1920S art deco interior design: What is Art Deco? The History of Art Deco Interior Design

What is Art Deco? The History of Art Deco Interior Design

This story was originally published on 3/16/2020.

Anyone who appreciates architecture and design—or even anyone who just loves period pieces like The Great Gatsby and Chicago—has probably gone through an Art Deco obsession phase. From the elaborate materials to the mesmerizing geometric shapes that define the aesthetic, it’s one of the most enduring, distinct, and exciting design movements ever. Well, at least in my opinion.

So when I was invited to go on an Art Deco walking tour with Los Angeles Conservancy, I couldn’t wait to extend that loose appreciation into something a bit more informed. And as an emerging hub of commerce and culture in the early 20th century, Downtown Los Angeles was the perfect place to learn more about the movement. Naturally, I took plenty of notes. So keep reading to learn about the history and characteristics of Art Deco design and architecture, and then get inspired by modern interpretations of the iconic style to incorporate into your own interiors.

History of Art Deco Design

Art Deco doors in New York’s Chrysler Building, designed by William Van Alen, ca. 1928-1930. (Photo by Angelo Hornak/Corbis via Getty Images)

Angelo Hornak//Getty Images

The Early Days (the early to mid 1920s): New Moderne (the term for Art Deco until it got the catchier moniker in the 1960s) became popular at the French exposition in 1920 as a backlash against 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 and Viennese Succession. Art Deco began to take off within the fashion and jewelry industries, which then began influencing furniture design, which then also informed the architectural movement. Deco architecture was intrinsically tied to art and social movements of the time: the Biltmore in Los Angeles and the Waldorf Astoria in New York City, both iconic Deco buildings, were the social centers of their cities in the early 1920s and attracted artists and intellectuals.

Alice Morgan for House Beautiful

At Its Peak (the mid 1920s): While stylish buildings at the onset of the 1920s often featured coffered ceilings with flat, horizontal roofs, more and more cities were growing vertically to accommodate growing business and concentrated urban environments. Fittingly, many say the motto of Art Deco design was “Master the Sky.” Art Deco was all about moving away from the past and paving a new way for the future, culturally and aesthetically, which meant keeping some decorative elements but also giving them a sleeker, cosmopolitan twist. As such, many Art Deco buildings wear a “tiara,” the nickname for floors that aren’t leasable spaces (speaking to the decorative value of design that this movement really pioneered). Tiaras make the buildings taller and distinctive, inviting you to look up.

GThe Eastern Colombia Building is a perfect example of Art Deco architecture. It was designed by Claud Beelman and opened in 1930 as a beacon of cutting-edge, modern style and life. The glimmering turquoise terracotta exteriors adds a touch of decadence and style to the sleek, geometric shape.

FG/Bauer-Griffin//Getty Images

Like the quintessential markers of the 1920s and the Jazz Age, Art Deco was shaped by the gradual loosening up of culture in general, with an emphasis on fun, expression, and excess. This attitude belied a dark underbelly (the depression and the onset of a second World War).

Alice Morgan for House Beautiful

Late Deco (the1930s): The crash of the stock market in 1929 resulted in a pivot away from the elaborate, decorative styles of earlier Art Deco design, which reflected faith in technological and economic growth. For most buildings, funding slowed down or stopped altogether, and that’s when Streamlined Moderne, a much simpler interpretation of Art Deco design, took off. Visually, these styles were known for reverting back to the more horizontal orientations and were much simpler, as any kind of ostentatious displays were considered bad form.

Formerly the California Edison building (one of the first electrical companies in the country) and now Torrey Pines Bank, the facade features motifs representing about progress—you’ll see a hand holding water and a lightbulb).

Hadley Mendelsohn

That’s why you’ll see a ton of buildings that look more streamlined everywhere but the bottom levels; as funding slowed, architects would emphasize awnings and marquees. And if they were redoing older buildings, they would focus on the bottom level facing the street.

Deco’s Legacy Today: In most cities during the 1920s, downtown was still the epicenter of life, so most of the arts were found in those neighborhoods, which meant they also got more funding. As wealth began moving to suburbia after World War II, people relied less on downtown shops and resources, so they got less funding. As a result, many of those crowned jewels of Art Deco architecture fell into disrepair.

Today, many Art Deco buildings exemplify adaptive reuse, an approach to development that reimagines existing spaces with new functions—say, turning a one-time department store into condo housing.

