Mid-Century Modern Furniture in Severance: Crafting an Eerie Aesthetic

Severance, the Apple TV+ dystopian drama, uses mid-century modern furniture to create a hauntingly familiar yet unsettling workplace at Lumon Industries. Set in a retro-futuristic office, the show’s production design, led by Jeremy Hindle, leans heavily on MCM’s clean lines and minimalist elegance to amplify its themes of control and alienation. Here’s a look at how MCM furniture shapes the show’s vibe.

In Lumon’s sterile corridors, mid-century pieces like sleek, low-profile desks and modular chairs—reminiscent of Eero Saarinen’s designs—dot the Macrodata Refinement floor. Their stark simplicity, often in muted greens and blues, mirrors the “severed” employees’ disconnected lives. The Wellness Room, sparse yet deliberate, features mid-century-inspired chairs and a simple table, evoking a clinical calm that’s more eerie than soothing.

Burt’s home, seen in Season 2, showcases MCM warmth with a nod to Gerald Luss’ Time-Life couch, blending teak and plush upholstery to contrast Lumon’s cold interiors. These choices ground the domestic scenes while hinting at the era’s optimism, twisted by the show’s dark narrative.

By sourcing rare vintage pieces, like a Luigi Massoni Dilly Dally vanity, Severance uses MCM furniture not just as decor but as a psychological tool. The timeless designs feel out of place in Lumon’s timeless void, making the familiar feel foreign. For fans, spotting these icons is a treat, proving MCM’s versatility can even haunt a corporate dystopia.