Art deco blends old, new in glamorous style
Having successfully cleared what must be Las Vegas' most conscientious high-rise security team and navigated my way through numerous public areas and a labyrinth of corridors, I was finally in the elevator that would open up into my client's very own entry hall. I remember thinking what a nice feature direct and secure access to your home must be for those who choose apartment living.
After being warmly greeted by my client, I was shown into the great room where I could see that the style of the existing furnishings was contemporary. Since this was my first visit to the actual space, I was a bit taken aback as I'd been asked to design and build tables that I viewed as more art deco style than anything else.
While pondering this conundrum, it suddenly hit me: Designers have instinctively borrowed and mixed elements, materials and colors from bygone eras for God knows how long. And in doing so, they've been able to come up with new interpretations of what's beautiful and functional in unexpected ways that work to fit in with the look of their time.
Recalling the old saying, "everything old is new again," I knew that the glamorous style of art deco is no exception to the trend of combining the vintage with the contemporary. In fact, it's my belief that no other design works better with this concept. Art deco and contemporary design truly complement each other. Art deco lends a touch of sophistication to the simplicity inherent in contemporary design, which is all about clean lines, minimalist furnishings and accessories, as well as generally simple color palettes with neutrals and earth tones being the most popular along with white or beige.
Understanding what the art deco style is all about isn't very difficult. It was born out of an era of great optimism and hope that spread through Europe and the United States after the horrors of World War I. At the very heart of the style is glamour combined with simple geometric shapes, which was first introduced by the craftsman Charles Rennie Mackintosh, who favored rectangles. He, along with several other famous artisans of the time such as Jacques-Emile Ruhlmann and Mies van der Rohe, all wanted their designs to be seen as not only useful, (hence the geometric shapes) but also as objets d'art that people would want to collect as an investment.
The materials they used were often highly polished or heavily lacquered wood, marble, jade, onyx, obsidian, crystal, polished brass, chrome, aluminum, steel, leather and glass. And all of these elements had one thing in common -- they were all shiny, which makes glossiness the hallmark of art deco. The various shiny materials would often be combined with the wood to add a textural element to a design as well as a reflective ornamentation. This is exactly what I intended to do with my client's tables.
Naturally, even though I was called upon to create only tables for my client, there's so much more in the way of fabrics, window coverings, lighting, background colors, trims, seating and art that comprise the art deco style. These things certainly need to be considered whether it's a total art deco look you're after or if you just want to blend elements with your existing contemporary home.
In a word, art deco is elegant without being too fussy. Think glamorous fabrics and rich colors. Or, in other words, think Old Hollywood and the movies of the 1930s. Here, art deco was often front and center. A very modern style using geometric shapes and mirrored furniture emphasized the glamour of that era. Art figures were often elongated and highly stylized. And who can forget the sensuous sofas that curved inward suggesting elegance and intimacy at the same time?
Also, there's a significant influenece of the Mayan, Aztec, Egyptian and Indian cultures to be found in many of the art deco designs.
Try to use luxurious fabrics like silk and velvet (often with geometric designs). They will add texture and interest to your home, even though they may be similar colors of the palette. What this means is that background colors are often light and layered in tones of the same color, i.e., shades of white, ivory or pale gray. You'll be able to reinforce the colors by adding metallic accessories around the room(s). For a truly opulent look try gold or silver leaf on the ceiling.
Your fabric choices will greatly influence the feeling of luxury and opulence. Bold geometric, animal or even exaggerated floral prints in soft, sumptuous materials can be used to complement and contrast the sleekness of the furniture with its rounded corners, streamlined designs and futuristic styling. You'll find that most furniture is in a waterfall style, which is characteristic of almost a bull-nose edge instead of sharp lines.
Lighting and mirrors are key elements in the art deco design scheme. Adding long fringe, tassels or beads to lampshades is a great way to achieve this look. Be sure to keep your window coverings simple and understated. And, of course, there are mirrors, mirrors and more mirrors (even without frames) in addition to mirrored furniture, when possible.
Art deco will give you a look that is at once retro, simple and yet very up to date. It's bold and innovative, but also inviting and comfortable at the same time, which is exactly why its influence is still with us after all these years.
Stephen Leon is a licensed interior designer and president of Soleil Design International; he has been designing and manufacturing custom furniture and cabinetry for more than 25 years. He has served on the board of directors of the Central California/Nevada Chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers and is a certified professional in green residential design. Questions can be sent to stephen@soleildesigninter
national.com.