Key Art Deco Characteristics

Motifs: Flattened and stylized geometric motifs like fans and flowers; abstract patterns like chevron and sunbursts; jagged lines (a precursor to the Brutalist styles on the horizon).

Materials: Lacquer, mirror, polished wood, brass, metal, terra cotta, chrome, colorful glass.

Colors: Lots of high contrast combinations, bold, moody, and deep colors, balanced by softer nudes.

Inspiring Modern Art Deco Interior Design Examples

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Art Deco Interior Design: Everything You Need to Know

While some may argue the era of Art Deco interior design is over, it’s undeniable that its spirit lives on. “When we’re talking about Art Deco, generally we’re thinking of the style and aesthetic most popular during the 1920s and ’30s,” says Jennifer Durand, design director at Jessica Lagrange Interiors. Often defined by geometric patterns and motifs, bold jewel tones, and rich material palettes, the interior design style is opulent and decadent. “These days, we probably wouldn’t do a whole authentic Art Deco interior,” adds Jessica Lagrange, founder of the aforementioned eponymous design firm. “But we like to use bits and pieces, which can be very timeless, and use them in a contemporary setting.” Below, AD outlines everything you need to know about Art Deco style, from its history to modern interpretations, and how you can bring the luxurious look into your home. 

What is Art Deco interior design?

A starburst-inspired design on the floor of a home designed by Jessica Lagrange Interiors.  

Photo: Douglas Friedman. 

According to Wesley Moon, interior designer and founder of Wesley Moon Design and Decoration, there are two ways to think about Art Deco design: the historical roots and the modern renditions. Of course, to appreciate the latter, you first have to understand the former.

History of Art Deco interior design 

Historically, Art Deco, which is short for arts décoratifs, started in France in the early 1900s. “But it really flourished in America in the ’20s and ’30s,” Moon explains. Generally categorized as the style of art, interiors, architecture, and product design popular in the era between the First and Second World Wars, it didn’t get its name until 1925 during the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes, which was held in Paris and was the first time the style was exhibited. Designs of this time were often defined by a streamlined look—generally composed of simple lines and geometric shapes for ornamentation—made from expensive materials. “When we think of Art Deco, we picture symmetrical, geometric, streamlined pieces with simplistic form,” Durand tells AD, “but made with really innovative, specialty materials.” 

Jewel tones from a gilded table and velvet stools on display in Moon’s home. 

Photo: Pernille Loof

Popular visionaries from the era include artists like René Lalique and Jean Dunand, product and furniture designers like Jacques Ruhlmann and Maurice Dufrène, interior designers like Jean-Michael Frank or Émile-Jacques Ruhlman, and architects such as William Van Alen or the firm Shreve, Lamb & Harmon. Predating midcentury-modern aesthetics, Art Deco drew influences from Art Nouveau, the Bauhaus school, and Cubism. Many of the most well-recognized Art Deco buildings—skyscrapers like the Chrysler Building and the Empire State Building, or Radio City Music Hall, for example—are in New York City, although remnants of the style can be found throughout the country. Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Detroit, Michigan, in particular, have impressive collections of Art Deco structures.   

What is the difference between Art Deco and Art Nouveau?

While Art Deco and Art Nouveau were both extremely popular styles—and did feature some similar qualities—there are a few distinct differences. Generally, Art Nouveau was much more organic, often making use of more fluid, curved lines. Art Nouveau, though seen in architecture, is most prevalent in the decorative arts. It originated in the 1880s and often featured forms and motifs inspired by vines, flower stems, or other natural elements. Art Deco, on the other hand, made use of straighter, geometric, and more streamlined shapes. 

Is Art Deco in style? 

Checkered floors in an entryway designed by Jessica Lagrange Studio bring the geometric elements of Art Deco into a modern setting. 

Photo: Douglas Friedman 

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While Art Deco is not in style the same way it used to be, that doesn’t mean there is no longer merit or beauty to the aesthetic. Generally, architecture and design historians see the start of World War II as the end of the Art Deco period, though the look had been fading for some time. Designers from the Bauhaus school—which was forced to close in 1933 under Hitler’s rule—migrated to other parts of the world, including the United States, bringing with them new ideas focused on simple, functional design. After the war, aesthetic values slowly started to change, switching to a utilitarian, unornamented standard and ushering in the era of international and midcentury-modern styles pioneered by visionaries like Le Corbusier and Mies van der Rohe.  Following the Great Depression, many of the original principles of Art Deco—like rich materials and opulent ornamentation—were no longer affordable and, in some situations, no longer desirable. 

