Opulence, glamour and sleek lines…. Continuing our series on the great interior decor trends and how you can use them for inspiration in your own home (with a special emphasis on lighting), here’s a guide to Art Deco house décor and design.
Few architectural and design styles are so instantly recognisable as Art Deco, with its distinctive lines and bold confidence . In the 1920s and 30s, Art Deco was everywhere, from Busby Berkeley’s glamorous Hollywood film sets to Lubetkin’s Penguin Pool (which was not, as it turned, particularly good for penguins) at London Zoo.
Art Deco buildings began to appear around the world a century ago but the impact of WWll meant a scarcity of raw materials and limits on building and furniture production and Art Deco rather faded into insignificance. But it did not disappear completely and, since a revival in the late 1960s and ‘70s, Art Deco has continued to influence buildings, interior design, furniture, furnishings and accessories.
So what is it that makes this style so compelling and how can you introduce Art Deco features, including lighting, into a 21st century home?
The origins of Art Deco style
It was the Exposition internationale des arts décoratifs et industriels modernes, staged in Paris in 1925, which gave Art Deco its name and put this unmistakable style firmly on the international design map. Originally planned in 1912, the exhibition was intended to revive and promote French design, which had been overshadowed in the early years of the 20th century by the groundbreaking design work coming out of Austria and Germany. Although the First World War had delayed the exhibition, Art Deco buildings had already appeared in many parts of the world. The Kologdam Building in Bandung, Indonesia for example, dates from 1920.
Features of Art Deco design
Think geometrical shapes and symmetrical designs reflecting modern machinery, strong colours, painting styles such as Cubism and Italian Futurism; combine them with luxurious and opulent materials, such as marble and lacquer, and sumptuous fabrics like velvet and satin, and you have the essence of Art Deco. It’s a Bugatti Royale Type 4, a Danish velvet chair or a 1920s flapper dress.
1930s Bugatti Royale Type 4
But metal and synthetic materials, plastic and Bakelite, for example, also featured and enabled everyday objects in Art Deco style to be mass produced.
Art Deco buildings
Bathroom, Upton House. ©National Trust Images
If you drive west from London, along the Great West Road or Western Avenue, you can still see examples of Art Deco’s industrial legacy, such as Wallis, Gilbert and Partners’ Firestone Tyre Factory and the Hoover Building at Perivale. But the movement had an equally strong influence on domestic buildings and hotels.
Art Deco houses and apartment blocks were appearing in towns and cities across the country. Nowhere epitomised Art Deco glamour more than the 80 new hotel rooms and ballroom designed by architect, Oswald Milne for Claridge’s. And, with the arrival of Oscar Deutsch’s Odeon cinema chain, going to the movies became unbelievably glamorous. There were the grand old country houses whose smart set owners redecorated in Art Deco style, such as Upton House in Warwickshire and the quite extraordinary Eltham Palace in Greenwich.
Dining room, Eltham Palace
Art Deco in the 1960s and ‘70s
In the late 1960s and 1970s, many of the clothes designed by Barbara Hulanicki (Biba) and Lee Bender (Bus Stop) reflected Art Deco styles and fabrics. When Big Biba, Biba’s department store in Kensington High Street, opened in 1973, it was a celebration not only of Hulanicki’s own unique style but of the building’s original Art Deco opulence, and much more besides. Vogue’s editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour, started her fashion career there aged 15...
The revival trend tipped over into homes; Art Deco furniture (think glass-fronted walnut cabinets), was suddenly desirable again and entire suites of furniture, which had fallen out of favour, could still be picked up in second-hand furniture warehouses for quite modest sums.
Getting the Art Deco look in the 21st century home
If you love Art Deco style, you’ve probably already discovered that original furniture of the period in good condition can now command eyewatering sums, although you may be able to track down an occasional gem at auctions or online. Here are five more affordable ways to bring the look home.
1. Go ersatz
Keep a lookout for contemporary pieces with a retro Art Deco look, like this scallop shell chair, upholstered in pink velvet.
2. Use tiles
Geometric tiles in black, white and green featured strongly in Art Deco bathrooms and kitchens, and that's a look you can easily adapt in your own home. Many bathroom manufacturers now offer a range of retro styles, including Art Deco hand basins.
3. Vintage cabinets
Look out for vintage Art Deco kitchen cabinets. Not only do they look good but they're highly practical too, most feature a pull-down or pull-out enamel worktop, ideal for practising your Bake-Off skills. They're compact too, so they work well in small kitchens.
