A Guide to Modern Art Deco Interior Design

Last updated on October 29th, 2024

Modern Art Deco interior design captures the glitz of the roaring 20s, displaying Gatsby-inspired elements without compromising the tenets of modern design and maintaining a sense of distinctiveness and abstractionism.

Enjoy this guide to incorporating Modern Art Deco design into your own home, with inspiration from spectacular Toll Brothers model homes from across the country.

 

What is Modern Art Deco?

Originating in the early 1900s in France, Art Deco, short for “Arts Decoratifs,” is the interconnection of modern, abstract design with historical influence and inspiration from the classical era.

Characterized by bold and rich colors, sharp geometric shapes, and delicate, detailed finishes, this trending interior design style represents luxury and glamour, embodying a sense of chaos and boldness while maintaining majesty, elegance, and symmetry.

 

The Origins of Art Deco Interior Design

After the first World War, growing populations in Europe and America were ready for a rebirth. Art Deco entered the world of interior design as many people were inspired to live in an environment that exuded luxury, beauty, and splendor. 

The traditional boundaries of how to design a home were removed, and the grandeur of art and fashion quickly infused itself into homes and apartments. New materials and fabrics, bold colors, and fresh architectural additions helped society think differently when planning the design of their living space.

 

Elements of Modern Art Deco Design

The materials used when incorporating Art Deco within your home include luxurious, elegant features that connote excellence and glamour. Blending the gold accents, marble palates, velvet fabrics, and rare textured woods of the golden era with abstract patterns, bold colors, and jagged geometric designs of the modern movement is the hallmark of Modern Art Deco design.

 

Marrying majestic design elements with bold geometric styles helped progress Europe and America into the next era with sharp, contrasting patterns and abstract shapes while maintaining a sense of symmetry and style.

 

Modern Art Deco Colors

Shades of color used in modern Art Deco design are meant to immediately attract the eye with a sense of boldness. Pops of vibrant sunbursts stand out from soft, neutral backgrounds with metallic accents delicately interspersed.

Blending a deep red, soft greens, and blues or a sharp grey with chrome, steel, gold, and silver is the perfect way to add Art Deco elements to your home. Strong, neutral colors complemented by metallic accents help make a room come alive and perfectly embody a luxurious, classical feel with a fresh pop of modernity.

 

Modern Art Deco Flooring

Flooring in modern Art Deco design features patterns and textures that enhance the accents throughout the living space, such as rugs, furniture, and artwork, creating contrasting motifs while exuding elegance.

One can achieve this look by featuring stone and marble textures and neutral wood floors with parquet or herringbone designs that contradict a traditional, repetitive flow. This flooring lays the creative base to add bold and vibrant accents, whether an influx of live plants or an array of lush paintings and artwork.

Opt for various optical illusions with chessboard or triangular designs with black and white accents that work within a bathroom or a kitchen, perfectly accentuating appliances with stainless steel or gold features. These bold motifs encapsulate what Art Deco represents while allowing you to infuse a sense of creativity.

 

Modern Art Deco Furniture

When incorporating furniture within your Modern Art Deco design, size is everything and is the main feature when crafting your home. Therefore, the details of an Art Deco design should focus on the accents surrounding the furniture, which is typically large in scale and makes its presence known through its grandiosity.

Massive couches and armchairs lay the foundation for furniture in an Art Deco-designed home, often featuring dramatic gold and wood accents, exuding elegance and embodying a classical feel.

Dramatic dressers and wall units are also showcased in modern Art Deco design, typically featuring dark, glossy woods that complement the neutral tones in a living room or bedroom. Elegant, glass-encased coffee tables and metallic bar carts are other furniture accents that assist in creating a modern Art Deco design.

 

While some of the elements of Art Deco may seem chaotic, these style guidelines can help you transform your home into a symphony of traditional and contemporary design.

 

To learn more about other interior design styles and décor elements, check out the “Design” section of the Toll Brothers Build Beautiful blog.