Art deco in the living room

For almost a century, such a direction as art deco has been living among eminent styles. But what is it? In a nutshell, it can be described in such terms as sophistication and expression. In that it is constantly evolving with the times, the style is reminiscent of modern, but otherwise it is completely unique. Art Deco will help make the apartment not so much attractive as truly original, because it is able to set a lively and enchanting mood. Such an interior is good for any room, but to be honest, an art deco living room always looks unsurpassed. Here on this example we will get acquainted with the style in more detail.

Unique features

“Geometrically, the interior of the living room in the art deco style is striking in the complete absence of smooth lines and an abundance of sharp corners, as well as sharp contrast, interspersed in an intricate way with abstraction”

What is so remarkable about art deco? What makes it different from other fashion styles?

First of all, in such an interior there are a lot of expensive accessories, among which real works of art are not uncommon. The latter are present in the original. Copies in art deco are considered mauvais ton. The decor is full of brilliance and even some glossiness.

If we talk about art deco in a professional language, then it is rather a modernist style that has dissolved in the Empire style, rather than baroque or kitsch. In certain details, it is eclectic and contains elements of several styles at the same time. For example, along with primitive art, there is a subtlety of oriental color and even notes of Greek motifs. In geometric terms, the interior of the living room in the art deco style is striking in the complete absence of smooth lines and an abundance of sharp corners, as well as sharp contrast, interspersed in an intricate way with abstraction.

Exotic style is added by finishing materials, including:

• Bamboo.
• Velvet.
• Nacre.
• Coconut.
• Atlas.
• Glass.
• Snake skin.
• Sharkskin.
• Crocodile skin.
• Metal casting.
• Ivory.
  

  round glass table with gilded edging as an art deco living room decor element

In art deco, rounded modernist forms are diluted with abstract sketches, geometric ornaments, and ethnic elements.

So, the style is easy to recognize by the following characteristic features:

1. A specific ornament, in the pattern of which there can be both ethnic motifs, and simply zigzag lines. Floral themes never appear here. They are not acceptable in any form, even as a stylization hint.
2. The main theme of art deco is the sun and its rays. It was it that replaced flowers in interior decor.
3. The geometry of the setting is represented by broken lines, trapezoidal shapes, and sharp corners.
4. In art deco, contrasts are revered. They are often presented in a frame design.
5. Among the dominant shades are gray, beige, chocolate, black, white, silver. Their companions can be gold, bottle green or maroon.
   

   sun-shaped mirror - a feature of art deco interiors

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Living room in art deco style: design nuances

Color solutions

Despite the fact that you can see a wide variety of colors in rooms in the spirit of art decom, the interior always turns out to be calm. And all because white-brown colors remain a priority, along which gold, silver, and bronze run as an accent line. Black becomes a bright finishing touch. He is able to deepen the interior, give it a graphic quality, divide surfaces into clear blocks. Such a desire to enclose the interior in a black frame came to art deco from the African and colonial style, only it is perceived in a new vision much more elegantly, as unusual materials are used in the decor and calm colors dominate.

Walls

The living room in authentic art deco style stands out for its quality workmanship. There is no place for negligence in it. Art Deco is always refined and perfect in the elaboration of every millimeter.

You can decorate the walls in such a living room with any materials offered by the modern market. If you want, paste them with wallpaper, sew them in plastic or hide them under wooden panels, just paint them. The good news is that the materials in the design of the room can be combined. The contrast during their transition into each other may be implicit, but it must be strict.

Of the wallpapers in the living room, it is best to use textile options, although ordinary ones with a slight silky sheen are also suitable. The pattern should not prevail over the background, so pronounced ornaments do not often appear in the decor. Why? Because complex furniture framed by overly painted walls will turn noble art deco into kitsch, and we don’t need this effect at all.

Covering the walls with moldings will help decorate the living room in the art deco style.. These narrow and rather long rectangles will add height and style to the room.

floors

Parquet is considered the favorite flooring for the living room, made in the original style. Of the colors in priority, dark tones:

1. Chestnut.
2. Bitter chocolate.
3. Dark walnut.

Such a floor will contrast with the light background of the walls and furniture, and the atmosphere in the living room will turn out to be festive and solemn.

