by a lack of items. Where someone might have four throw pillows on a sofa, a Minimalist room would have one, or maybe none! The furniture lines are clean and straight, a lot like the Modern / Dramatic and Mid-Century Modern aesthetic. But there is a marked lack of color as well in Minimalist rooms. The walls are usually white or maaaaybe a super light gray. There can be some contrast that comes in the form of black accessories like simple black frames framing some super simple art, but you will never see a bright color or a patterned rug.

Minimalist spaces will make you want to exhale deeply since the lack of embellishments have a calming effect. That said, you can still display your favorite framed photo on a table, but let that, and maybe a simple white candle in a jar, be the only thing on that table.