While some may argue the era of Art Deco interior design is over, it’s undeniable that its spirit lives on. “When we’re talking about Art Deco, generally we’re thinking of the style and aesthetic most popular during the 1920s and ’30s,” says Jennifer Durand, design director at Jessica Lagrange Interiors. Often defined by geometric patterns and motifs, bold jewel tones, and rich material palettes, the interior design style is opulent and decadent. “These days, we probably wouldn’t do a whole authentic Art Deco interior,” adds Jessica Lagrange, founder of the aforementioned eponymous design firm. “But we like to use bits and pieces, which can be very timeless, and use them in a contemporary setting.”
The style continues to be a favorite among design aficionados and even celebrities—from Barbara Streisand’s former New York City town house to Athena Calderone’s Manhattan apartment to Walter Goggins’s Hudson Valley cabin (complete with a “prohibition bar” in what once pretended to be a linen closet). Below, AD outlines everything you need to know about Art Deco style, from its history to modern interpretations, and how you can bring the luxurious look into your home.
What is Art Deco interior design?
According to Wesley Moon, interior designer and founder of Wesley Moon Design and Decoration, there are two ways to think about Art Deco design: the historical roots and the modern renditions. Of course, to appreciate the latter, you first have to understand the former.
History of Art Deco interior design
Historically, Art Deco, which is short for arts décoratifs, started in France in the early 1900s. “But it really flourished in America in the ’20s and ’30s,” Moon explains, when people over the world were reassessing everything they knew about established society, art, and style in the wake of World War I. Generally categorized as the style of art, interiors, architecture, and product design popular in the era between the First and Second World Wars, the style was first exhibited in 1925 during the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes, in Paris. (The name “Art Deco” didn’t become popular until 1968 when British historian Bevis Hillier published his influential book Art Deco of the 20s and 30s. Prior to that, Arts Décoratifs was just as likely to be called “Style Moderne.”) Designs of this time were often defined by a streamlined look—generally composed of simple lines and geometric shapes for ornamentation—made from expensive materials. “When we think of Art Deco, we picture symmetrical, geometric, streamlined pieces with simplistic form,” Durand tells AD, “but made with really innovative, specialty materials.”
Influences that inspired Art Deco design include the stylized, decorative forms of Egyptian temple design—in part because the discovery of King Tut’s tomb in 1922 set off a mania for all things Egyptian. Other international traditions, including tribal African art, Mesoamerican pyramid temples, and the pediments of ancient Greek temple design also influenced the look of Art Deco.
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