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When Theresa Yon and Glenn Romano traded in their traditional house in Lake Jeanette for a contemporary condominium in downtown Greensboro, they wanted more than a new address.

They wanted a design reboot in line with the cosmopolitan style of Center Pointe. The Elm Street building’s clean lines proved an appropriate foil for Yon’s vision: a mid-century modern showplace with furniture and accessories representing some of the signature styles of the 1940s, ’50s and ’60s.

When the couple moved in to their 2,500-square-foot, 14th-floor corner unit this past summer, they filled it with pieces culled from downtown stores, online sites and retailers like IKEA and Costco. In preparation, they gave away almost all of the furniture from their old house.

“We really started from scratch,” Yon said.

Yon was inspired by the designs used in the 2003 movie “Down with Love.” Set in the early 1960s, the film was modeled after the Doris Day-Rock Hudson romantic comedies of the day such as “Pillow Talk” and “Lover Come Back.” But there were twists for the modern viewer: The story’s themes incorporated updated views on feminism and relationships, and the sets offered whimsical reinterpretations of mid-century design.

Yon was taken by the style. “I just wanted to live in the ‘Down with Love’ apartment,” she said.

She researched her design choice by poring over copies of Atomic Ranch magazine and books on the World’s Fairs of 1962 and 1964-65, which were renowned for their forward-thinking looks at culture and technology. The Space Needle was introduced at the 1962 fair, for instance, and the trademark of the New York event two years later was the Unisphere. Well-known mid-century modern artists and product designers participated in projects for the fairs.

“It was kind of what they thought the future was going to look like,” Yon said.

Both fairs symbolized a period of hopeful exploration after decades of turbulence punctuated by the Great Depression, World War II and the Korean War. They also took place during the beginning of the Space Race between the Soviet Union and the United States. Four years after the Soviets launched the Sputnik satellite in 1957, President Kennedy pledged to put a man on the moon by the end of the decade. The resulting innovations in technology introduced myriad changes in society, from education to furniture design.

The influences of the time can be seen in Yon’s living room, which features a Sputnik light fixture, the Eero Saarinen “womb chair” and a table designed by artist Isamu Noguchi.

Yon and Romano also used a mix of pieces made with designs by Verner Panton, Arne Jacobsen and George Nelson. Their mid-century modern treasure hunt included vintage finds such as period books from online sources and downtown antique stores like the Browsery Antiques and Books on Elm Street, where Yon found cocktail glasses from the 1950s. They ordered lighting, rugs, tables and a sofa from Area Modern Home and Lighting, also on Elm Street. The store’s contemporary designs added 21st century appeal to Yon’s mid-century ideal.

They even purchased artwork from local artists and had a variety of prints framed at Thousands O’ Prints on Elm Street.

Wanting to be a good new neighbor, “I really tried to buy as much as I could downtown,” said Yon, who also hired a local designer to help with color selection and other similar decisions.

Her crowning glory is in the dining room: six “cone chairs” designed by Panton. Yon really wanted the chairs, but the price she’d found was around $2,500 each. On a trip to New York, Yon and Romano took a detour to Scandinavian restaurant Aquavit so Yon could see their cone chairs. But when they went to the restaurant for dinner, they discovered the chairs had been put in storage. Seeing an opportunity, Yon asked if she could buy some of them — they offered up the six she requested at $500 apiece.

Romano carted them back to Greensboro, where they had them reupholstered at Murphy’s Upholstery on Lee Street. “It all had to be hand-stitched,” Yon said, marveling at her luck at Aquavit. “It’s kind of like something you read in a magazine. I can’t
believe that really happened to us.”  

The red chairs represent just one of the style statements in the condo, and Yon loves the look. The design fits Yon and Romano’s new downtown lifestyle, which includes trips to restaurants, theaters and parks within walking distance.

While Yon has heard remarks that the spare, clutter-free mid-century modern design seems cold, she sees it another way. “It’s curvy. It’s fun. It’s kind of wild looking.”

And for a Southern city like Greensboro, she thinks it’s unique. “We have something downtown that’s totally different from everywhere else.”