Art Deco Style Interior Design

Art Deco History

Art deco style interior design is a streamlined, geometric style which often includes furniture pieces with curved fronts, mirrors, clean lines, chrome hardware, and glass. This elegant style began as a Modernist response in opposition to Art Nouveau style which featured elaborate, flowing natural forms plus female imagery and Tiffany lamps.

Art deco makes use of angular, balanced geometric shapes, such as the classic skyline imagery of the 1930’s Chrysler Building and Empire State Building. Renowned artists that helped to define art deco style include Erte, Adolphe Mouron (aka Cassandre), and Tamara de Lempicka.

The term “Art Deco” is taken from the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes which was a World's Fair held in Paris, France, in 1925, though the name was not used until after the 1960’s. It is therefore also called Style Moderne or 1925 Style.

The atmosphere of pre-World War I Europe was a major influence on this style which was a reaction to the hasty societal and industrial advances of the early 20th century. Paris was the hub of Art Deco style, due in part to the artistic creations of Jacques-Emile Ruhlmann, Jean-Jacques Rateau, Eileen Gray, Edgar Brandt, Jean Dunand, René Lalique, Maurice Marinot, and Cartier.

After a 1926 hurricane ravaged Miami, Florida, architects designed whole city blocks in the art deco style. This architectural experiment resulted in Miami’s distinctive tropical influenced art deco design.

Art Deco Style

Art deco is thought to be a diverse form of Modern decoration with eclectic influences coming from the primal arts of Aztec Mexico, Africa, and Egypt, in addition to the powerful images of the hi-tech age like radios and skyscrapers. For example, the 1935 Victrola is a vivid and discernible art deco item.

Art Deco employs unique materials such as:

• Aluminum
• Inlaid wood
• Lacquer
• Shagreen
• Stainless steel
• Zebra skin

Design elements of art deco involve:

• Zigzagged and stepped patterns
• Sweeping curves and lines
• Chevron patterns
• Sunburst shapes

Art deco was frequently opulent in nature and was often featured in cinemas, theaters, and ocean liners. A corresponding movement, called Streamline design, was taken from manufacturing and scientific advances in addition to sleek, aerodynamic shapes. Following the success of the Chrysler Airflow design of 1933, similar shapes began to be used for everyday objects like pencil sharpeners and refrigerators.

Art Deco Resources

HGTV’s Art Deco Ideas - Over 30 room projects featuring art deco interior design.

Retropolis – An index of Art Deco antiques, furniture, jewelry, and interior designers.

Decopix - Comprehensive guide to Art Deco architecture including photographs, history, and links.