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So Your Style Is...

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So Your Style Is: Art Deco

Symmetry and simply lavish design has made this style last the distance

Joanna Tovia 4 July 2014

Houzz editorial team. Photojournalist specialising in design, travel and living well. Follow her photodocumentary about pets and the people who love them on Instagram @unfoldingtails

Houzz editorial team. Photojournalist specialising in design, travel and living well.... More

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Art Deco is one of the most enduring movements in home design and has inspired many trends in decor, fashion and art that are just as popular today as they were in the 1920s and ‘30s. This glamorous style is as much about function as it is about form, and embraces the optimism and economic prosperity that followed the end of World War I. Industrialisation was gathering momentum, emerging technology meant new materials such as plastic, chrome and exotic timbers were entering the mainstream, and geometric lines soon replaced the more decorative style of the Art Nouveau movement.

Why it works: Art Deco decor can work brilliantly in modern homes – its simplicity, symmetry and bold lines give any space a sense of opulence.

You’ll like this style if … you love watching old-Hollywood movies, The Great Gatsby is one of your favourite books/movies, and you wish you could bring back the days of flappers and the foxtrot.

French Interior Design Studio

Start with the bathroom
This room is an easy one to get right when it comes to Art Deco style. A bevelled mirror can create just the focal point you need, and if you stick to clean, geometric lines you can’t really go wrong. Make use of marble, shop around for authentic light fittings and, above all, keep it simple.

Tim Barber Architects

Pedestal vanities were common in the 1920s, and this shape is still widely available today, both second hand and brand new.

Goodspeed Architecture

Go bold
Whether straight or curved, dramatic lines are one of the most characteristic features of Art Deco furnishings. Here, the curved lines of the armchairs contrast against the straight lines of the table and credenza. Bold oversize artwork in attention-getting colours is a must.

Mix and match luxe materials
Sumptuous leather couches, animal furs and metallic surfaces are just some of the luxurious materials to make their way into Art Deco style. Marble is also one to consider for cabinet and tabletops.

Ed Ritger Photography

New materials inspired a new wave of furniture designs that are still popular today. Stainless steel, Bakelite, chrome and plastic are all popular in Art Deco style, and the original objects featuring these materials are highly sought after.

Jeffrey Brooks Interior Design

Make a statement in elegance
The booming stock market and prosperity that followed World War I brought lavish detail and over-the-top opulence to home decor. A feature cocktail table could be just the thing if you’d like to make an unapologetic statement of luxury in keeping with this one-of-a-kind style.

Dirk Denison Architects

Seek out shapely furnishings and geometric designs
Solid dark timber furniture dominates the Art Deco style, with motifs influenced by Egyptian, Aztec and Mayan designs, as seen here in the bedding.

Lucid Interior Design Inc.

This desk is another example of motifs making an appearance in Art Deco furniture. Stars and sunbursts were other popular emblems that symbolised the carefree attitudes of the post-war era.

Angela Flournoy

The chevron is enjoying a resurgence, but has its roots in Art Deco style.

Astleford Interiors, Inc.

Art Deco furniture is typically big and solid and lacquered to the max. Exotic wood, such as ebony, teak, maple and oak, contribute to the signature look of Art Deco furniture, and the fine craftsmanship means it’s not difficult to find original pieces still in excellent condition.