All about Art Deco furniture

The Art Deco style in translation means "decorative art". Born in the 30s of the last century, it absorbed all the best from modernity, constructivism, neoclassicism, ethnic trends.

Mixing different directions makes the Art Deco style quite complex and heterogeneous. However, there are characteristic features in it, by which it is unmistakably recognizable among many other interior trends. Art Deco furniture is its center and a true decoration of the house.

Here are some of the characteristics that make this piece of furniture a work of art.

• Art Deco is a luxury, exotic and large financial investments, it is not for nothing that it is called the style of "stars". Expensive woods, ivory inlay, genuine leather of exotic sea creatures and land animals, skins with a contrasting color, skillful painting, gold, silver, mother-of-pearl are used in the manufacture.
• Futuristic furniture can be made of metal, glass, with mirror inserts.
• Beyond strict geometry outlines with broken lines, there are zigzag, trapezoidal, crystal-like shapes. But even rounded lines can be seen in the silhouettes of the furniture. For example, the shape of a barrel is often guessed in the outlines of armchairs and sofas.
• Quite often, there is multistage and versatility in furniture design. This technique is used in the manufacture of sideboards, dressers and consoles, beds and sofas.
• Style geometry it is emphasized by frame, contour, abstractness, curvilinearity - for example, on a light background, a contour in the form of a frame can be applied.
• The most common technique is a straight or inverted trapezoid. These can be legs, backs, bases for tables and consoles.
• Chests of drawers and sideboards They are distinguished by a strong gloss, almost a mirror-like surface, which is achieved by abundant varnishing.
• The lights of a sun - an indispensable element in the decor and decoration of furniture in the Art Deco style. It can be inlay or art painting, as a rule, enveloping a trapezoid. Contrast, decorative elements, stylized sunbeams, as well as colonial and ethnic motifs of Egypt, Mexico of the times of the Aztecs, colonial Africa, Sumerian civilization, ancient Babylon and Assyria are used in decorative and floor decoration, in the form of accessories.

Furniture in this style is the very basis that sets the tone for the interior design. The Art Deco style is considered one of the most complex because of its eclecticism, a mixture of various styles. Here it is important to catch the fine line between modernity, cubism and classicism, to maintain a balance between the objects of the surrounding space, colors and decor elements.

The two styles, Art Nouveau and Art Deco, have a lot in common, but there are clear lines indicating the differences between them.

• Modern prefers muted colors and calm shades. Art Deco is characterized by contrasts and bright decorative accents.
• Smooth lines and curves are characteristic of Art Nouveau. Art Deco uses clear geometry and broken lines.
• In Art Nouveau, traditional materials and wood species are used. Art Deco is always exotic, noble wood.
• Modern prefers matte surfaces. Art Deco has a gloss and shine.

All items made in Art Deco style are of high quality and high price. Another characteristic feature of this style is a large number of dressers, sideboards, consoles. All of them have a mirror or glossy surface; the use of glass inserts is popular. If the surface is monochromatic, it means that there must be a contrasting finish.

In the Art Deco style, you can arrange any type of furniture, purchase ready-made sets of bedrooms, living rooms, dining rooms. There is always an opportunity to independently arrange a room from individual ready-made or custom-made elements, based on your own taste.

Manufacturers offer an unusually wide range of furniture in this style:

• bars, bar counters, bar stools;
• wardrobes, hallways, sideboards, sideboards, dressers, consoles;
• sofas, sofa beds, beds, couches;
• armchairs, work chairs, coffee and coffee tables, bedside tables;
• TV stands, sinks, bedside tables for documents;
• writing and dining tables, side and serving tables;
• chairs, ottomans and half-chairs;
• shelves, showcases, stands for books and flowers, bookcases, floor lamps, mirrors, screens and many other decorative items.

Only valuable types of wood are used for veneer for the manufacture of furniture:

• pink tree;
• ash and maple;
• madroño, white and black wood.

Natural materials are used for upholstery, for example:

• shark skin;
• crocodile skin;
• stingray skin.

In addition, for the upholstery of upholstered furniture, fabrics with velor, satin, silk coverings, with a geometric pattern, with imitation of contrasting skins of wild animals are used.

Expensive style prefers expensive inlay:

• nacre;
• Ivory;
• silver and gilding;
• precious and semi-precious crystals.

