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If you want to create a 1950s art deco ambiance in a home or building, you have several different decorating motifs from which to choose. Though deco was at its peak in the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s and was fading by the 1950s, some art deco motifs lingered throughout the period.
In primitive and Medieval times, the fireplace was central to homes and public buildings as a source of heat and a way to cook food. Today's fireplaces are a focal point in homes and other buildings for aesthetic and nostalgic reasons. A fireplace at its most basic is an enclosed box with a chimney vent for releasing smoke. Wood, cut marble, natural granite, field stones, river rocks, bricks and burnished steel are all used in fireplace design.
Streamlined art deco styles and industry-inspired designs were in the forefront of the 1930s home decor. Unlike the mainly functional bathrooms of the past decades, 1930s bathrooms made high glamour and exotic elegance key. Wallpapers from this period were no exception to the decorating grandeur of the time.
Before manufacturers began mass producing kitchen cabinetry and storage solutions, there existed a compact kitchen storage and work space known as a Hoosier. Originating in Indiana as its name would suggest, the Hoosier began its journey into American homes in 1910 as a solution to the outcries for efficient storage and work space in the kitchen. It was at this same time that the Art Deco movement was in full swing. Characterized by its modern feel and contemporary lines, Art Deco furniture design began to infiltrate even the kitchen-cabinet market. Learn how to identify an Art Deco Hoosier-style cabinet, and…
Between the Great Depression and World War II, the United States experienced enormous upheaval and change. Swing jazz permeated the radio waves. Parlor games and movies were popular. Big names were John Steinbeck, Agatha Christie, Frank Lloyd Wright, Greta Garbo and Erroll Flynn. In furniture shops, Art Deco items lingered, as hot new items made the Art Moderne scene.
Gothic art first developed in the 12th century in northern Europe. Gothic art informs architecture, design and culture of today. Sculpture, painting and architecture were the three main forms of Gothic art, with the latter in particular preserving the work for future generations. Music, fashion and body art have all taken great influence from the more distinctive characteristics of Gothic art.
Improving your art style is an ongoing effort to master your craft by studying its form, working with a mentor and applying lessons to performance. Design a personal improvement program to maximize the output of your art form whether it is dance, drawing or writing. Each form requires a different approach, but a basic plan is managing your time to develop skills by working on weaknesses. Assess your skills by providing samples to experienced professionals, ask questions to learn their methods and expand on the knowledge in your work.
Art Deco style is a hybrid that borrows from Art Nouveau, Arts and Crafts, Impressionism, Cubism, Egyptology and other early 20th century influences. It's sleek, modern, glamorous and may be either spare or ornate. Art Deco surfaced from 1915 to 1945, and uses enameling, mirrors, bright colors and angled geometric shapes as design elements. Give an ordinary secondhand dresser an Art Deco makeover that could be the beginning of a totally transformed interior design.
Art Deco is a style of décor that harkens back to the 1920s and '30s. Its hallmarks include the use of bright, bold colors, particularly red, blue and yellow. Tones of black, white and cream provide a touch of neutral color to the palette. The style includes mirrored or chrome accents, geometric patterns and simple, streamlined designs. Bathrooms of the era were no different, and starting with a yellow base is an excellent option. A few minor additions will help bring the look together.
Art Deco style made its emergence on the world stage right after the turn of the 20th century. Its clean lines and sleek look ushered in the modern style. Even today, more than a century later, light fixtures like Art Deco wall sconces still fit well into the modern home.
The grand and luxurious ocean liners of the early 20th century offered their passengers an opportunity to cross the great oceans and opened up the world to millions of travelers. They carried many immigrants to their new home and provided a means for people to sail to far flung locales in majestic splendor. The 1930s were the heyday for these ocean liners, and several countries competed to create the world's most glorious ship.
The Art Deco style of design and architecture developed during the interwar era from the mid-1920s through the 1930s. The style, captured in many major buildings, homes, furniture, home accessories, clothing, art and graphics, adopted a then-modern look of opulence, glitz, glitter, smooth sleekness and bright color. You can adopt an Art Deco look in your home by adding Deco color schemes, linear and streamlined accessories, and décor touches that include iridescence, chrome, mirrors, vitrolite and Bakelite materials.
During its heyday, Art Deco was considered "the look of tomorrow." Beginning in the mid-1920s, the Deco movement lasted until the 1950s. Because of their futuristic designs, Art Deco light fixtures from the 50s still work well in homes today.
