Decorating
5 Ways to Make the Art Deco Trend Feel Homely
Art Deco has been a growing trend this year, but if you’re not sure how to blend it into your home, try these tips
Art Deco is such a strong look it should be handled with care. Go for it 100% and, without the budget of an upscale hotel restoring a listed 1920s building (not to mention the associated design team), your home could easily become a spiky space with just a few too many sharp angles, a shade too much chrome or curved walnut, and one mirrored geometric accessory too many for (home) comfort.
Instead, borrow one or two elements of this elegant look – whose sleek lines, stylised images of cruise liners and skyscrapers, vivid palette and glossy surfaces celebrated the technological and cultural developments of the first half of the 20th century – or give the original look a soft twist to tap into its glamour but retain a welcoming, liveable atmosphere.
Instead, borrow one or two elements of this elegant look – whose sleek lines, stylised images of cruise liners and skyscrapers, vivid palette and glossy surfaces celebrated the technological and cultural developments of the first half of the 20th century – or give the original look a soft twist to tap into its glamour but retain a welcoming, liveable atmosphere.
Major on neutrals
Early Art Deco was all about rich, strong colours. As it evolved, softer hues joined the mix – and this is good to remember, as those trademark clashing bolds take a lot of skill to pull off. Combine them with other Deco classics – say walnut, steel, ebony or zebra print – and a soft, homely space you are unlikely to create.
Take Deco detailing, however, such as the geometric pattern of the curtains here, or the elegant glass lighting, and dial it down with a muted backdrop of eau de nil and biscuit, and you’ll achieve a more relaxing mood. Dot in rich colours for depth, but keep them complementary, and be sure to include soft and tactile surfaces, too.
Take a look at this Art Deco update of a medieval palace
Early Art Deco was all about rich, strong colours. As it evolved, softer hues joined the mix – and this is good to remember, as those trademark clashing bolds take a lot of skill to pull off. Combine them with other Deco classics – say walnut, steel, ebony or zebra print – and a soft, homely space you are unlikely to create.
Take Deco detailing, however, such as the geometric pattern of the curtains here, or the elegant glass lighting, and dial it down with a muted backdrop of eau de nil and biscuit, and you’ll achieve a more relaxing mood. Dot in rich colours for depth, but keep them complementary, and be sure to include soft and tactile surfaces, too.
Take a look at this Art Deco update of a medieval palace
Light it softly
As well as strong colour, Art Deco was also enduringly fond of a black and white theme. This monochrome bathroom is all about strong lines and contrasting geometric patterns (not only in that dazzling wallpaper, but also note the Aztec-inspired towel).
This clean, crisp decorating style, however, can look a little stark when brightly lit – and never more so than when glossy porcelain is involved (as here), magnifying glare.
So if you’re refurbing a bathroom with a nod to Art Deco (or generally including gloss finishes), do look at your options for gentle illumination, whether it’s lamps that produce a diffused light, low-light bulbs or dimmer switches.
Browse Art Deco style in the Houzz Shop
As well as strong colour, Art Deco was also enduringly fond of a black and white theme. This monochrome bathroom is all about strong lines and contrasting geometric patterns (not only in that dazzling wallpaper, but also note the Aztec-inspired towel).
This clean, crisp decorating style, however, can look a little stark when brightly lit – and never more so than when glossy porcelain is involved (as here), magnifying glare.
So if you’re refurbing a bathroom with a nod to Art Deco (or generally including gloss finishes), do look at your options for gentle illumination, whether it’s lamps that produce a diffused light, low-light bulbs or dimmer switches.
Browse Art Deco style in the Houzz Shop
Mix fine lines with soft seating
Lacquered walnut armrests, scalloped shapes and low backs are characteristics of Art Deco seating. Such seats are nice to look at, or perch upon with a stiff martini, but they’re rather formal – not a style you could imagine lounging around on for a box-set binge. By all means opt for an occasional chair or two of this ilk, but let your sofa be unashamedly squishy and deep.
