Mid-Century Modern Décor Ideas for Salons

These salon stations have all the markings of timeless mid-century modern design

Are you obsessed with the mid-century modern (MCM) aesthetic? Don’t worry – we are, too! What’s not to love about an aesthetic that blends modern and contemporary design with classic accents and vintage touches?

Not only is this a popular aesthetic for homes and stores, but it has also become a highly desirable look for salons, spas and even barber shops. Whether you’re looking for inspiration on mid-century modern design for salons or ready to shop décor with this aesthetic, Minerva Beauty has a variety of mid-century modern salon equipment. Fill your Pinterest mood board with some of our favorite mid-century modern salon looks and design ideas!

Shop Minerva Beauty’s Mid-Century Modern Salon Furniture

On this page:

Mid-century modern design elements
How to add MCM design to your salon
15 examples of salons & spas rocking MCM décor
History of mid-century modern style
4 Iconic MCM designs

What Is Mid-Century Modern?

Before we get into the kinds of mid-century modern salon furniture you need, let’s learn more about the intricate details that make up the aesthetic. Mid-century modern design blends the past, present and future to create a look that seems very clean and modern while also paying homage to classic and vintage design aspects. The term was coined in 1984, but it’s an aesthetic that takes on new iterations and goes through waves of popularity with every new generation.

The following characteristics define mid-century modern interior design:

Large Windows – The mid-century aesthetic believes in blending interior and exterior worlds through large windows that let in natural light.
Natural, Exposed Building Materials – Mid-century modern design prioritizes exposed wood, steel and different types of stones.
Minimalism – Mid-century modern design believes that form should follow function, which often means that minimalism is centered by having clean, geometric lines and little to no décor or clutter.
Geometric Shapes – When it comes to mid-century modern furniture, you will see lots of geometric shapes and natural wood finishes.
Pairing Neutral & Bold Colors – Following the minimalist aesthetic, the mid-century modern design prioritizes neutrals, but it thoughtfully weaves in bright colors in statement pieces like chairs and couches.
Plants – Since the mid-century modern design likes to blend interior and exterior, you will always find plants in mid-century modern spaces.

mid century modern salon styling chairs with matching mirrors, styling stations, and trays

Adding mid-century design appeal to your salon or spa starts with the right color palette

How to Use Mid Century Interior Design in Your Salon

If you are ready to give your salon the mid-century modern makeover you’re dreaming of, learn how colors, furniture and décor can instantly change the look and feel of your space.

Start with a Mid-Century Modern Color Palette

As mentioned above, this aesthetic prioritizes neutral colors with fun pops of color here and there. Some of the most popular mid-century modern colors are gray, beige, navy, orange, mustard and burgundy. We suggest painting your walls a neutral beige or gray and then sprinkling the other colors sparingly around the salon.

Another way to go back to the Mid Century Modern era in your salon is to celebrate its combining of neutral color with muted pop tones. Cream or gray colors are paired with rust or avocado colors. The color teal is brought in on a walnut and cream interior. The pop should remain as an accent to the neutral palette.

Adding mid-century design appeal to your salon or spa starts with the right color palette

In the salon environment, these colors can be implemented in many different ways including the vinyl color of a salon chair, the stained finish on a styling station, a colorful wall mural, salon plant decor, brushed gold stylists tray…etc.

mid-century modern inspired hair salon with neutral wood tones and pops of color

Prado Styling Chair in a neutral camel color up against all the reclaimed wood and white walls. This salon chair's circular design fits the mid century feel with vintage appeal.

mid-century modern decor including wood accents, pendant bubble light and colorful geometric area rug

A peek into this salon shows us the brilliant In this salon's retail and reception area, the pop of color can be found in the teal reception couch and yellow waiting chair with angular legs.

This inviting living dining space has a backdrop of concrete and cream walls infused with warm walnut tones. The moss sofa set with rust and gold pillows completes the welcoming ambiance.