Art Deco was known during its era of popularity as Art Moderne. The 1940s gave the world Art Deco furniture and artwork as well as architecture. The Deco lamps of that era used natural materials and echoed the modern style.
Spanning the two decades between World War I and World War II, the easily recognizable Art Deco style encompasses a period of technological advancement, global upheaval and the expansion of mass-produced goods. Developed first in Europe, the clean lines, sharp edges and color-blocking elements of the Art Deco aesthetic emerged in most modern cultures around the world. While available materials, manufacturing and local influences shifted shades and tones of colors used in other countries, the original European Art Deco color schemes dominated the design style across the globe.
According to the National Gallery of Art, Art Nouveau rose up in Europe and America at the end of the 19th century. The movement, which lasted from 1890 to 1914, was a rejection of classic Victorian solid forms and lines drawn from historic architecture. Art Nouveau celebrates curves, the female form, insect and plant life in everything from stained glass to building facades and home accessories like silverware and candelabras. It was eventually supplanted by Art Deco's clean forms, simplicity and feeling of industrial power and speed. Though Art Nouveau lasted only a short time, the movement left us with…
According to TLC, people who decorate in retro styles are drawn to the style because it's fun, bright and slightly irreverent. "Retro" encompasses the decorating styles made famous during the 20th century, ranging from the classic look of the Art Deco era in the 1920s and '30s to the "Love Power" look of the '60s. No piece of furniture or accessory was left untouched in each era. Everything from couches to clocks felt the influence of retro styles.
Today's style is all about finding your own look. No one wants a room that looks like it came off a furniture showroom floor. You want to infuse it with your own personality. But with blending of households, gifts from well-meaning friends, inherited furniture, and impulse buying, it's hard to combine all those assorted styles into one cohesive unit. Finding the right balance is the key.
Art Deco style made its debut at the 1925 World's Fair in Paris, but the name was not coined until 1966. The style was developed by a group of French architects and interior designers who banded together to form the Societe des Artistes Decorateurs. Art Deco style was designed to incorporate elements of style from diverse artworks and current fashion trends. Influence from Cubism and Surrealism, Egyptian and African folk art are evident in the lines and embellishments, and Asian influences contribute symbolism, grace and detail.
Art deco furniture originated in Paris in the 1920s. The furniture was different from the rigid Victorian era furniture of thick dark oak and walnut wood common in the United States up until then. Art deco was linear in design compared to furniture from the past. The 1920s brought about cultural change in regard to art and lifestyle. Art Deco furniture became popular in the United States during this time.
Identifying antique silver and gold patterns requires an eye for detail. A basic understanding of the hallmark system to identify precious metal content, originating country and date; makers marks used to identify silver and goldsmiths; and a magnifying lens to study the marks gets you started. Because of the large number of makers' marks, most antiques dealers know that memorizing each one is an impossible task. A collection of reference books, knowledge of the weight of place spoons, knives, forks and serving pieces of a certain maker helps to identify most patterns.
After the first World War, the United States entered an era of optimism and prosperity, which was reflected in art deco, the prevailing aesthetic sensibility of the 1920s. Art Deco is characterized by sleek, modern neutrals and metallic accents contrasted with cool, muted colors and lively black and white patterns. Use art deco wall colors to create a 1920s-themed room or add a subtle vintage feel to any space.
Sleek, cool, functional, bold, industrial, smart -- the adjectives go on and on to describe Art Deco furniture, designs, fashion, and color-schemes. The Art Deco movement (1925-1940s) borrowed colors from nature and industrialized Europe and American landscapes and applied them to both functional and romantic art and design. Art Deco houses in the '30s and '40s displayed muted greens, creams and ruby reds highlighted with chrome and gold details. When coloring a house in the Art Deco style, consider mixing natural hues with the color of machinery.
Transom windows (rectangular or arched panes of glass over a door) first were used in Victorian rowhouses. They added a decorative touch to those stately and ornate homes, as well as a practical element. Victorians used them to bring cool breezes and natural light into their residences. Some of these windows were fashioned of colorful stained glass.
If you've got a pile consisting of a VCR, DVD player, digital recorder, video camera, and gaming console, or specialty audio or recording electronics, all that plastic casing and long, twisty cords can be an unsightly addition to your household's decor. With a few steps, you can still have all of your equipment ready to use and within reach, but not such an eyesore or distraction.
