Art Deco design is often abstract.
A description of the Roaring '20s would not be complete without mentioning Art Deco furniture design. The first international design style of the 20th century, Art Deco, which was produced from about 1925 to 1939, is not easy to categorize. It is both regressive and progressive. Furniture designers from the post-World War I era each had different and unconnected styles. What did join the furniture pieces was the lack of a specific movement. Art Deco was simply decorative, and designers as of 2011 pay homage to Art Deco by updating the designs for modern use. Does this Spark an idea?
Design Over Function
One tenet of Art Deco was that the furniture had to be modern; it could not copy historical styles, according to The Metropolitan Museum of Art. To achieve the new look, sometimes snakeskin and other unusual materials were used for furniture fabric. When looking for retro furniture, keep an eye out for the most recurring fabric prints, which are of flowers, plants, geometric and zigzag designs.
Ruhlmann
The quintessential name in Art Deco furniture design is Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann, a Parisian furniture designer. Once you become familiar with his designs, you will have an idea about which retro designers have captured his intent. Inspired by classical 18th-century furniture designs, Ruhlmann made furniture from rare wood with ivory embellishments. Ruhlmann's style was sleek and geometric but with a slight curve and was not mass-produced. The top-notch craftsmanship, materials and beauty of Ruhlmanns' designs are what made his work sustain the test of time. Ruhlmann's furniture is considered the "creme de la creme" of Art Deco, according to Mark Stevens in a "New York Magazine" article.
Inspirations
Many Art Deco furniture designs were derivative of famous artistic styles of the day, particularly Fauvism and Cubism. Fauvism-inspired furniture explored color and patterns, influenced by artists such as Henri Matisse. Cubism-inspired furniture, exemplified by Pablo Picasso, reduced a piece to the most basic shapes through geometric lines and planes. The 1960s saw a revival of these designs. Art Deco came back to retro designers. When designing your home using retro Art Deco pieces, keep the design open and eclectic for a more authentic look. In keeping with various inspirations leading to Art Deco, modern retro designers are limited only by their imaginations, for example, by combining Spanish Mission style and surfing style with Art Deco elements.
American Machine Style
American Art Deco designers practiced streamlining, making the furniture modern and functional. This consisted of curves and strong lines found in buildings, cars and furniture. Materials often used included Bakelike, a precursor to plastic, and chrome. The furniture was mass-produced in the 1930s and took on a modern design characterized by tubular-steel furniture. The idea was to produce furniture that Depression-era families and, later, veterans returning from World War II, could afford. People who love Art Deco style believe that it will always be in vogue. Retro Art Deco designers who wish to mimic the American machine style use plastic, chrome and steel materials in informal and abstract ways.
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