When a group of leading Parisian artists organized an exhibition devoted to modern industrial and decorative art in 1925, they sparked the birth of a short-lived but highly influential design movement, later known as Art Deco. In the 1920s and 1930s he came to dominate the entire spectrum of the decorative arts, in fields as diverse as architecture, industrial design, and, of course, interior design. We can still see Art Deco buildings in many cities and, thanks to a revival in the 1980s, in hotels and other commercial spaces. To get the full picture, all you have to do today is take a look at any Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers movie musical from the 1930s and you’ll be instantly immersed in the total Art Deco experience. I love the central futuristic faith in Art Deco, a faith that now seems whimsical and naive, but has created a completely unique design language that can add a wistful element of nostalgia and fun to contemporary interior design.
Art Deco was, above all, modern with a capital M. Geometric shapes, sharp angles, staggered patterns, and sweeping curves were meant to capture the rapid advances in industry and technology that characterized the early 20th century. That’s why some of the most iconic examples of the Art Deco style are the high-tech symbols of the time: skyscrapers, ocean liners, radios, and even phonographs. That is why the preferred materials were aluminum, glass and stainless steel. Even the wood was shiny, whether lacquered or inlaid. The floors were also shiny, made of marble or tile, often with checkerboard patterns. The rugs featured geometric patterns, while zebra skin and shagreen (snake skin) covered the decorative surfaces. Mirrors used to be round and abundant. Sunburst and chevron motifs could be seen on everything from furniture to women’s shoes to radiator grilles on automobiles. Paradoxically, while Art Deco was the epitome of Modernisme, influences included patterns and symbols from Aztec Mexico, Egypt, and Africa.
Poster art was at its height, with some of the best illustrators capturing the Deco style in advertising for consumer products, performing arts, and sporting events. Ivory, jade, and stained glass were common materials for fixtures, which were generally tall, slim, and elegant, with soft curves. Patterns on wall coverings often featured foliage, stylized animals, and nudes.
The cataclysm of World War II closed the book on Art Deco, as modern technology became more identified with death and destruction than advanced design. And while there has been an isolated resurgence, today Art Deco is mostly viewed nostalgically as a look into the past. Due to its ubiquity in architecture and public places, great examples of Art Deco can still be seen in cities around the world: the Chrysler Building and New York’s Radio City Music Hall are just two of many examples.
A few years ago I worked in my sister’s Art Deco apartment in Paris. The living room had gray leather sofas with gleaming burl wood, the custom cabinets that hid the TV were done in cream lacquer, the walls were finished in very soft Venetian plaster in a beige palette, and the heavy Round mirrors were framed in Zebra and Ebony woods. Window treatments used a simple net curtain to cover the large windows and the floors were limestone squares. If you are going to do Deco, you should continue with at least one complete room, since the style demands continuity in all the elements of the space. The resulting effect transports you to a different and much more glamorous high society, where Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers danced the night away, drinking champagne without a care in the world.