Invest in Mid-Century Modern Styling Stations

At Minerva Beauty, we have a variety of styling chairs as well as an entire collection dedicated to Mid-Century Modern style. These pieces are geometric and incorporate intricate wood designs to match the mid-century modern aesthetic.

mid-century modern salon styling station in black and gold

The Knoll combines luxury, quality, and mid-century modern style into one compact and functional salon station. With style options including Antique Umber with Black Hardware and Black with Gold Hardware, the Knoll Styling Station is the perfect piece to achieve the ideal mid century modern salon aesthetic.

mid century modern salon styling station with glass top and round mirror

Fluted furniture is trending in the world of interior design, making the Bernhardt Styling Station a sought-after and stylish piece to add to your salon, spa, or barbershop's aesthetic. Enjoy this stylish and functional station in every salon setting with style options including antique umber with black hardware or black with gold hardware.

mid century modern styling station with gold hardware and tool holders

Combine trendy fluted texture design and modern glam style in the form of a compact, functional salon station and you have Minerva Beauty's Wakefield Styling Station. Enjoy this stylish and functional station in every salon aesthetic with style options including white with gold hardware and antique umber/white with black hardware.

Incorporate More Mirrors

If you are in a space that doesn’t have a lot of windows or natural light, you can still create a mid-century modern look with floor-length mirrors. Mirrors reflect light and can mimic windows, which will give you the perfect balance you need. If you need to fill your salon with a lot of furniture, don’t forget to take advantage of our salon equipment financing.

mid century modern salon mirror with rounded corners and arched top

Bring luxurious design and mid-century modern style to your salon, spa, or barbershop with the Adelaide Arched Mirror in Brushed Gold.

rectangular mid century modern salon mirror with brushed gold frame

Add light & functional MCM style to your salon with the full-length Pissaro mirror

oval mid century modern salon mirror with brushed gold frame

The Monaco Racetrack Mirror in Brushed Gold will bring a modern flair to any salon, spa, or barbershop setting with its stylish and luxurious design.

Fill Your Waiting Room with Statement Couches

If your salon follows the minimalist approach prioritized by the mid-century modern aesthetic, add a bright statement couch to your waiting area — think orange or green.

Invest in Statement Light Fixtures

While the mid-century modern look is more minimal, it does incorporate lighting fixtures that are bold and pay homage to a vintage look. If you can, incorporate staggered glass burst lights.

Fill Your Salon with Plants

Give your salon that perfect blend of interior and exterior with all the plants. Foliage will not only give your salon a fresh feel, but the plants also purify the air and give you a mid-century modern look. If you’re not sure where to start, take a look at our picks for the 10 best salon plants to spruce up your place today.

Keep Decor & Clutter Minimal

Mid-century modern salons always look organized and clean. Use floating wall shelves for small decorative accents and always be sure to keep storage hidden.

Are you feeling inspired to give your salon the mid-century makeover it needs? Your salon is unique so it’s okay to veer from the rules of mid-century modern while also incorporating design elements from the style to create an aesthetic that feels true to you.

Use Geometric Patterns

Simplicity in form is key on Mid Century Modern pieces and spaces. Incorporating geometric patterns to embellish walls, finishes, or upholstery is an instant way to adopt this style.

spa waiting area with geometric pattern floor tiles

The flooring in this foyer is striking with the polygon tile fitting together with white grout. This creates a pattern without being too busy.

salon shampoo area with mid century modern wall tiles, pendant lights and circular wall shelves

The star patterns formed with hexagon tiles in this salon shampoo area brings a grounding backdrop to the zone. The subtle globe pendant lights with brass detail add form and function to the corner. Pattern is further reinforced with the circular floating shelves that not only enhance the salon's mid century modern style but also enhance the salon's functionality by providing eye-catching open storage space for shampoo towels, hair product, salon retail, and more.

mid century modern style salon styling station and round mirror with gold frame

Recently added to Minerva's growing Mid Century Modern Collection is a trendy salon styling station design called the Hive. The Hive Styling Station comes in black or white with gold hardware and a honeycomb embossed design to add that geometric detail. The legs are tapered and angular. The glass top adds cleanability and protection, and the subtly placed appliance holders keep the stylist's work space flowing. The perfectly paired round gold salon mirror is an option for purchase with the piece.

hair salon with mid century modern decor including plants, neutral colored styling chairs and round mirrors with wood frames

This station would be an interesting addition to create a stand alone styling zone in a communal setup such as this one. Incorporating the Hive Styling Station into this space as well as any other salon environment is a stylishly simple way of adding the right amount of geometric flair to achieve the Mid Century Modern salon aesthetic.