Ceiling

“For an art deco living room interior, the ceiling surface imitating water ripples or a feather bend will become a real decoration”

In art deco, nothing is left without attention, including the ceiling. It can also be decorated with moldings or special niches can be made in it, and not necessarily the correct shape. For an art deco living room interior, a ceiling surface imitating water ripples or a feather bend will become a real decoration. A rounded niche located in the center of the ceiling will also be good, from which a cascading chandelier can hang.

Design Features

Art deco interiors are always a confrontation of geometric shapes, which can actually be considered the visiting card of the direction. The living room, the furnishings of which include strict furniture, is filled with arched openings, rounded poufs or streamlined armchairs appear in the center of the room. The linearity of the design is smoothed out by introducing oval mirrors into the interior. Sometimes they try to dilute the severity of style with carved elements and stained glass.

It is simply impossible not to notice the bourgeoisness of art deco, because its interiors simply exude glamor and are filled with well-being. Asceticism is not welcomed in style and lonely simplicity is not cultivated. Glitter and gloss does not appear here from cheap accessories, but from polished countertops, glass furniture doors, crystal chandeliers and magnificent mirrors.

The visual heaviness of the art deco living room does not prevent the interior from remaining compact. Stylish furniture cannot be called light or openwork, but even in a small living room there can be a lot of its items. Each furniture element in art deco is designed in such a way that it fulfills its declared function and does not take up much space.

In the design of such a living room, zigzag shapes must certainly appear. It can be trapezoidal interior items, herringbones, curved lines or color schemes with alternating dark and light stripes (something like piano keys).

Furniture

If only what kind of furniture could not be put in such an unusual living room. Since you wanted to have an art deco living room, then go to the end and reproduce all its canons exactly. If you doubt that you can buy exactly what you need, but there is no time to study the stylistic characteristics, entrust the selection of the situation to a professional.

When furnishing your living room, do not expose furniture in the usual way - along the walls. Art Deco prefers elegant zoning. The space of the room must be divided into subgroups. It is more correct to start planning from the center of the living room. There you can put a coffee table shining with a glass top. Around it, in the future, compositions from a sofa and armchairs will line up.

Despite the theatricality of the situation, the art deco interior clearly shows the symmetry of the arrangement of objects and the overall balance of the components. This means that having loaded one part of the living room, you will have to act accordingly with the second. To do this is not as difficult as it seems. Duplicate pieces of furniture will come to the rescue, for example, chairs or mini-tables with high legs.

Forms

The aerodynamic shapes that fill the interior of the art deco living room are inspired by the design of complex mechanisms, and sometimes even cars. This can be clearly seen in the exterior of upholstered furniture. This is not about futurism and hypertrophied proportions, but just a slight smoothing of the corners. If you take a pencil and try to draw a sofa or the same chair, then you can easily do it without ever tearing the pencil off the paper, because in the chairs the armrests imperceptibly flow into the legs, and the backs of the sofas seem to be one with the seats.

Art deco inlay

Art deco furniture should be practical and we have already talked about this. However, it should not be ascetic either. So how to get out of the situation, how to decorate furniture facades, so as not to damage practicality? Art Deco is the territory of the art of inlay. Furniture is trimmed with mother-of-pearl, glass, stones, ivory.

Textiles in the living room

Another important element of the art deco living room decor is textiles. For all its “heaviness”, satin or velvet is plastic and pleasant to the touch, so curtains made of such material will be just perfect for the stylistic solution in question. Ethnic notes may appear on the pillows, say something Arabic or African. If you want to see a carpet in the decor, then it should be a very soft product, with a long pile. By filling the living room with all these items, you will create an amazingly cozy atmosphere in it.

Fireplace in art decor

This decorative element just begs to become the logical center of the living room. Just imagine its tall, narrow and incredibly elegant portal! However, it is better to install a false fireplace in a city apartment.It can simply be attached to the wall or immersed in a niche. Hang a mirror over the fireplace. It will be very art deco. You can use a mirror of any size and a variety of shapes.

Conclusion

An art deco living room is a special interior that has many specific features. Its creation will require imagination, so if you want to try your design possibilities, then this style is the best springboard. Try to create a unique living room where unusualness, beauty and comfort will converge and take root.

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Photo gallery - art deco living room:

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