How To Bring Midcentury Modern Into Your Cleveland Home
Inject a shot of modern or midcentury modern style into your decor like a pro by following the dos and don’ts offered by local interior-design professionals.
by Lynne Thompson | Mar. 2, 2026 | 5:00 AM
RiverRock in Willoughby Hills. | Photographed by Suzuran Photography
DO: Start with a statement piece.
Lindsey Putzier of Lindsey Putzier Design Studio in Hudson suggests a sideboard, coffee table or accent chair. Both she and Nancy Kraig, assistant professor of interior design at Cuyahoga Community College, generally encourage an artful blending of styles. “Design today is very flexible in that mixing things is not a bad thing,” Kraig says.
DON’T: Purchase online without checking measurements.
Putzier explains that a piece can appear larger or smaller than it actually is, particularly when pictured alone. “A buyer gets it, and they’re like, ‘This is a third smaller than I thought it was going to be,’” she says, “and then they are stuck with it, usually.”
DO: Shop thrift and vintage stores.
Putzier scores most midcentury modern pieces from Main Street Modern in Canton, billed as one of the largest midcentury modern furniture stores in the country. “We carry everything from (items for) the college apartment to the New York City penthouse,” owner Adam Hoover says.
DON’T: Go too matchy-matchy.
Putzier doesn’t discourage recreating an entire period home. But she warns against filling every room with, say, casement pieces in the same wood stain or chairs in the same style. “It starts to get into that weird retro look,” she says, “or into a look that wasn’t even popular back then.”
DO: Scour Facebook Marketplace.
This and other online resale shops offer great bargains. “A lot of people don’t know what they have,” Putzier says. “They’re just willing to pretty much give it away.”
DON’T: Buy a sofa without considering its scale.
Putzier explains that the seat height on a midcentury modern sofa, for example, generally is lower to the ground than today’s counterparts. “If it doesn’t fit right on your body, it’s never going to fit right,” she says. Kraig adds that those who prefer buying new can check out lines by MillerKnoll, a merger of two high-quality midcentury modern furniture manufacturers still in operation.
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