Embrace Walnut Tones

Walnut toned woods became very popular in the post war era. From black walnut, teak, and mahogany, exact types of wood are not as important as the color. As long as the wood is naturally brown, rich, and warm, it will fit nicely into a mid-century design salon, spa, or barbershop. As shown earlier, sculpting and bending wood was a manipulation technique to create artistic furnishings. Minerva offers a very versatile mid century modern salon chair that calls back to the Eames lounger. Introducing timeless mid century design at its finest, the Kona Styling Chair.

beauty salon with mid century modern client chairs and wood paneled styling stations with drawers

Each salon setup is composed of the Kona Styling Chair and a clean lined styling station with walnut accents. The light airy dividing drapes completes this modern and timeless salon styling zone.

hair salon with mid century modern styling chairs and mirrors

Here is another beautifully composed mid century modern salon with Kona Styling Chairs and round wooden salon mirrors in a walnut finish. Ahh all the walnut tones...

Choose Angular, Clean Lines

dining room with mid century modern decor including furniture with tapered legs and chandelier lighting fixture

Angular clean lines became a trademark characteristic in Mid Century Modern interiors. Furnishings would have tapered angular legs. The chairs and tables in this dining retreat bring in this call back to Mid Century while balanced in a rustic shiplap modern barn style room.

mid century modern style wood styling station and full-length mirror for salon or spa

The compact and highly functional Larsen Styling Station has the signature leg styles of Mid Century Modern. It is offered in light walnut with black streamlined hardware. The additional side mounted appliance holders add function in a clean and simple way. This station pairs well with the black LED salon mirror. The light efficiently embedded into the mirror allows for this to be a no fuss and high function mid century modern styling station setup.

Design Inspiration: 15 Salons & Spas Embracing MCM Décor

Check out a few of our favorite mid-century styled salon and spas featuring Minerva Beauty equipment:

Chemistry Salon

Chemistry Salon in Berkley, MI uses mid-century inspired lounge seating, and the retro styles preference for wood materials to create a fun mid-century modern space. Featured product, Element Salon Styling Chair in Black

Hawthorne Salon

Hawthorne Salon in New York is bringing minimalist mid-century vibes with various wood tones and sleek furniture. Featured product, Avant Salon Styling Chair in Black

Luna Hair Co

Luna Hair Co in West Chester, PA uses gold finishes, wood styling stations, and minimal décor to create a mid-century inspired salon space. Featured product, Carrera Salon Styling Chair in Camel

Kalon Hair Company

Kalon Hair Company is mid-century styling with this cute little refreshment corner. From the stunning wood room divider to the accent colors, and furniture pieces—this nook packs a punch.

Teased Hair Salon

Teased Hair Salon in Columbus, GA is keeping it simple with a minimal styling area featuring the Corsa Salon Styling Chair in Camel, along with a neutral color palette and pop of green.

Salon Roya

Salon Roya in Arvada, CO uses clean lines, muted tones, and greenery to bring a mid-century style to their salon. Featured products: Avant Salon Styling Chair in Camel Hoffmann Styling Station in Ebony

Lou & Be Hair Salon

The iconic design of this Kona Salon Styling Chair in Black is reminiscent of its original designers, Charles and Ray Eames, and it’s the perfect finishing touch for a mid-century styled space like this one at Lou & Be Hair Salon in Wylie, TX.

Amber Nicole Salon

Amber Nicole Salon in Ojai Valley, California, is sleek and clean with minimal décor and natural materials creating a mid-century inspired look. Featured product, Avant Salon Styling Chair in Camel

Heyday Collective

Neutrals, plants, and wood floors bring a cozy, mid-century modern feel to Heyday Collective in Cleveland, Ohio. Featured products: Avant Salon Styling Chair in Alpine White Avant Shampoo System with White Bowl

French Girl Hair

Sleek and clean with a bit of green, this salon showcases a modern take on mid-century with the Aviator Salon Styling Chair in Camel

Hayden Hair Studio

From the clean lines and gentle organic curves, Hayden Hair Studio in Flower Mound, Texas is a mid-century dream space. Featured product, Cinque Salon Styling Chair in Camel

Hudson Grey Salon & Spa

Hudson Grey Salon & Spa in Warwick, NY is an inviting mid-century designed interior with natural materials taking center stage. Featured product, Carrera Salon Styling Chair in Camel.