Modern interpretations of Art Deco 

However, like most interior design trends, tastes and principles are cyclical, and nothing is ever truly over. These days, as Moon and the designers from Jessica Lagrange Interiors note, it’s not overly common to see true-to-the-era replicated versions of Art Deco interiors. Instead, many modern designers opt for capturing the spirit of the Art Deco period by borrowing elements and embodying the principles of the movement. “A lot of people have said my apartment is very Art Deco, although I don’t particularly think of it as an Art Deco apartment,” Moon says. “But it does have a lot of those qualities: It’s got exuberance, it’s got opulence, everything about it is unique and specifically made for the space.” 

Defining elements and characteristics of Art Deco interior design

For anyone looking to create a modern Art Deco look today, it’s best to understand the classic Deco elements in order to most appropriately reimagine them in a modern way. 

What are the key design elements of Art Deco?

Though Moon doesn’t find his home to be a full Deco interior, the gilded walls of the sitting room certainly honor the opulent and bold elements of the style.  

Photo: Pernille Loof; Styling: Mieke ten Have

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Though not an exhaustive list, the following elements are generally used in Art Deco interiors: 

• Streamlined, symmetrical forms
• Geometric designs as ornamentation; it’s common to see shapes such as:  
  • Trapezoids
  • Triangles
  • Zigzags
  • Chevrons 
  • Sunbursts 
• Rich material and textile palettes, including: 
  • Lacquered surfaces 
  • Brass
  • Stainless steel
  • Gilt  
  • High-end upholstery fabrics 
• Ornamental light fixtures such as chandeliers or sconces 

What are the main colors of Art Deco?

Jewel tones like emerald, gold, and sapphire are seen in this sitting area designed by Jessica Lagrange Interiors.  

Photo: William Waldron. 

“If you’re going back to traditional Art Deco in the ’20s, they used a lot of very rich, jewel tone color palettes,” says Durand. Often this was complemented by more neutral shades such as beiges, creams, or slightly muted yellows. Modern Deco interpretations can lean a bit more minimalist, but often still include bold colors. 

Examples of Art Deco interior design

To better understand Art Deco—and get a few design ideas—consider both historic examples and modern interpretations designed by Lagrange and Moon.  

Historic Art Deco

Radio City Music Hall 

The grand foyer of Radio City Music Hall. 

Photo: Courtesy of Radio City Music Hall 

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Radio City Music Hall has long been considered a quintessential example of Art Deco interiors and architecture. Donald Deskey was hired to design the interiors, which feature terrazzo floors, marble walls, and brass ticket booths. 

The Chrysler Building

The lobby of the Chrysler Building.  

Photo: Angelo Hornak/Getty Images

The doors of an elevator inside the Chrysler Building. 

Photo: Angelo Hornak/Getty Images

An undeniable Art Deco masterpiece, the Chrysler Building, designed William Van Alen, is a prime example of the decadent materiality often found in interiors of the time. The lobby—which is triangular in shape—is the only publicly accessible part of the building, but it still certainly warrants a visit for anyone interested in the Deco interiors. Yellow travertine from Sienna makes up the floor, complemented by red-granite-clad walls. Lights covered in Belgian blue marble adorn the walls, and stainless-steel accents can also be found throughout the monumental interiors. 

Modern Art Deco

Art Deco living room 

In this seating room designed by Jessica Lagrange Interiors, the designers have embraced the streamline form, rich color palette, and bold materiality popular in Art Deco interiors. 

Photo: Douglas Friedman.

Art Deco dining room

The dining room in Moon’s home. The gilded chandelier and gold bench are reminiscent of the jewel-toned interiors of the Art Deco, while the “Scenes of Sicily” wallpaper inspires the old-world, well-traveled atmosphere of the style. 

Photo: Pernille Loof.

Art Deco bedroom 

The black-lacquered light fixture and gold-toned floor lamp champion Deco sensibility in this bedroom designed by Jessica Lagrange Interiors. 

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Moon’s bedroom channels Art Deco’s love of opulent upholstery. The walls, bed, and drapes are all textiles from Fortuny. 

Photo: Pernille Loof.