Art Deco is not only a luxury, but also an audacity, a challenge to the unitary minimalism caused by the difficult times of the war and post-war times. It was then that the progressively minded "star" elite challenged the gray everyday life, tired of the harsh conditions. It marked the heyday of a new era in the current century - the daring style has absorbed even the motives of aircraft construction and still conquers people with freedom and a unique combination of incompatible, the quintessence of elegance and luxurious excesses.

The combination of color palette is a hallmark of decorative art called "art deco". Subdued or bright, pure colors are combined into elegant contrasts, and the hallmark of the style is the keyboard combination of white and black. This technique is used everywhere - on walls or floors, in decorative upholstery.

Bright colors are designed to create interior accents. Key gamut - saturated colors:

• red color and its shades - ruby, carmine, burgundy, terracotta, purple;
• green - turquoise, sea wave, emerald;
• chocolate and its variations;
• ivory, beige, milky.

Any of these colors is a symbol:

• purple is an abundant luxury;
• chocolate and emerald - a stable lifestyle and well-being;
• ruby and black - passion, expression, risk, motivation.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Italian furniture makers were able to see the rich potential of the style, it became the basis for the production of unusual and extremely expensive furniture. Italian furniture is still considered an aesthetic standard and is in great demand all over the world. Italian producers use unique technologies for processing precious wood species. Exceptionally expensive decorative materials transform everyday objects into works of art. Italian furniture can be recognized by its outlines, where not only straight lines are used, but also broken, curved geometry.

Italian design is distinguished by a rich color palette, some monumentality, precious and exquisite finishing materials - fur decor, Swarovski crystals, crystal and metal.

Products from China are often considered substandard, but this does not apply to Art Deco furniture. In this case Chinese manufacturers are at their best - they offer high-quality and beautiful furniture. Despite the fact that the homeland of the style is Europe, the Chinese have very subtly and accurately captured its essence. A distinctive feature of their furniture is laconicism and practicality, moderate luxury, but without excessive frills. The work of Chinese manufacturers is the result of high professionalism, creativity, subtle understanding of beauty and decorative arts with a touch of abstraction. Chinese furniture is not too high a price, excellent quality, well-calculated practicality.

From Russian manufacturers, ready-made upholstered furniture and individual orders are offered by the company "Lavsit" and others. Russian furniture makers are guided by elite premium options and the middle price category. Kitchens, bedrooms, living rooms, bathrooms of Russian production fully correspond to the semantic content of the style - they are luxurious, sophisticated. All furniture is extraordinarily beautiful, and the richness of proposals allows you to choose sets and single pieces for every taste.

When choosing furniture, you need to act extremely carefully and carefully - the eclecticism of the style presents some difficulty in maintaining a balance, it is important not to cross the fine line, beyond which luxury and elegance can turn into tastelessness and a simple set of expensive items. The style is so demanding that behind each piece is the creative work of the designer - it is necessary that each piece of furniture ideally matches the chosen style.

When arranging furniture in a room, it is important to consider the size of the room. If the room is small, in no case should you overload it. In this case, the principle of a bright accent works - it can be a chest of drawers in a contrasting color, which stands out against the background of a wall of muted shades.

The correct placement should contain some dynamics, island zones.

• Large rooms with high ceilings look organically with voluminous chandeliers and lamps, overall sofa areas in living rooms.

• Glossy fronts and countertops - this is a prerequisite for the kitchen. Despite the fact that ivory, marble and precious metal are almost never found in kitchen interiors today, the observance of the principle of wealth and luxury remains unchanged. All pieces of furniture are arranged so that there is as much free space as possible. The perfect Art Deco kitchen - combined with a dining or living room.

• Prerequisites for the living room - creating comfort, cozy atmosphere and warm climate. A carriage coupler of sofas located around the perimeter, soft armchairs, coffee tables, mandatory attributes in the form of souvenirs and decorative ornaments - all this must meet the requirements of luxurious elegance and glamorous comfort.

• For the bedroom, the main element is the bed. It should be luxuriously styled with curved, carved legs and a headboard with a carriage head. It is ideal if the bed is made of precious sandalwood, which retains a subtle oriental scent for many years. A couch or a bench is usually placed at the foot of the bed.

• Bathroom furnishings may contain historical accents from Rome or Ancient Greece - it's not bad if there is a place for a small graceful statue, a bust of an ancient philosopher. Typically, the bathroom and sink are located on opposite walls.

• Luxurious living room with noble purple hues.

• Monochrome bedroom with clear geometric lines.

• Bathroom in black and white palette.

• In this version, the principle of geometry is observed with the help of tiles.

In the next video you will find an overview of the 142 sq.m. apartment. in the style of modern art deco.