Symmetrie Studios

With natural materials and a classic, understated look, Symmetrie Studios in Lynden, Washington knows how to do mid-century in style. Featured products: Avant Shampoo System with Black Bowl in Black Avant Salon Styling Chair in Camel

The Beauty Bar

The Beauty Bar in Cleveland, GA uses mid-century planters with snake plants at each station, neutrals, and simple round mirrors to create a mid-century inspired space. Featured product, Aria Salon Styling Chair in Camel

The Desert Lounge Salon

Once again, the Kona Salon Styling Chair in Black shines in a mid-century inspired design found at The Desert Lounge Salon in St. George, UT.

For more inspiration on how to achieve the look for yourself, check out Minerva Beauty's Mid Century design section in our ever-helpful Style Guide! There's bound to be a styling station/styling chair combo you love—but if not, feel free to browse our Mid Century Modern and Designer Series collections for even more options.

Celebrate Vintage Appeal with Mid-Century Modern Design

With the growing environmental problems in the world; extreme temperatures, wildfires, super storms, everyone has learned to appreciate vintage items. There is a motivation to reuse and give things a longer life cycle, and this especially holds true in the world of interior design. The re-emergence of Mid Century designs was inevitable. Mid century design is such a versatile style that has been back for the last several years with staying power. It dates back to the Bauhaus movement in the post war era after World War II. The masters of material manipulation were blossoming and the results are the furniture and fixture icons we have today.

Popularized during the 1940s, mid-century modern design has stuck around as a beloved favorite for interiors. Defined by clean lines, organic forms, minimal ornamentation, and a keen sense of functionality, it is no wonder this style has aged so well and continues to hold universal appeal. Using beautiful materials and embracing negative space is key to bringing the look to any interior. Wood furniture and accents are especially popular components of the style.

Iconic Designs that Started the Mid Century Modern Movement

The Eames Lounger

black Eames Lounger with mid century modern side table on gray shag rug and white Eames Lounger in Mid Century Modern living room with side tables, lamps and fireplace

The Eames Lounger (Charles Eames) utilized bent wood and comfort at an approachable scale. It complements any seating group or can stand alone as art.

The Tulip Chair

mid century modern kitchen with four white tulip chairs and round wood table

The Tulip Chair by Eero Saarinen was the first one legged chair with its pedestal base and inviting graceful curves. Made of molded plastic and fiberglass, this revolutionary chair is graceful and functional. Saarinen became further memorialized when he designed the St. Louis Arch which was the gateway to the west.

Bubble Lamps

Bubble lamps efficiently propel and direct light, appearing as space aged glowing objects.

George Nelson, prominent architect and head of design at Herman Miller, created the bubble lamps in 1947 out of revolutionary self webbing plastic originally developed for the military. It efficiently propels and directs light, appearing as space aged glowing objects.

Wishbone Chairs

Hans Wegner's wishbone chairs developed in 1950 created a universal back and arm rest with its sculpted backbone.

The clean lines and modest proportions of the architecture, furniture, and accessories of that era give Mid Century Modern Design a timeless appeal. The designers mixed manmade and natural materials (mainly wood and stone), combining natural, earth-tone hues with pops of vintage-inspired colors.

When it came to chairs, there was particular attention to adding comfort to the human form. Wooden legs on most all pieces were cylindrical or tapered and splayed outward. This timeless style also implies edginess. A person of the modern era that celebrates new breakthroughs can appreciate the style that was born of the post war era.

In the fast paced beauty industry where staying on top of trends and cutting edge styles is vital to a professional’s career success, the Mid Century Modern aesthetic is widely embraced in salon and spa interior design for its classic and iconic furnishings as well as its versatile style that grows and evolves with the trends of the modern world.

Mid-Century Modern Design: Ideal for Salon Interiors

Mid Century Modern is a timeless design style that mixes well with many types of interiors because of its simplicity. With any style you are trying to achieve, a little goes a long way. This timeless aesthetic can easily be incorporated into your salon, spa, or barbershop aesthetic:

Use geometric patterns in upholstery, finishes, or accessories
Celebrate walnut tones and bent, manipulated wood furnishings adds to the mid century modern flair
Select iconic pieces with angular lines, like furnishings with tapered angular legs to instantly call back to this style
Choose a salon color scheme with classic neutrals & add a secondary pop of color such as avocado, rust, or teal to bring in that edgy energy

If you value keeping up with contemporary news and movements that influence style, then Mid Century Modern is your ideal salon aesthetic. If you can’t get enough of vintage design, get inspired by ‘70s retro salon interior design for your salon!