When using art deco style in your bathroom design, it is important to emphasize the architectural interest. In stark contrast to floral prints or delicate repeating patterns of previous design eras, art deco features sharp geometric patterns, bold color choices and unusual materials. Art deco can create a charming and elegant space while still remaining daring and modern.
Mark Rothko was an American painter whose bold, abstract and colorful style defined the look of art during the 1940s through the 1960s. Although he painted in various styles throughout his career, the geometric swathes of color define his look and make his contribution to the art world unique. Whether you buy prints of his works or try your hand to recreate them yourself, you can use Rothko-styled artwork throughout your home to define spaces and determine color palettes.
Art deco projects for the kitchen are a great way to restore an old kitchen to its former glory days or a way you can change the look of a boring, traditional kitchen into one that resembles the fabulous Hollywood films of the 1930s. According to the Bryn Mawr College website, this design style was first popular between 1920 and 1940, gets its name from the 1925 French art exposition at Le Musee des Arts Decoratifs, an event that took place in Paris in 1925. By replacing your flooring, light fixtures and updating your kitchen walls, you can quickly have…
For many people, a vinyl record album collection holds special memories from the past. Although most people have now replaced this music with some type of digital format, the artwork and sentimental attachment to the record albums remains. A great way to preserve and display these collections is to mount them in frames to be hung on the wall or displayed on a shelf or cabinet.
The Arts and Crafts Movement began in the late 1800s as a reaction to the increasingly poor quality of manufactured goods that resulted from low-wage factory production. Championed by architects and artists John Ruskin and William Morris, this movement valued individual craftsmanship and solid materials.
Art Deco fantasy characterized the 20 years of innovative design that separated the late 19th century naturalist S-curves of art nouveau from the functional technicality of 20th century modernists. After the first World War (1914-1919), Western Europe was economically devastated and culturally shocked. A mood of escapism in France opened consumer taste to futuristic design that mimicked the rounded shapes and polished metal surfaces of finely machined industrial dynamos and aircraft. In the 1920s and 1930s, art deco introduced chevrons, stair-stepped forms, rounded corners, plywood, chrome, glass and modular or sectional pieces in furniture design.
The Art Deco style began in the 1920s and grew in popularity throughout the 1930s and again in the 1960s. Defining features of Art Deco style include use of metals such as aluminum, chrome and stainless steel. Wood often was lacquered or inlaid with geometric patterns. Geometric patterns, zebra skin prints, chevrons and sunbursts were all prevalent in Art Deco designs. You can paint an old mirror Art Deco style for your home by painting the frame chrome. The chrome surrounding the mirror will provide a metallic accent to the glass and create the luxury and shine associated with Art…
The style of Art Deco has been around for many years. From the early 1900s in Paris, Art Deco has been able to capture attention and daze the average observer. Over the years the design descended from furniture to spill over into other fields. Well-known designers and manufacturers are still developing new pieces every day to excite the average fan of Art Deco furniture.
An art deco kitchen works well if you can't decide on a definite style. It has elements of modern & traditional design. Plus, it appeals to a lot of different people. This makes it worth your investment if you ever decide to sell your house because your design won't be too specific. Best of all, an art deco kitchen works well if you need a makeover on a budget. No one will know that you were trying to save money.
An art deco sofa can add a touch of class to any room. This is the perfect style for anyone who is trying to bridge modern elements with more traditional styling. Since this style has been around since 1925 it may have more lasting capabilities than a trendy sofa. You might want an art deco sofa if you are trying to save money because you can find these at thrift stores. Here is how to find the perfect sofa for the Hollywood starlet.
Painters are people who, either for a vocation or a hobby, apply paint (or other color and pigmentation) to any type of surface, whether the surface is a canvas, wall, piece of paper, slab of wood, piece of clay, concrete, lacquer or anything else suitable. Painters generally paint as a form of artistic expression, and there are many different types of paintings to choose from, including composition, abstraction and drawing.
The phrase "everything old is new again" could easily be the motto of furniture designers throughout history. By borrowing and mixing elements, materials and colors from previous eras, they have been able to redefine beauty and functionality in unexpected ways to fit contemporary visions. The glamorous style known as Art Deco is no exception to the trend of merging the vintage with the modern.