4. Geometric wallpaper and stencils
In a hallway, make a statement with dramatic black and white floor tiles, or Art Deco style wallpaper or stencils, like these ones.
5. Posters
Look out for high quality reproduction prints like these Eduardo Benito covers for Vogue from the 1920s.
Lighting your Art Deco home
As with furniture and accessories, it’s perfectly possible to find contemporary lighting that will enhance a dedicated Art Deco interior, or add just a touch of Art Deco to a modern interior. Pooky has you covered!
Art Deco wall sconces
No type of lighting says Art Deco more than highly stylised angular wall sconces, adorned with Egyptian motifs or jewel encrusted. And no novel sums up the Art Deco era, with all its glamour and excesses, better than F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, which is exactly the mood behind our Cubist brass and alabaster wall sconces. They'd look perfectly at home in a stateroom on one of those elegant 1930s ocean liners. If Follow the Fleet with Fred and Ginger is one of your favourite films, or you visited the V&A's Ocean Liners: Speed and Style exhibition in 2018, you'll know just what we mean.
Art Deco table lamps
Like every classic interior design style, Art Deco drew on selected elements of other design movements. It embraced the straight lines and geometry of Modernism and the artistry and luxurious materials of Art Nouveau; original lamps from the period now sell for eye-popping sums. But you can add contemporary Art Deco style at a more sensible price with an acrylic table lamp, all edges and curves, utterly cool and stylish. If you want the Art Deco look for your home office, look for a lamp with a distinctive shallow mushroom shade, a neat little finial on top, and a cool, weighted base.
Art Deco floor lamps
Perfecting the Art Deco look in a floor lamp is quite a challenge, getting the angles and proportions of a square-based column just right takes real skill. For the finishing touch, add a cream or off-white shade in a sumptuous fabric like velvet or Thai silk.
Art Deco ceiling lights and chandeliers
For a ceiling light that captures Art Deco's love of geometry and craftsmanship, look for a two-tiered oval chandelier, hand-worked in brass, then antiqued and lacquered for a refined finish, with individual glass rods set into the frame to catch and diffract the light, a style that channels Art Deco's architectural confidence without leaning on pastiche.
A two-tiered brass and glass Art Deco chandelier
Passionate about Art Deco? Continue exploring our styles series with the clean lines of the Bauhaus, the calm balance of Japandi, or the natural exuberance of botanicals. Browse our range of affordable Art Deco lighting here.
FAQs about Art Deco interior design
Is Art Deco the same as Art Nouveau?
No, though the two are often confused. Art Nouveau came first, in the late 19th century, and favoured flowing, organic curves inspired by nature. Art Deco followed in the 1920s and reacted against it, embracing geometric shapes, symmetry and the sleek lines of modern machinery instead.
What colours work best in an Art Deco interior?
Rich, confident colours suit Art Deco best, think deep greens, blacks, golds and jewel tones, often paired with black and white for contrast. These shades work well alongside the metallic finishes (brass, chrome) and glossy materials like lacquer that define the style.
Does Art Deco work in a small room or flat?
Yes, Art Deco translates well to smaller spaces. A single striking piece, like a geometric wall sconce or a mirrored side table, can introduce the style without overwhelming the room, and glossy or mirrored surfaces help bounce light around compact interiors.
Can I mix Art Deco with a more modern or minimalist style?
Yes, if you keep the geometry and metallics but simplify everything else. Pair a single Art Deco piece, a sunburst mirror or a fan-shaped lamp, with plain walls and streamlined furniture, and let that one piece do the talking rather than layering in multiple period details.
How do I add Art Deco style to my home?
Lighting is usually the simplest entry point. A single Art Deco-inspired wall sconce can set the tone for a whole room instantly, without touching walls, floors or furniture. Browse our wall lights collection to find a piece that fits your space.
What makes Art Deco interior design different from other styles?
Art Deco's geometric symmetry, glamour and machine-age precision set it apart from most other classic interior styles. Sunbursts, stepped forms and sleek lines take the place of the natural curves or handcrafted imperfection other styles lean on, and the materials at the heart of Art Deco house decor are chosen to gleam rather than age gracefully, think brass, chrome, lacquer and mirrored glass. It's less about comfort-first cosiness and more about making a room feel like an occasion.