Another signature look from the Mid-Century is back in vogue again – color blocking is showing up everywhere – from fashion to art to interior decor. Creatives today are drawing inspiration from icons of the 50′s and 60′s and reinventing the look with a thoroughly modern attitude. Read more about the Mid-Century Modern Revival and check out these cool color blocking finds!

In 1965 Yves Saint Laurent was influenced by artist Piet Mondrian’s color block paintings for this unique wool jersey dress.

Today, we see garments and accessories with stacks of bright, bold color. Like the rest of the fashion palette this year, the trend has been dominated by shades of orange, which are most often blocked with creams, and soft neutrals.

Though the trend is most obvious when exhibited with bright colors, neutrals are getting blocked as well. The emphasis is on tonal blocking in grays, khakis and army greens – which speak to desire for a simple, understated look.

Interior spaces can be infused with playful nostalgia, as in these decorative items that recall classic 1950s design. Retro clocks by Steve Cambronne are reminiscent of George Nelson’s wall clocks and lend a clean graphic look to interiors.

Playful geometric designs in bold saturated colors like those found in the Eames bookcases and shelving units surely inspired Thomas Wold’s distinctive collection which uses clever color blocking and mixing of shapes and dimensions to exemplify an uncomplicated approach to the retro modern aesthetic.

Pure geometrics patterns and tonal blocking present a clean minimalist approach for contemporary  area rugs. Balanced Design’s geometric yet organic Big Block rug is inspired by the artistic principles of abstract painter Mark Rothko who in the 1950′s organized endless fields of color while exploring shifts in surface and shape.

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