Exploring the Modern Dynamics of Art Deco Interior Design

The tenants of Art Deco Interior Design are easy to summarize. Favoring verticality, geometric shapes, and theatrical contrast, it’s inspired by industrial materials more than Art Nouveau. Art Deco represents a sea-change in the history of design.

In today’s blog, we want to explore how the principles of Art Deco Interior Design can be explored in modern interiors. Adding just one original Art Deco piece from the Styylish catalog to your rooms can have a significant impact on the atmosphere of your home.

Background

Before the Art Deco period, interior decoration was rather involved. Art Nouveau interiors were detailed affairs, featuring wood paneling and organic shapes that fully occupied a room.

While the later Art Deco is a style of wealth and glamor, it is not one of nitpicking, nature-inspired décor. In many ways a direct antecedent to many of our modern preferences in design, Art Deco favors abstract geometric patterns over depictions of nature, dark wood and bright, high-shine metals over light, golden pieces.

Check out our blog on the History of Art Deco Decoration for a detailed historical context and an exploration of how this period developed. And browse our Art Deco Buying Guide for an introduction to all kinds of Art Deco pieces available to you.

Exploring Art Deco Interior Design in the Rooms of Your Home

In order to understand how to apply the principles of Art Deco decoration to your interiors, we need to consider the various needs and challenges of each room. By exploring the living room, bedroom, dining room, and entryway, we want to inspire you to pursue your dreams of an Art Deco-inspired home with simple suggestions.

Living Room

In more ways than one, the living room is the heart of your home. No other space sees as many strangers and loved-ones alike, few other spaces are used as much. As such, finding ways to accent your living room to draw on the qualities of Art Deco Interior Design is a surefire way to make your home feel new.

Those changes don’t have to be major. Place bright modern cushions with geometric patterns on your couch or sofa. Then put them in conversation with a piece like this darkly colored Art Deco Poof Stool, which combines the qualities of a small ottoman with ample storage space.

The dark fabric of this stool has a vertical pull that plays with the dimensions of a room. And by combining it with other pieces (of different colors) inspired by abstract geometry, you take advantage of Art Deco’s natural love for engaging contrast.

That contrast is at the heart of a more involved set-up featuring these absolutely stunning lounge chairs. A set of four, they make themselves known in your room with geometric confidence and elegance. But they feel and appear so naturally compatible with contemporary furniture that there’s no better addition to a living room in need of a little Art Deco kick.

Bedroom

Your bedroom is your own personal haven. Why not add a little cruise-ship glamour to this functional space? That’s certainly what this pair of striking Art Deco Side Tables does. Imagine them next to your modern upholstered bed.

If you take advantage of the warmth of the walnut veneer by contrasting it with a dark industrial bedframe or a white-colored slab of comfort, you’ll have achieved what any Art Deco interior designer sets out to do.

Dining Room

In our Blog on Art Deco Chairs, we introduced you to the sheer variety of Art Deco seating. Dining Room chairs stand out from the pack because of the rarity of a complete, original set of chairs. At Styylish, we pride ourselves on collecting and offering complete sets of antique and vintage chairs that can radically transform your dining room unlike just about anything else.

Take this classic set of six original Art Deco chairs and imagine them paired with your chic, modern wood or light marble table. The polished black lacquer of the chairs creates a beautiful contrast with a light dining set up. Simple, colorful goemtric placemats can accent the jagged geometric pattern in the fabric, for instance.

Don’t feel the need to only work in the highest quality of materials around your Art Deco pieces. Part of the beauty of putting vintage design in conversation with contemporary design is exploring changes in materials and values, while still honoring the historical context of the unique pieces you bring into your home.

Maybe the placemats that best converse with these fantastic chairs are affordable ones at a retail store, not designer pieces themselves.

Entryway

First impressions are certainly essential. That’s what makes the often overlooked entryway a great place to invest in décor. Art Deco feels perfectly suited to this area of your house. The inherent color contrast in Art Deco aptly accents the border between the outdoors and indoors.

An Art Deco Wardrobe Mirror will set the tone for the rest of your abode. Its rectangular verticality is accented by round swirls that embody the transition from Art Nouveau to Industrial design. Rather than decorated with leaves or organic motifs, the round hangers thrust forward with understated metal hooks.

The resulting aura is one of clear refinement and clean décor. The wardrobe mirror leaves an impression of tasteful class. It does so without littering your hall with grandiose accents or gold mounts, for instance. Pair it in conversation with a vertically oriented painting, for example, to accent its shape and make your hall feel tall.

The Takeaway: A Design Period Fit For Any Room

Whether you’re adding elegance to a living room, setting the stage with a decorated entryway, or crafting the perfect retreat in your bedroom, Art Deco lends itself to game-changing upheavals in interior design.

Certainly suited to interact gracefully with simple, clean modern designs, Art Deco design adds complexity and historical depth to your space without taking it over. Browse the Styylish catalog and our blog for more inspiration and even more Art Deco furniture!