Mid-Century Style

When it comes to design, styles have changed consistently over the years. Yet as in everything, styles also come back around. Today, many people can now appreciate the vintage styles of the past, especially the era of the 1950s or 1960s. This is what inspired Mark A. Polo, designer and founder of Polo MA Inc., when he began designing this beautiful, 5,000-square-foot home in Ridgewood, New Jersey.

As one walks through the house, each room has a distinct feature. Yet the home’s cool tones and rich textures flow together to create a light, unique overall space. Polo explained that when it comes to creating the flow of a home for any homeowner, design always comes first. “There are some designers who start with a rug, or something else, but I start with the vertical. Whatever you are visually impacted by vertically is how I start, and then it all comes from there.” For this project in particular, the goal was for each room to have its feature influence on the whole home. As a result, the colors speak for themselves.

In the bright blue-tiled bathroom (considered by the homeowner as the ‘spa room’) the space is cooled down with black and white accents, large windows and glass fixtures. With both a Mediterranean and Asian feel, the room itself flows effortlessly into the next, without being jarring to the eye. The aesthetic of the room, and much of the home, is mid-century, where Asian aesthetics factor in quite heavily. When it comes to the furniture, there is either an Asian influence or clean lines, based off the ‘50s and ‘60s.

In the office, the homeowner wanted to surround herself with a pink color tone, however there were concerns that it would engulf the space. To address this, Polo used a light putty color on the walls to draw out the pink features, and a five-inch shag rug which looks white but is actually a pale pink. The bold wall art brightens up the neutral background, while darker features such as pillows and leather seats break up the space.

The mid-century aesthetic continues in the kitchen with contrast in leather seating, blonde cabinet woodwork, and different tile backsplashes. While the design features similar colors, its textures vary, and much of the kitchen was keyed in from the backsplash, which Polo and the owner found and fell in love with first. “The backsplash played into what I picked for the upholstery, and I was able to use custom leather. I had patent leather, which is very shiny, on the bar stools, and regular leather for the kitchen chairs,” Polo explained.

Throughout this Ridgewood home, cool, natural tones fill the space, each room thoughtfully decorated with bright and bold artwork. From the luxurious wine cellar to the tranquil elements of the bedroom, living spaces and offices, each room has its own personality. But together, each flows into the next, forming a beautiful space to entertain, work, but most of all, live.