Here, despite a comfy two-seater, the Deco look is strong in the slimline frame of the coffee table and side tables, as well as the slender sofa legs. Mixing turquoise, sapphire and yellow with black could be harsh, but again a neutral backdrop takes the edge off.
Top marks for another notable swap here, too: while a dark, glossy wood would have been more authentic for the coffee table top, that pale, informal, unpolished timber is far friendlier. Look out for pieces that combine Deco style with 21st century hues and materials.
Lacquered walnut armrests, scalloped shapes and low backs are characteristics of Art Deco seating. Such seats are nice to look at, or perch upon with a stiff martini, but they’re rather formal – not a style you could imagine lounging around on for a box-set binge. By all means opt for an occasional chair or two of this ilk, but let your sofa be unashamedly squishy and deep.
Here, despite a comfy two-seater, the Deco look is strong in the slimline frame of the coffee table and side tables, as well as the slender sofa legs. Mixing turquoise, sapphire and yellow with black could be harsh, but again a neutral backdrop takes the edge off.
Top marks for another notable swap here, too: while a dark, glossy wood would have been more authentic for the coffee table top, that pale, informal, unpolished timber is far friendlier. Look out for pieces that combine Deco style with 21st century hues and materials.
Go dark and cosy
As already mentioned, strong colour was characteristic of Art Deco style, especially in the early years. But here the twist is that a rich hue has been used all over for a cocooning effect.
This room is also inspiring if you’d like some ideas for how to mix beloved midcentury pieces with this new/older favourite. Those tapered table legs and the angle of the sofa and chair legs are midcentury all over, yet the room doesn’t feel of that era. How?
Geometry was a common theme to both Deco and 1950s design, and this overlap is helpful here in connecting the two styles. But while pale Lucienne Day pastels were typical of midcentury geometry, the gold accents, deep colour and glamorous fireplace gleam are all firmly showing off the Deco trend.
One trick to help pull off the mix? Tie everything together with colour – either commit to one powerful tint, like the deep blue here, or mix and match from a limited palette, borrowing colours from other parts of the room in cushions, throws and artworks to make visual connections.
Is Art Deco the new Midcentury Modern? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
As already mentioned, strong colour was characteristic of Art Deco style, especially in the early years. But here the twist is that a rich hue has been used all over for a cocooning effect.
This room is also inspiring if you’d like some ideas for how to mix beloved midcentury pieces with this new/older favourite. Those tapered table legs and the angle of the sofa and chair legs are midcentury all over, yet the room doesn’t feel of that era. How?
Geometry was a common theme to both Deco and 1950s design, and this overlap is helpful here in connecting the two styles. But while pale Lucienne Day pastels were typical of midcentury geometry, the gold accents, deep colour and glamorous fireplace gleam are all firmly showing off the Deco trend.
One trick to help pull off the mix? Tie everything together with colour – either commit to one powerful tint, like the deep blue here, or mix and match from a limited palette, borrowing colours from other parts of the room in cushions, throws and artworks to make visual connections.
Is Art Deco the new Midcentury Modern? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
The key Art Deco motif in this airy, inviting bedroom is the pendant light fitting.
The starburst design is one of Art Deco’s trademark, angular motifs (just one of Deco’s Aztec influences; ancient Egypt also provided design fodder, particularly in form of the ziggurat). Starbursts often came in the form of mirrors, sometimes clocks. This reinvention of the shape into a contemporary light looks good, and ties in with the equally Art Deco slimline table and golden bed legs. The luxurious teal leather adds era-appropriate opulence.
What softens all this authenticity, though, is the very un-Art Deco plant theme. While stylised, geometric versions of shapes from nature were prominent in the look, loose, organic forms most definitely were not (they were much more suited to the earlier Art Nouveau style). The informal bedding print, the foliage and the handmade-style bottles are a deliberate contrast. An abundance of houseplants alone would be an instant trick for loosening the shiny patent belt of Art Deco in any scheme.