Art Deco bathroom 

The bathroom in a Jessica Lagrange Interiors project. The streamlined, geometric tile accents add an undeniable Deco touch without going overboard. 

Photo: TBC

How to achieve Art Deco interiors in your house  

“I wouldn’t do a perfectly historical Art Deco room,” Lagrange says. “But I think Art Deco is always in style; I think you just use bits and pieces.” When it comes to your home design, you don’t have to live in a perfect replica of the Great Gatsby mansion to channel the romance of the Art Deco era; instead, it’s all about embracing the more luxurious, bolder parts of life. Lagrange says she lives in a building from the era, but the apartment itself didn’t particularly match the Art Deco architecture. “I wanted to speak to the architecture of the building, so I did some simple changes,” she says. “I did a black lacquer on all the doors, I changed the hardware, I restored the terrazzo floor, and I got rid of a lot of the downlighting, because you wouldn’t have seen as much downlighting at the time.” 

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In this bathroom designed by Jessica Lagrange Interiors, rich colors and complex materiality embrace Deco-era decadence. 

Photo: William Waldron

Moon says opting for a bit of eclecticism is another way to infuse Art Deco decor into your home. “It’s really great to mix in things that make you feel well traveled and worldly,” he says, “and I think that that’s very much an Art Deco style.” Other ways to channel the aesthetic include embracing more vertical space, as skyscrapers were an important part of the Art Deco era. Further, vertical space is often viewed as an antithesis to Frank Lloyd Wright’s prairie style, as well as similar movements that predated Art Deco and embraced horizontal space. “That would definitely be a nod to Deco,” Moon says. Of course, adding a rich material palette, geometric motifs, and a little glam will always go a long way in embracing a modern Art Deco look. 

Art Deco style in the interior: formation, idea, history

Art Deco interiors are characterized by rounded corners, strict vertical lines and concave shapes.

Art Deco style in the interior.

Art Deco (or “Art Deco”) was born as a style between 1908 and 1912 and flourished between 1925 and 1935. The style emerged from various art and design movements of the 1900s such as Art Nouveau, the Vienna Secession, the German Werkbund, Russian Constructivism and the Dutch De Stijl movement, as well as modernist advances in painting such as abstract art and cubism. .

The term “Art Deso” comes from the name of the Exposition Internationale des Art Decoratifs et Industriels Modernes – the 1925 International Exhibition of Modern and Decorative Arts and Crafts in Paris, which presented the achievements of the decorative arts of that time in full. The term itself arose even later – in 1966, during the revival of the exhibition in the Paris Musee des Arts Decoratifs (Museum of Decorative Arts). Prior to that, it was called “jazz modern”, “zigzag modern”, “streamlined modern”. After the Paris Exhibition 19For 25 years, Art Deco has become the dominant trend in the interiors of that time.

Despite the crisis and economic depression, declaring the cult of luxury and refined hedonism. The interiors of cinemas, hotels, restaurants, ocean liners, mansions and apartments in Europe and America were designed and built in Art Deco style. But not only interior design and architecture, this style touched, also fashion, painting, arts and crafts, jewelry, and cinema. Art Deco especially came to court in Hollywood, which is not surprising: both the cinematic “dream factory” and the exquisite decorative style did one thing – they created the illusion of a prosperous, luxurious and carefree life. The interruption in the popularity of Art Deco was caused by the Great Depression, when the desire to save on everything penetrated the design.

The Art Deco style is the epitome of eclecticism.

Interior in Art Deco style, a mixture of styles and elements of different eras and styles: Empire, Egyptian archaic, Indian exotic and African decoration. It is characterized by rounded corners, clear vertical lines and concave shapes. Common materials include exotic woods, plastic laminate, chrome and stainless steel. Art Deco masters studied and subtly used the expressive possibilities, color and texture of various materials, glass, plastics. The demonstrative modernity of Art Deco was manifested in the frequent streamlining of forms (“stream-line”).

Outwardly similar to Art Nouveau and the architecture of the modern movement, these lines are different from both. The streamlined lines of Art Deco works imitate the dynamic forms of transport devices: cars, ships, aircraft, but the role of these forms is not functional, but purely pictorial, “semiotic” as a sign of belonging to the “modern world of machines”, considered as the environment of the future. It is no coincidence that Art Deco was actively used in the architecture of cinemas and in the scenery for films with pictures of the future and science fiction. The technical means for the construction of high-rise buildings – steel structures and reinforced concrete – were already well mastered by the time Art Deco skyscrapers appeared, the “stylishness” of Art Deco was given by stepped silhouettes and non-constructive decorative elements, and not at all by height, new materials and technologies. The forms of these new buildings, erected at the end of the 19The 20s to the early 1930s are to this day the most remarkable legacy of Art Deco. Until now, they continue to build skyscrapers in the image and likeness of the Chrysler Building.

