The Rise of Art Deco in the 1920s

Art Deco is a design movement that sprung up in the 1920s and came to the peak of its popularity in 1925. The art deco style is defined by exuberant shapes, cold colours, sharp edges and geometry, and a hint of modern luxury. What distinguishes the style from other concepts of that era is its distinct use of colours and geometry, which creates a character in every room. 

Art deco takes its roots from combining the art nouveau style, Antique Chinese geometrics and ancient Egyptians which then became the inspiration for other design styles that were created later on, such as Brutalism, Mid-century modern, and Contemporary. The style wasn’t built overnight. It involved a series of alterations, modifications, and other changes before it finally came to its current style definition. The movement evolves through time as the world progresses. 

The design movement originated in Europe, but as it became widely popular and adapted by designers, it soon dominated the world. It can be seen in various works of art, like architecture, paintings, interior design, decorations, and the like. In this blog, we are going to shed light on Art deco interior design. What are the characteristics of the Art deco style, and how can we best achieve the look in our homes?

Stick until the end of this blog to find out. 

To evoke that sense of grandeur and elegance, the art deco movement uses decorations and accessories that are made up of gold, brass, or steel. The colour and appeal that these high-end materials bring into the scene are truly extraordinary. Adding at least one or two furnishings with gold or steel framings can evoke elegance. 

The simple shapes, clean geometry, and modest style of the elements draw the viewers and encourage them to pay attention to the composition. It’s a style that embraces functionality and aesthetics and pieces them together into a perfect puzzle. 

Large in scale and with a streamlined shape, art deco furniture is devoid of frills and complex ornamentation. Large sideboards, armoires, and plush chairs are typical of the era. Another way to describe art deco furniture is elegant yet sleek and modern. Macassar Ebony and Amboyna and burled exotic timber  produced using conventional techniques like veneering and marquetry were used to precisely create high-end modern Art Deco furniture. 

Lacquer was frequently used to obtain the glossy surface on Art Deco furniture. Designers of the time also skilfully employed luxury materials like ivory, gilt bronze wrought iron, and glass in addition to unusual wood. The use of furniture can define whether the space is designed as Art deco or not. Therefore, when selecting furniture, one must be mindful of the concept and the overall characteristic of the style. 

Devising a great lighting scheme is essential, and using a specialist that is educated with respect to design is the key to a result that is efficient. A good lighting designer will integrate architectural lighting by any means necessary with the decorative lighting of your choice to form a soft, elegant late afternoon and evening ambiance. Alternatively, you may want to do more than that.

Art Deco lighting, which is drawn by symmetrical patterns, uses a range of finishes to produce a unique and futuristic look. There are extended, tier-like architectural structures with everything from stepped finials to skyscraper blinds. Geometric shapes and symmetrical forms are frequent features of art deco lighting. The design can be very decorative and uses the same elements repeatedly to create interest and detail. Chrome and gold leaf coatings are typical elements of fashion.

A pendant or other stylish light fixture magnifies the appeal of an object or piece of furniture in a space. Decorative lights, such as a pendant, wall light, or feature lamp, will improve a room if the light accents accentuate their focus.

 

A neutral, monochromatic colour choice successfully evoked the sleek, contemporary air that was the hallmark of Art Deco design. Beiges, taupes, mild browns, and creams were fashionable colour choices for clothing and interior design. During the Roaring 20s, when the economy was thriving, vibrant, energizing colours started to represent the era's affluence. It was all the rage to use colours like canary yellow, emerald green, peacock blue, royal purple, and dazzling crimson. Checkerboard flooring, wallpaper, and tiles in black and white were all extremely in. Metallic hues such as silver, gold, and other metals were also vital to make the room elegant and vibrant. 

Geometric elements are the main highlight of art deco fabrics and patterns. The patterns and textiles of the art deco style range from curves to very clean and strict geometric lines. Patterns unify the overall interior of a house. When looking for fabric designs to spruce your space up with an Art deco vibe, consider geometric fabrics with bold or contrasting printed colours. These types of patterns stand out and most likely become the focal point 

Art Deco Style

Art deco is like the transitional interior design style of traditional and modern. Architectural features such as wall mouldings, ornate edges, detailed and sophisticated ceilings, arches, and windows have a little bit of an art deco touch to them. 

These architectural elements will never be outdated. It is all just a matter of sprucing the space up and adding the right decorations and accessories to make them all work together. You already have art deco features in your space if it has wood flooring with a herringbone or parquet pattern or with straightforward inlays that create shapes like a sunburst. Other motifs include black-and-white checkered flooring or cube patterns with optical illusion designs.