How to Make Art Deco Style Work in the Modern Home

Have you ever wanted to travel back in time? Well, we all know that unfortunately that is (currently) impossible. But, that doesn’t mean that you can’t transport yourself back in time through other means… specifically, in the way that you decorate your home. For a 1920s feel, living in the lap of luxury, you need to consider the best ways to introduce the Art Deco style into your living space.

Add Art Deco Style to Your House

So, with that in mind, there are a number of ways that you can work to effectively incorporate the Art Deco styling into your modern home. Gatsby, eat your heart out!

Shape the Room

Shapes are of vital importance when it comes to decorating in the Art Deco styling. Geometric shapes are especially important when it comes to honouring the Art Deco style in your home. Triangles, zigzags, trapezoids, straight lines and complex designs. Think of anything from the 1920s, the heart of Art Deco, and these shapes will be abundant in the design.

You can incorporate these geometric patterns throughout a room in any number of ways. Wallpaper is an easy option, as there are plenty of Art Deco inspired designs on the market. But, you can also use mirrors, lamps, wall hangings and even your cushions (and other accessories) to celebrate the sharp lines this style requires.

Discover the Art

Everything about the Art Deco style could be said to be a work of art. So, introducing art into a space heavily inspired by this decor style may be said to be a little overkill. However, you may find that there are a number of interesting art pieces which can, in fact, complement your overall Art Deco stylings (rather than overshadow them). Natural features–seashells, flowers and sunsets–transformed into basic, geometric, shapes are a great example of art that fits without overwhelming. Especially if the colours remain striking.

And if you want to pay homage to the literary home of Art Deco, there are a fabulous array of The Great Gatsby posters which will happily fit this style.

You can choose to incorporate antiques into the overall design of the room, which are taken from the Art Deco period. They may not fit into the style completely, but they can certainly support it with context from the period this style originated from. Searching for ‘art deco antiques’ can bring you a lot of great examples to choose from.

Choose Interesting Lighting Pieces

Lighting is important in any art deco interior design, but it can really add or detract from the overall styling depending on how you incorporate it. Mirrors, geometric-shaped preferably, are the gateway to ensuring your lighting matches your Art Deco intentions. Reflection is a key element of the Art Deco style and helps to enhance the lighting choices.

Subtle lighting, then, is key for the Art Deco style. Soft lighting in impressive zig-zag shaped pendant lighting. Or, quite commonly, figure-shaped table lamps dotted around the room. On its own such lighting would be quite dark, but combined with the mirrors it lights up the room in a subtly pleasing haze. Perfect for nights with guests in your very own speakeasy.

Material Room

A final consideration for your Art Deco home transformation is that of the materials and finishes you use to adorn the room. Metallic furniture, with sparkling chrome accents, are a must-have for anyone serious about the Art Deco style. Finishings should use gold leaf, lacquer and lots of geometric patterns to accentuate the style.

It’s easy to overwhelm the senses with all of this, so try and mix these eye-opening material choices with rather plain backgrounds where possible. Or you may end up with less Art Deco and more Art Hell No.

…And Finally

There are plenty of ways you can get art deco to work in modern interiors, so don’t be afraid to search out more ideas to achieve this look throughout your home. You may be surprised by how well contemporary furniture pieces fit into this style choice.

Have you ever wanted to travel back in time?

Well, we all know that is impossible, but you can transport yourself back in time through other means… simply add Art Deco Style to your house. Art Deco is a fabulous style either to fully glamourise a room or simply add a luxurious accent piece, it’s ultimately down to your personal taste and style.