Interiors.

Art Deco are elegant and luxurious decorations. Painting was combined with mosaics, inlay with carvings: such combinations created unique ensembles of objects, furniture, sculpture and painting. Unique floral art deco ornaments on every item: panels on the wall, curtains and furniture. The Art Deco style began with a rapture of luxury and ornamentation, but subsequently this style changed direction towards the concept of functional design, first put forward by the Bauhaus, and this happened, in the 30-40s, when German designers arrived in America, fleeing persecution in Nazi Germany, and brought their ideas to the American school of Art Deco.

The streamlined silhouettes of the new furniture were very popular. Decorative elements in the form of zigzags, triangles, circles were actively used. Mahogany and ebony served as material for Art Deco furniture in the interior, as well as technological innovations such as colored glass. The number of handmade items and exclusive pieces of furniture that Art Deco gravitated towards in the 20s became limited, but a huge stream of inexpensive Art Deco products was launched.

The style of the furniture was achieved by covering ordinary, solid rectangular shapes with light mahogany veneer and beige lacquer, or by creating streamlined silhouettes from bent plywood. Handles were made of ordinary bronze or simply replaced with finger grooves. Combinations of black and light varnish were popular. Glossy lacquered furniture is typical for this style. Rectangular outlines are in line with modernist trends, while the use of precious woods is reminiscent of the French cabinetmaking tradition.

The main Art Deco motifs in the interior:

• geometric: circles, rectangles, squares, ellipses, zigzags, stepped shapes, rhombuses, semicircles, black and white piano keys, faceted, crystalline, beveled forms of cubism and futurism,
• Sun motif;
• vegetable: tropical vegetation;
• lotuses, stylized reeds, palm trees;
• animalistic: mythological creatures, exotic birds and animals, eg flamingos, graceful wild cats, elephants, panthers, jaguars;
• Oriental: pyramids, ziggurats, Egyptian (lotus image, scarabs), Aztec (snakes, eagles), African ornaments, mythological characters;
• anthropomorphic: curved female and male figures.

Metal in an art deco interior.

The Art Deco period has been called “the golden age of wrought iron”. The new architects and designers used metal not only to make structural frames, but also for ventilation grilles, railings, fences, front doors, elevators, fireplace accessories, street lamps and lighting fixtures in interiors. Edgar Brandt is one of the most prominent representatives of French Art Deco. He managed not only to subjugate cold metal, but also to create truly unimaginable, elegant things from it, which can be called works of art with confidence. His architectural and decorative forgings are among the most beautiful works of the time. His wrought iron work was usually completed by a bronze finish, often incorporating architectural elements with floral motifs.

Combining the motifs of Ancient Egypt, Greek classics, floral and animal forms, geometric designs – all this created a unique, generous style of Edgar Brandt. In New York, his Ferrobrandt company in 1925 draws up the office of a major silk importer, the Cheney Silk Building at 181 Madison Avenue. It is Manhattan’s first Art Deco skyscraper. Grilles with motifs of fountains and oases have become a signature element of the building. The fresh French decorative style will soon be the hallmark of the business capital of the world. Soon metalworkers such as Edgar Brandt, Eliel Saarinen and others moved from iron and bronze to new materials such as steel, aluminium, chrome. Sparkling metal ornamentation – its warmth and coldness, its hardness and brilliance – has become an integral feature of the decorative Art Deco style.

Color range.

White, ivory, beige, brown, terracotta, black and white contrast is the hallmark of Art Deco. As color accents, in decorative inserts, mosaic panels, picturesque paintings, colors such as red, purple, gold, lemon, orange, scarlet, lilac, bright yellow, purple, ultramarine, blue are used. At the same time, they are located on monochrome walls, which are a neutral background for these colored elements. The walls, as a rule, are monophonic, but often with decorative, sometimes stucco borders, occasionally a geometric pattern or stripe was used on the walls.

Art-Deco is back.

