Guide to Art Deco Design

There are some periods of history that have thrown up amazing designs and beautiful stylish pieces across all areas of manufacturing. The 1960s was one such period, as was the 1980s, however one of the most elegant was the 1930s. The arrival of Art Deco in the pre-war years is still evident today in our designs and showcased an amazing elegance that crossed into all boundaries of design. From trains, to cars, to planes and even oak dressers and other furniture; Art Deco dominates and the transition from only a decade ago was very obvious.

Art Deco

The whole Art Deco style began in Paris in the mid-1920s and had been part of architecture from the mid-1910s. However, it was the 1930s before the design style become main stream. New York is essentially the Art Deco capital of the world and is still evident in the buildings there today. Of course, the jewel in the Art Deco crown was the Chrysler Building – one of the most extravagant buildings in the city, even to this very day.

Art Deco was the first truly new architecture and style in the western world for some time and previous to this other older styles had been revived and tinkered with. From classical, to gothic; there were all sorts of resurgences and neo versions of these and other design styles. Art Noveau changed this somewhat at the turn of the 20th century and the ornamentation on buildings moved away from the traditional and began to include new styles, which included natural themes. Branches, flowers and vines became common in design and this spread further afield.

Art Deco itself was a move away from these older styles and was seen as modern and unique. Its main focus was simplicity, forward motion and strength and was seen as a style that reflected the time and the immense change that was coming about. Ornamentation was dead and Art Deco’s simplicity was very much alive.

Skyscrapers

Essentially, Art Deco was the beginning of the Skyscraper era, though soon came indoors to affect everything from oak dressers to chairs to clothing.

In later years, Art Deco moved towards Art Moderne, something that many purists will talk about and something that overlaps with the next movement towards Modernity. This could be seen in the more streamlined designs of the age. This was very much seen in autos and transport and really reflected the interest in speed and going faster at the time. This was also seen in some buildings and even went as far as being included in pencil sharpeners.

Art Deco was one of the most significant changes in design of all time and moved us away from the classical, roman and gothic styles that we had changed about for centuries. It really was an innovative move and one that really has to be respected.

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If you’re looking for an Oak sideboard, no matter what design style, it’s likely you’ll be able to find something to suit at National Furniture UK: for beautifully crafted furniture pieces.