How to Add Art Deco Style to Any Room
Art Deco style is characterized by its beautiful curves, luxe fabrics, and sophisticated details — whether in the form of brass drawer pulls, lacquered case goods, or bold lighting. If you’re wondering how to bring this ’20s-era interior aesthetic into your own home, we’ve got you covered. Below, interior designers share how to best implement Art Deco touches into your home, room by room. We’ve also picked out a few of our Art Deco-style finds currently on the market so that you can scoop them up ASAP!
Living Room
Play with various types of textiles, urges Miami-based designer Brittany Farinas. “Choosing the right color palette, materials, and fabrics is essential for curating an Art Deco-infused style in your space,” she says. Not sure where to begin? Farinas offers a few suggestions. “Think geometric prints in accent pillows, curved seating arrangements, and metallic fixtures,” she says. “Incorporating pastels such as pink and green, as well as bold hues such as navy blue and gold, really brings the aesthetic to life.”
Modsy’s vice president of style Alessandra Wood suggests using velvet to create an Art Deco vibe in the living room. “Think about a velvet sofa or accent chair with classic deco shapes, such as sloping curves and channeling,” she suggests. “Barrel swivel chairs are a great accent piece that speak to this movement, as well.” Wood also suggests incorporating pieces made from burl wood or natural stone to “exude luxury.”
Wythe Burl Wood Double Console
Buy: Wythe Burl Wood Double Console, $3,495 from Williams Sonoma
Dining Room
Bold, period-inspired light fixtures aren’t just for the entryway or living room. Embrace a darker hues and get artful with your lighting in the dining room. The above space, by Tulsa, Oklahoma, designer Mel Bean, is an excellent example of an Art Deco-esque interior. “We focused on a moody hue for the walls, and offered a nod to Art Deco with the cascading, tiered silhouette from the hanging light fixture,” Bean says of this project.
Gemma Crystal Round Chandelier, Small, Brass
Buy: Gemma Crystal Round Chandelier, Small, Brass, $999 from Pottery Barn
Home Office
Be intentional with the storage pieces that you introduce into your space. “Art Deco style often is characterized by saturated tones and geometric shapes with shiny metal accents,” explains designer Rozit Arditi, who is based in New York. “I recommend incorporating it with storage pieces like dressers or desks.” And you’ll want something eye-catching to admire as you plug away at your desk all day. “Bring in bold artwork to showcase the polished look of the pieces and create a nice contrast within the color palette of the room,” Arditi suggests.
When it comes to the desk itself, don’t be afraid to go big. “Classic Art Deco styling incorporates large, executive-type desks, so choose a desk as the focal point and statement piece of your room,” Wood says. She also suggests, you might hang a dramatic chandelier or add modern art or an abstract stone sculpture, as well.
Bathroom
Here, you can have fun with pattern. “I would choose a large scale black and white patterned tile, like Tile Bar’s Art Deco Mixed by Vanessa Deleon or their Mezzo Bravo Polished Marble Mosaic, to add the style in a bathroom,” suggests Stephanie Purzycki, a designer for The Finish, a service that lets you book interior designers by the hour. Swapping out a builder-grade medicine cabinet for an Art Deco-style mirror, like the one pictured above, is an excellent way to add period style, as well.
Symphony Brush Gold 23 1/2″ x 47″ Scalloped Edge Wall Mirror
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Kitchen or Bar
Purzycki is a proponent of going bold in your kitchen. “You can add a small-scale geometric mosaic with touches of brass in a kitchen or wet bar backsplash,” she explains. “Paired with black lacquer or high-gloss cabinetry, the mosaic will give the space that high drama aesthetic synonymous with the Jazz Age.”If you’re not looking to undertake a major makeover, updating your cabinet hardware with Art Deco-style pulls is another simple, renter-friendly hack.
Brass Art Deco Drop Handles Drawer Cupboard Door Pull Handles Kitchen Wardrobe Furniture
Buy: Brass Art Deco Drop Handles Drawer Cupboard Door Pull Handles Kitchen Wardrobe Furniture, $19.66 from Etsy
Bedroom
“In a bedroom, a tall, arched headboard is the perfect statement piece — especially in a bold velvet such as emerald green, or a high-shine lacquer,” says Wood. (You can even DIY your own, if you’re so inclined; the headboard above is actually the result of a creative at-home project.).
Don’t skimp on your bedroom lighting. “Geometric wall sconces in brass tones, create a high-drama atmosphere when you turn out the overhead lights,” Wood adds. When it comes to storage pieces like the dresser, Wood suggests inlaid bone or wood finishes, as they “create patterns and elevate a simple case piece to the next level.”
