With the Great Depression not scheduled until the end of the decade, and people desperate to put the horrors of the Great War behind them, the 1920s were a time of liberation, style and glamour.
The Great War made people question the notions of sacrifice and duty, and one response was to escape into cigarettes, cocktails and dancing to the latest jazz band. Hemlines shot up, as high as the midcalf! The Roaring Twenties were in full swing, and the style of the era was Art Deco.
How can I introduce Art Deco home decor into my home when I’m not sure what Art Deco is?
Art Deco is all about clean lines and streamlined forms (like maybe, a window blind?), with a lush colour palette and ornate finishing touches. Imagine the luxury of the world of Jay Gatsby, all glitz and glamour. I know Clarice Cliff has committed some crimes against ceramics, but think of her good stuff. The Orient Express ran from London to Istanbul, and adventure was for the taking – preferably without the dead bodies. On the subject of trains, many of the above-ground tube stations of Greater London are protected due to their Art Deco design. So what is Art Deco? Art Deco is timeless and suits any environment, that’s what Art Deco is.
Colour will bring your Art Deco home decor ideas to life
When it comes to incorporating Art Deco into your home decor, start with colour. No hue is out of bounds. Both rich colours and pastels can be combined so they can lift and calm each other down.
The painter’s colour wheel comes into its own here, offering a simple guide to contrasting colours that will pop together in the most electrifying way. And yet Art Deco in your home decor doesn’t have to be all bold and bejewelled colours. An array of neutral colours in geometric shapes will bring undeniable class and a subtle style to your home.
Incorporate shapes and patterns into your Art Deco home decor ideas
When you bring Art Deco into your home decor, you can add bold geometric shapes and patterns to those amazing colours and you still won’t be laying it on too thick. You can have zigzags and sweeping curves – yes, together if you wish. Top it off with an animal print and it’s still not too much. You’re probably wondering when have you ever seen zigzags let loose in someone’s home. Pop down some parquet wooden floors, add a three-piece in a zebra print (or perhaps a roller blind in one of the many stunning fabrics available), and people will be able to see it in your home. They’ll also be so jealous of how you’ve nailed bringing Art Deco into your home decor, that they’ll need to down several martinis, which you’ve mixed for them at your very own cocktail bar.
Use the appropriate materials in your Art Deco home decor ideas
Art Deco is about lounging in luxury, so crack out the velvet (perfect for Roman blinds) and marble. Now’s the time to indulge in an opulent light fixture, whether it’s all sharp edges or bulbous curves – because both are Art Deco. Don’t forget the shiny chrome or stainless steel table, all the better to show off your bronze statuettes of athletic women striking graceful poses. Fancy the coloured glass of a Tiffany’s lamp? Actually, they came of age during the Art Noveau movement, and then they continued to adapt and blossom during the rage for all things Art Deco.
A bar will bring your Art Deco home decor ideas together because that’s how cocktails work!
I’m not talking about Del Boy’s fold-down bar. Now’s the time to make yourself comfy in a plush hot pink velvet curved chair with a shiny chrome and glass table by your side so you have somewhere to place your cocktail and vapes. And of course there’s a vibrant potted palm in the corner, its green leaves contrasting or complimenting the soft pink or vibrant blue of your curtains. Are you sure you’re still in Ruislip? Aren’t you at the Cafe de Flore, enjoying a mimosa with your lover before you hail a cab to take you to the Folies-Bergere to catch Josephine Baker’s latest show? With a home like yours, you won’t need to go on holiday. By bringing the lushness of Art Deco into your home decor, you won’t ever want to leave your beautiful home ever again. You – yes, you – really are the cat’s pyjamas when it comes to bringing Art Deco decor ideas into your home.
