How to Achieve the Art Deco Decorating Style for Exclusive Taste

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The art deco style is specific in its design. It includes manmade materials in geometric shapes with rich and vibrant colors combined to have a luxurious appearance.The art deco style is reminiscent of the golden industrial age of the 1920's and it endured through the great depression age of the 1930's. This represents how the style is timeless in its beauty and class no matter which room or rooms you want to upgrade with art deco style.

What Exactly is Art Deco?

Art deco includes many different factors that can be combined to make an exquisite formal room. Geometrical shapes appeared when this style first evolved. The shapes were made of manmade items in both the architecture and decor. Metals of goldtone, silvers chromes and other reflective materials including mirrors were used extravagantly for a lot of shine and sophistication. Inlaid wood is a popular art deco style along with rich leathers, bright colors and many textures. The geometric shapes include stepped forms, sunburst, curves and chevron patterns throughout the room, which also are found in the window treatments and throw pillows to tie the entire look in with the room. Many of the motifs were adapted from Egyptian and Aztec motifs, which give a homeowner many different things to choose from to make an art deco room.

What Types of Furniture are Considered Art Deco?

Art deco furniture has a very sleek design that combines modern style and comfort all in one area. Wood frames are heavily lacquered most often in black and upholstery is generally done in either velour or leather. If you choose furniture with a bright color it is combined with gold, chrome and black in the accents and you can choose a light blue or gray to soften the design scale so it doesn't' look too harsh.

What are Art Deco Styles of Materials?

The range of materials in the art deco style is tremendous. It can be quite expensive as in the case of sharkskin or zebra or ebony accents. Rare woods with inlaid intricate designs as well as marble are art deco materials. Flooring is often minimalist in nature and includes the sleekness of black or white in marble or a black and white checkerboard print in tile flooring. You can also find flooring that is one color in a wood finish as a naturally dark stained floor or white wooden flooring for a great contrast. Art deco can include area rugs if they have only one or two colors and especially if they contain a beautiful geometrical pattern.

What Types of Lighting are in the Art Deco Style?

The lighting types in art deco are perhaps the most specific in their design to achieve the decorating style. Lights of all types are streamlined in design along with all of the other interior accessories. Geometric shapes are incorporated into each and every type of light along with the metals in bronze, iron and chrome as well as glass. The lighting is very bold and bright to reflect off the shining metals and brighten the room intensely.

What Type of Artwork is in the Art Deco Style?

There is a huge array of artwork in the art deco decorating style. It includes exotic patterns and fabric prints including original artwork and ethnic decorating ideas. You will often see animal prints and artistic combinations of colors and textures to beautify a room with the art deco style.

What Kind of Wallpaper and Drapes are Art Deco?

Either the wallpaper or the drapes in an art deco room include patterns with zigzags, stripes and chevron patterns either in a strikingly bright color or in a black and white color. Other popular patterns include the ziggurat, the sunburst and the highly acclaimed lightning bolt pattern. Other popular prints include highly stylized patterns that are adapted from plants and animals along with the celebration of lines. Draperies are often pooling on the floor for a very sophisticated appearance in a room that is art deco. They are often a thicker fabric that speaks of elegance in a formal setting such as a dining room or living room.

What Art Deco is Not

Since art deco first evolved in the architectural age of manmade materials, it definitely does not include any type of raw materials but instead all hard surfaces are very bright and lacquered with several coats to have a shining effect when the lighting plays off them. Everything is smooth, polished and tooled to celebrate the machine age of its birth. Art deco doesn't include any types of frills whatsoever such as fluffy items, soft florals, lace or plaid patterns in any area of the room.

What are Some Great Additions for an Art Deco Room?

You can easily add art deco lighting to a room in many manners. Table lamps that are made with interesting bases are a must. They can have circles of hard and shiny materials or squares of solid wood stained in a dark color. Also included are table lamps with an intricate geometric pattern in the base in either a light blue, gray or dark color. Wall sconces in art deco style will have possibly bronze detailing with an X across the front of the globe or in polished chrome. Pendant lights are a great style to place over a dining room table. You can find them in circular designs of bright metals with either one large circle or a cascade of circles from top to bottom. Gold colored chandeliers are the ultimate in pendant lights for the art deco style. Any type of a bookcase, shelving unit, wardrobe or any other object made of wood that contains an inlaid pattern with a dark finish is a great addition for an art deco style. Stained glass accents of brightly colored animals, plants or flowers even if you use them as a folding dressing screen are a great addition. One of the most popular designs is a large, brightly colored peacock to add pizzazz to a room in art deco style. Art deco ceiling fans are generally quite a bit different than a traditional ceiling fan. They may be made of any shiny metal material and have only three fan blades for an ultra architectural design element that looks much like an airplane propeller. Dark wooden fan blades are also art deco although the three fan blades with have curves in them for an interesting pattern. A huge dramatic art deco item is a ceiling to floor glass geometric shape that sparkles in the bright lighting of a room. These ideas can get you started on creating an art deco room. It is a decorating style that is very old, has never gone out of style and is here to stay for eternity.