Art Deco Inspired Interiors

On Friday I went for a day trip to London to see an art exhibition at the Royal Academy. It also included a lunch at the Wolseley which is completely Art Deco inspired, so I thought it only right to do a Sunday Styling feature on it this week, and go into a bit more detail for a blog post too. But first a little history of the era and some Art Deco inspiration too...

Art Deco History

Art Deco became popular at the French exposition in 1920 as an alternative to the more traditional designs that were so popular at the time. The movement, which grew out of the more decorative Art Nouveau, combined many styles of the time, including Cubism. Art Deco began to take off within the fashion and jewellery industries too, which in turn then began influencing furniture design. Deco architecture was woven into to art and social movements of the time in both the UK and America.

Anyone who loved architecture and design, or even just appreciates films like The Great Gatsby and Chicago the Musical, has probably appreciated the Art Deco era. From the elaborate materials to the mesmerising geometric shapes that define the aesthetic, it's one of the most enduring, distinct, and exciting design movements in my opinion.

''Art Deco delivered a sense of opulence and luxury and, importantly, made it accessible to everybody. There were many entertainment buildings, travel buildings and civic buildings, theatres and cinemas, that were designed in the style. The applied decoration to these buildings made them luxurious and their influences were varied and related to wider cultural shifts in taste.'

HERITAGE CONSULTANT, JON WRIGHT

The Wolseley

In 1921 the English architect William Curtis Green was commissioned to design a prestigious car showroom at the current site of the Wolseley at 160 Piccadilly, London. Green designed an interior which had marble pillars, archways and some Venetian and Florentine inspired details to make a grand and impressive building to reflect the companies growing ambitions. However, things did not go to plan and cars weren't selling as the firm had hoped and in 1926 the firm was bankrupt.

The Wolseley Interior

In 1927, the site was taken over by Barclays Bank, and once again Green was called upon to construct a banking counter and managers offices either side of the main entrance which serve today as the bar and teas salon. Green also designed furniture with Japanese lacquer which was a nod to the Eastern influencers of the time.

In 2003 The Wolseley opened its doors as London's first Grand Cafe. 'Renowned today for its spectacular interior, classic food and seamless service, The Wolseley has earned its reputation as one of London’s most respected all-day café-restaurants, becoming an iconic institution the world over.' www.thewoleseley.com

The bar at The Wolseley

So if you are in London, on Picadilly any time soon, then pop in and take a look. You won't be disappointed with the food, the service or the interiors.

Chatelaine

One of my other inspirations for Art Deco home design would be Siobhan Murphy who was on last year's Interior Design Challenge. https://www.interiorcurve.co.uk/my-home Her website and instagram is Interior Curve and she has documented on there her Art Deco Home Chatelaine in Castleford, West Yorkshire. Chatelaine is the female owner, or the wife of the owner, of a castle or large country house, for interest.

My favourite rooms of Chatelaine are the cocktail bar on the top floor - see below...

The cocktail bar is wonderfully maximalist with its pink colour scheme and wonderfully OTT accessories. What a place to sit and sit a cocktail at the end of the day.

I also love the bathroom at Chatelaine which again embraces those Art Deco curves, pastel colours and luxury velvet fabrics, even in a bathroom. The sunken bath is a real feature and iconic piece for the room. What an unusual layout and setting with the steps up to the tub. It's certainly luxurious and opulent.

Art Deco Characteristics

Motifs: Flattened and stylised geometric motifs like fans and flowers; abstract patterns like chevron and sunbursts; jagged lines and symmetry as well as curves and domes too.

Materials: Lacquer, mirror, polished wood, brass, metal, chrome, colourful glass to name a few that are quintessentially Art Deco.

Colours: Lots of high contrast combinations, bold, moody, and deep colors, balanced by softer nudes like soft pink and peach.

I hope you have enjoyed this blog post on Art Deco and how I've found my inspiration to create a deco interior.

If you need a little 1-1 help with designing and planning a room scheme then i’d love to help. Maybe it's an Art Deco scheme, or maybe it's something different. You can email me at hello@laurenmayinteriors.com or call/ text on 07712185467 and let’s get started. You can find out more about my services on my website www.laurenmayinteriors.com and see examples of my portfolio too and hear some client testimonials.

I can’t wait to hear from you and learn about your project. Have a great Weekend.

Lauren X