Many international design styles are popular in India even today, although they originated several decades ago. One such style is Art Deco architecture and interior design, which showcases glamour, extravagance and luxury in home design. Continue reading to learn exactly what Art Deco interior design is, its prominent features and evolution and explore tips on how to incorporate the Art deco interior style in different spaces of your home.
What is Art Deco Interior Design?
Art Deco, meaning Art Decorative, is an architectural style that became popular during the 1920s and 1930s, and Art Deco interior design is an extension of the same. Most prominently observed in Europe and the USA, this design style sought to explore new materials and construction techniques while retaining the essence of some traditional styles and vernacular architecture. Art Deco interior decor features bold geometric patterns and vibrant colours that depict luxury and sophistication, making it popular with many homeowners around the world even today.
Evolution of Art Deco Architecture and Interiors
After World War I, architects worked to develop building styles that incorporated new materials and construction methods in order to meet the growing need for high-rise buildings in cities. The Art Deco style developed as a result of this need as well as several other new government restrictions for structures in urban areas, such as the 1916 New York Zoning Law, which mandated that buildings taper inward to maximise natural light and air. The Art Deco movement was formally founded in 1925 during the International Exposition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts, also known as the ‘Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes’, which took place in Paris. Even while the style was evident in Paris as early as the 1920s, it wasn’t until this show that it acquired popularity and earned its name.
Many of the features of the Art Deco style are inspired by other art and architectural movements, such as Fauvism (bold colours), Cubism (rectilinear forms), Roman and Greek Classical styles (tripartite division) and Bauhaus (straight lines, geometric masses). The same bold features were also carried into the interiors of Art Deco buildings, producing a vibrant style that is popular even in the modern design industry.
Features of Art Deco Interior Design
The most prominent Art Deco features observed in interior design are:
Bold Geometric Shapes
The Art Deco movement used geometric motifs in interior facades and surfaces, drawing inspiration from the Classic art forms of the Egyptian, Mesopotamian, Aztec, and Mayan civilizations. Common Art Deco patterns include sunburst and floral patterns, ziggurats (pyramidal structures), lightning bolts, chevrons, triangles, straight lines, and curves.
Rich Materials
Art Deco interior designers used materials that conveyed luxurious sophistication and grandeur. Terrazzo flooring or marble flooring with contrasting inlays, often laid in geometric patterns with a few curvilinear accents, was common. Walls and ceilings were frequently adorned with materials like stainless steel, brass, chrome, gold, mirrors and lacquered exotic wood.
Vibrant Colours
Fauvism, an early 20th-century art movement, served as an inspiration for 1920s Art Deco interior design, which frequently used vivid colours such as bright yellow, deep pink, ruby red, navy blue and emerald green. Themes or decor elements with stark contrasts were created using black, white, silver, and gold. Natural colours of exposed brick and polished wood were also often used to complement the glossy metal surfaces of windows, doors, railings, and grills, along with furniture in soft shades of beige.
Dramatic Furniture and Decor
Art Deco furnishings and decor items were striking pieces used to create a sense of extravagance and drama in the interiors. They often included:
- Furniture: Sofas, beds and other furniture with streamlined/ geometric forms; wardrobes and other storage cabinets made of exotic types of wood with colourful and intricate inlays.
- Lighting: Ornate chandeliers with gold, silver or brass-coloured metallic finishes along with etched, stained or frosted glass, creating impressive patterns of light and shadows.
- Fabrics: Large rugs, curtains, carpets and upholstery made with rich fabrics like velvet, leather, zebra skin, silk and shark skin. These often had geometric colour-blocked patterns or Art Deco Motifs in contrasting colours.
Tips to Design Interior Art Deco Spaces
Here are a few tips to incorporate Art Deco design into your residential interior spaces:
Include Art Deco Motifs
Apply motifs like sunburst patterns, ziggurats (pyramidal structures), lightning bolts, chevrons and triangles in furniture pieces, fabrics and other elements in Art Deco interiors. For example, wood flooring can be laid in a herringbone pattern, light fittings can have pyramidal (ziggurat) shapes and artwork on walls can include symmetrical, geometric and streamlined forms.
Use Complementary Colour Palettes
Multiple bright and contrasting colours can be used as a part of Art Deco contemporary interior design. However, it is important to use these colours in the right proportions to create a visually pleasing and balanced space. For example, you can use a bright colour (like ruby red or navy blue) on one single feature wall in every room, which may be complemented by more subtle tones on other walls; or use vivid coloured furniture and fabrics against soft wall colours. You can also add metal light fittings, grills and railings in shades of gold and brass to create contrasts against vibrant colours.
Opt for Intricate Craftsmanship
Use statement pieces that depict intricate craftsmanship, such as mahogany or ebony wood cabinets with marble/ tortoise shell inlays, wainscoting or metal trims for wall panelling and customised Art Deco furniture (sofas, beds, etc.) with streamlined or geometric forms. These pieces can be made with reclaimed wood or repurposed from an old Art deco house to reduce the overall cost of the interiors.
Art Deco Interior Design for Different Spaces
Art Deco home interiors can be incorporated into various spaces in the following ways:
- Living Rooms: Use sofas and ottomans with curvilinear and symmetric forms along with rich, colourful rugs and carpets made of velvet or leather. Include statement light fittings with intricate etched glass patterns.
- Bedrooms: Use beds with canopies or large headboards, made of high-quality wood like teak, rose or ebony. Mirrors with gold metallic trims, along with silk or woollen curtains and bed fabrics can also add a sense of richness to modern Art Deco interiors.
- Dining Rooms: Place a solid wood dining table along with chairs that have gold or brass metal legs. Add a statement chandelier above the dining table and a feature wall with artwork that can create a bright atmosphere for dining and socialising.
- Staircases: Use contrasting colours for the risers and treads, such as black granite with beige granite. The shape of the staircase can be further highlighted using metal railings with sunburst or chevron patterns in gold and black tones.
Constructing the Best Art Deco Buildings
Art Deco interior design today is a blend of historical architectural knowledge and modern construction technology and materials. Brick & Bolt, a top design-build company in India, employs a team of experienced architects who are experts in this field and customise each detail to perfection. The team also collaborates with the leading interior designers in the country to create homes and commercial spaces that efficiently reflect luxury, elegance and extravagance. With extensive QASCON checks conducted, premium quality is also maintained in all the projects. Get in touch with Brick & Bolt today to design and build the best Art Deco homes and commercial buildings!
Apoorva H P Achar