Art Deco interior design style reached its pinnacle in the first half of the 20th century. Think of the glamor of the Roaring 20s, or the opulence of a party at Gatsby’s mansion and you’ll have a good idea of what Art Deco is all about.

The style left its mark everywhere, blending with other styles and morphing into design styles that permeated the rest of the century. Though you don’t have to go the full monty in order to enjoy elements of Art Deco, a purist will tell you that the style is characterized by luxury, symmetry, boldness, and details.

Here are the hallmarks of Art Deco interior design and how you can bring a bit of this classic style into your spaces.

Geometric Patterns

The patterns of Art Deco are angular and geometric. They are nothing if not bold, and are generally made with highly contrasting colors like black and gold, white and dark green, etc. One of the classic motifs of Art Deco is the sunburst. Sunburst and variations on this theme are everywhere in Art Deco interior design style.

How to Get It

When Art Deco is employed today, it is often with chevrons, herringbones, and diamonds. Repeating squares, rectangles, and triangles are popular choices in today’s Art Deco designs as well. This tin tile pattern drips with art deco style.

Opulent Details

Art Deco never does anything halfway. It is far from being demure or minimal. What it does, it does luxuriously. There are many ways to achieve this look and feel. It can be done with rich color, lavish textures, but most of all, extravagant details.

No element of the space is left to itself. Each is carefully chosen to both stand out and blend into the aesthetic. Each piece adding something to the overall effect. This level of attention to details means highly polished surfaces, careful patterns, well-thought-out color palette, and accessories that build on each other for a stunning finished room.

How to Get It

Consider the tin ceiling tile. The ornate patterns add drama and dimension to the ceiling, a space that shouldn’t be ignored in an Art Deco interior design. Choose a metallic color or glossy finish for the ultimate historic Art Deco decor.

Mirrors & Metallic

If there’s one thing that people remember about Art Deco, it’s all the reflective surfaces. Mirrors, chrome, gold, metallics, and more are defining features of Art Deco. All finishes are glossy. Wood is polished to a sheen. Gold or chrome hardware is a must. And there are always plenty of glittering crystals.

Mirrors have always been of particular interest in an Art Deco design. Often mirrors cover entire walls. Mirrors in sunburst or related shapes are common as well. Offset mirrors and other reflective surfaces with dark enameled colors for the greatest effect.

Bold Color

The colors of Art Deco never cease to amaze. Though they are generally dark, the schemes also embrace lighter and softer colors. Art Deco is more about drama than anything else so add drama to any color and, voila, you have a color scheme to be envied.

A soft pink takes on drama when it’s applied to furniture in a lush velvet. Baby blue becomes stunning when used in a large-scale chevron pattern. Vibrant oranges and greens are equally at home in an Art Deco design when paired with an equal amount of the extravagant.

How to Get It

One of the most popular Art Deco color schemes is black and gold, which just happens to be trending today. You can get a similar effect by pairing gold with another dark color like navy, dark green, or charcoal.

Grand Scale

Art Deco has an element of over-the-top grandeur that sets it apart. It takes on bolder patterns, more robust colors, ostentatious textures, and a gloss so polished it rivals a mirrored finish. Art Deco has never been shy about its goal. It’s glamor and glitz won’t be denied.

However, this penchant to the grand scale is always done tastefully. It has a self-awareness alongside its opulence that keeps it in check and has kept it relevant through the decades.

Interested to see how the trends of the past are making an appearance in design today? Here are the elements of the past that are trending today. 

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