“Ask yourself, why did I choose the 1950s?” says architect and curator Eleonora Grigoletto. “For their mood? For the atmosphere? For the use of colour or materials? For the distribution of spaces – or all of the above? Studying is the first step.”

Grigoletto recommends looking into the Italian architect and designer Gio Ponti, as well as Venini and Carlo Scarpa, whose early works with glass were dedicated mostly to lighting solutions and to a new way of understanding light and objects, especially vases, as sculptural elements.

Arts & Architecture magazine – especially the issue dedicated to 1950-1954 – is a vital source of inspiration, too, spotlighting mid-century American architecture and its pioneers, including Richard Neutra, Eero Saarinen and Charles and Ray Eames.

“Seating is always a great thing to start with,” says David Piece, founder of MidcenturyLA. “You can mix in many different styles or even periods – and have a home that reflects your individuality without looking like a 1950s advert.”

Modular sofas came to prominence in the decade, often with integrated bookcases, and so did families of centre-room seating solutions accompanied by banquettes or lower bookcases. “I typically recommend clients look for pieces that they absolutely love and to be sure that not only are the pieces something beautiful to them, but also functional,” Pierce says. “Unless you have a large space where you can afford to have furniture as beautiful objects only, you are going to want to make real use of those pieces, so they need to combine function with form.”

“Think statement armchairs such as the Lady by Zanuso or the Dezza by Frau with floor lamps, strategically placed at either sides to accompany your reading time,” Grigoletto says. “Or try floor-to-ceiling bookcases with books but also other objects, such as radios and record players. Bedrooms can get a mid-century makeover, too – try giving yours a sense of uniformity, coordinating bed and sideboards and choosing rhythmic and geometric patterns for rugs or curtains.”

“Colour is very subjective,” Pierce says. “Some like to add subtle colour with pillows, rugs and art, while others dive in with huge colour commitments such as a vintage sofa.”

The palettes of the decade, though, are generally lighter and brighter. Different wood – light burls, cherry, beech, all the way up to the resistant teak – offer up gentle earthy tones, while the use of materials like plastic and laminates, such as Formica, allow you to introduce softer ash blues, pale pinks, imperial yellows or ochres.

“Rapid image searches are really handy for sourcing vintage or second-hand,” Pierce says. “You can then go two ways with reupholstering, should you decide to do so. You can retain the original vintage look through colour and fabric. Or you can modernise it using more contemporary fabrics and neutral tones – and even slightly modify its form by removing cushions and using tight seat or tight back styles.

“A word of caution: many pieces are very technical in nature and were produced by trained craftspeople who worked on the pieces over and over. To then take a piece to an upholsterer as a one-off job and expect it to look as good as it did when originally made is probably an expectation that won’t always be fully met.”

“In these years, you can sense a kind of joy and irony, a desire to experiment without showing off,” Grigoletto says. “To find the balance between aesthetics and functionalism in a house open to all.”

Consider combining noble materials with industrial ones, such as wood and metal panels, and using everyday objects as sculptural elements.