Interior Design Showcase: Art Deco Style

Unveiled in Paris in 1925, Art Deco quickly swept the world with its clean lines, sleek designs, and modern simplicity. Art Deco encompasses the lavish extravagance of the Roaring Twenties and those who love the style can pick it out of a sea of designs as a sterling example of timeless elegance and modernism.

What is Art Deco design?

Art Deco is a unique style of design characterized by its elegant modernism. With the onset of the “Machine Age,” the once popular style of Art Nouveau – with its flowing, rounded, organic shapes – faded into oblivion, giving way to the angular, optical, streamlined beauty of Art Deco. This new style took wings after World War I and soared to new heights of popularity in the decade that followed, The Roaring Twenties. Paying homage to the industrial designs of the age, Art Deco relies on machine-produced patterns, sometimes ornate, that can be reproduced indefinitely, but remain uniform and streamlined. The influence of metallic materials is undeniable in Art Deco. Though more stark than its predecessor, Art Deco is none the less glamorous and alluring.

What color palette is most often associated with Art Deco decor?

The mantra of Art Deco is one of understated elegance and refined minimalism. For this reason, color on a large scale is used sparingly. Most color schemes involve the use of black. It serves as an “anchor” color and grounds the room, especially when combining black with other, bolder colors. A few favorable Art Deco color palettes include green and black and red, white, and black. Pairing dove grey and cadet blue (or any shade in the pale blue family) with these stark colors will offer a soothing, softening effect to any Art Deco space. A palette of black and white tile or muted marble accentuate, without overwhelming, the flooring. Gold and chrome are excellent choices for accent colors and will bring much needed life into an otherwise minimalist space.

What type of furnishings are most often associated with Art Deco decor?

When it comes to Art Deco style, furnishings can make or break your design scheme. They are the all important finishing touch to the room. Modern, sleek, and comfortable are the best guidelines to stick to when selecting the right furniture for an Art Deco design. Surfaces should be sleek and lack texture, reflecting the minimalist aspect of this design style. Black lacquer, ebony or java stains, Brazilian rosewood, and light maple woods are all excellent choices for wood finishes. Sweeping curves, differing greatly from the natural curvature and sensuous lines of furnishings from the Art Nouveau period, add a beautiful and enticing architectural detail. The use of metal and other industrial pieces also make quite a statement when tastefully placed in an Art Deco space.

What type of fabrics can be used with Art Deco decor?

Rich fabrics such as velvet and velour give a sumptuous feeling to the stark industrialism of the metal and wood accents in the room. Faux sharkskin and faux zebra-print fabric add an exotic and well-traveled flair to the space. Leather offers a clean slate for upholstering large pieces of furniture. Bold patterns, incorporating sunburst patterns and chevron motifs, can be used successfully as accent fabrics.

What type of accessories work well in Art Deco spaces?

The accessorizing is always the fun part – it’s what gives the room its true personality. Mirrors of the gold, chrome or hand painted variety (often with floral, geometric, or abstract wildlife motifs), streamlined chandeliers, chevron-shaped candlesticks, white marble vases and urns, wrought-iron torchieres, lamps with hand-blown glass shades, ornate bronze wall sconces, opaque glass accents, rugs adorned with serpentine swirls or geometric florals in muted shades, and industrial metal knick-knacks with unique qualities all work very well in Art Deco rooms.

Are there any additional tips for designing a “Hollywood Regency” haven in your home?

Draw inspiration from living, breathing examples of Art Deco. The Chrysler Building in New York City is a towering, gleaming example of what Art Deco architecture was all about. It is classic, elegant, and while minimalist in its use of repetitive, mirrored triangles, is still stunning. Original Miami Beach architecture is another great source of inspiration when decorating in the Art Deco style.

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *