Can a home really be improved by style? When we think of sensible home improvements, we picture something like fixing the stairs so they won’t creak and squeak. We picture fixing the rubber door seal so rainwater won’t be allowed into the kitchen. We even picture creating a new garage that allows us to store our cars closer to our home. But we never think of style as a ‘home improvement’. The answer is, if done correctly it can be substantial way to increase your home’s sex appeal, admiration from guests and of course boost your home’s overall value. So many styles, so many designs, so much to choose from. Where should you begin? Start off with looking at where modern interior design actually got its wings from. It was the Art-Deco scene that began in the 1920s just as the Industrial Revolution was coming to slow down. Finally, modern homes could look truly modern.
A fusion of futures
There’s one way to describe Art-Deco that everyone pretty much agrees with. It’s a style that has incredibly bold geometry. The designs were very experimental, not always practical but they were outlandish and made a guess as to what the future might look like. But as the movement grew and grew, many different futures began to be told. Your living room should be given a dose of vintage Art-Deco armchair that has a swept back design and a true approach to material choices. That’s the second most important part, Art-Deco used amazing materials, didn’t spare any expense. It’s a handmade chair with a fine polish to it’s walnut arms. The upholstery is made to mimic leather and has been birthed into a creamy ivory tone Often called a vanity chair, this is something that you would place front and centre in your lounge or living room.
Literally Art-Deco
There’s a very good reason this interior design style is named as it is. Quite literally, art was introduced to the modern home by this amazing movement. For the first time in history, average citizens could not only afford artwork but had the ability to influence how it was presented or displayed in the home. Nowadays you don’t need to go to auctions or private shows, you can enjoy shopping for art from home instead. Whether you want paintings, collages, drawings, photography, sculptures, prints or all manner of abstract artwork, you can buy it online. Art-Deco had a particular art style that was welcomed in the home, such as bold figures outlined in black, with a pastel palette range and long straight lines to create emphasis. It was offset, abstract and had a sense of speed, size and something that was approaching the observer.
A plinth of geometry
Art-Deco is a very interesting and recognisable interior design style. However it’s a little hard to pull of if you’re not terribly familiar with it. But one of the best ways to understand and also implement this style is to buy an Art-Deco coffee table. Again, the 1920s was the first time when modern entertaining and having guests over for tea or coffee was made popular. Take a look at this table for example. It has amazing lines and daring geometry. Quite cleary many of the patterns were taken from the Classical architecture period of Ancient Greece. You can see that parallel lines within parallel lines, gradually getting smaller and smaller create a hypnotising effect for the legs of the table. The marble gilt again personifies the style by using exquisite materials for your everyday decor.
Smoky, classy and bright
During the 1920s and early 1930s, homes began to take on a new approach to metropolitan living. This is perhaps when the gaps between country living, suburban and urban interior styles was created. A Metropolitan Tiffany lamp is one of the best symbols of this as this is the kind of lamp you would see in high-rise commercial buildings yet it was adopted for the urban home. The glass shade design has an iconic geometric expression to it, together with it’s seemingly random grey, brown and black blocks. The nickel base and the two different metals used on the light switch yet again show how generous the Art-Deco use of high-quality and surprising materials was.
They say some styles are retro but Art-Deco was so far ahead of it’s time that this doesn’t apply to it. Start off with a swept back chair with amazing armrests made from walnut wood. Then add a metropolitan Tiffany style map to your office or living room corner.
Disclosure: This is a featured post.