After the outbreak of World War II, the world changed irrevocably, and Art Deco became part of history. But at the end of the 20th century, it again attracted the attention of designers. Especially this style attracts customers in Russia and the United Arab Emirates. Once again, designers are creating luxurious and elegant homes and apartments for the new modern elite in Art Deco style.

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The evolution of Art Deco: from America in the 1920s to modern Moscow

The Art Deco style embraced the whole life of first Europe and then America and was embodied as in luxurious cinemas (where they showed, for example, “Cylinder” with Fred Astaire) and the skyscrapers of Manhattan, and in the smallest detail, down to everyday items: watches, pocket mirrors, razors, cameras and lamps, jewelry by Rene Lalique and the fashion house of Erte and Paul Poiret. The examples of this style were the works of the American architect of Finnish origin Eero Saarien, as well as the main symbols of New York: the Chrysler Building skyscraper, the 102-story Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center (especially its interiors).

History of Art Deco

All stories about Art Deco traditionally begin in 1925 and the grandiose international exhibition in Paris, where the achievements of the design of the Old World and, first of all, French manufacturers were presented. Later, already in the 1960s, the British Beavis Hillier, one of the first researchers of the style, in his work Art Deco of the 20s and 30s gave this direction the name of the exhibition and described it as follows: “Art Deco was luxurious and ascetic, archaic and modern , bourgeois and mass, reactionary and radical. After the upheavals of the First World War and the Russian Revolution, the world wanted beauty, comfort and entertainment – and Art Deco, with its theatrical forms and images, turned out to be just in time.

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Pavilion La maîtrise, Galeries Lafayette

© SMINEX-INTECO PRESS SERVICE, FROM THE BOOK “ART DECO. STYLE AS ACHIEVEMENT

One of the most famous film artists Cedric Gibbons (in terms of the number of Oscars, he has 11, Gibbons is second only to Walt Disney) visited the Paris exhibition and helped style to flourish in Hollywood – in the interiors of films, accelerating the advent of a new era in design and architecture. As a result, in the USA, for example, Art Deco acquired the status of an official style.

Interestingly, the style began to be described and studied only in the late 1960s: earlier it was not considered a phenomenon worthy of restoration and preservation. Against the backdrop of serious studies of another current of modernism, the Bauhaus architectural school, it was considered almost vulgar – more fashionable than functional, more an escape from reality than an attempt to build a new world.

Style

1. Decor . The main thing for Art Deco was decoration and external effect. At the same time, the artists did not have to keep everything in the same style – it was quite possible to limit themselves to stylized emblems.

2. Complex shapes : broken lines, polyhedrons, stepped ends.

3. Materials selected according to the principle of contrast. Steel and brass with dark wood and inlays. Intense colors – white and black, gold and brown interspersed with bright colors that could sparkle like gems.

4. Luxury. Exquisite textures of rare rocks and wood and handmade. in design objects — leather, lacquer, various types of inlay.

5. Antiquity . After the discovery in 1922 of the tomb of Tutankhamen, exotic motifs came into fashion – the legacy of the ancient Egyptians, Aztecs and Mayans.

6. Technology . Already after the 1930s, the style changes, this is especially clear in America: it becomes more “streamlined”, refers to new technologies, aerodynamics and ballistics, the design of the rapid forms of propulsion devices (cars, air and ocean liners), which had a strong influence on architecture, including the construction of skyscrapers. Designers attribute a significant share in the charm of style to its aspiration to the future.

7. Art . Art Deco projects were often created in collaboration between architects and artists, sculptors, and designers.

Art Deco has a clear association with a certain moment in history – it is no coincidence that films and TV series about the 1920s and 1930s are designed in this style, whether it be The Great Gatsby or Poirot – but at the same time it does not lose its relevance and today, embodied in emphatically graphic interiors, natural finishing materials, spectacular lamps, sparkling surfaces and contrasting decor.

Still from The Great Gatsby, 2013

© Warner Bros. Pictures

Art Deco is easy to recognize even intuitively: it conveys a clear mood. But from the point of view of a formal definition, it will not be so easy to single out Art Deco: it was quite different from country to country, and, speaking of it, one can single out a whole palette of styles. So, for example, the Soviet version of Art Deco was extremely ideologized: if the Western source did not carry any ideological background, except for admiration for the beauty of the form, then Soviet compositions were often crowned with symbols of power or sculptures. One of the most important examples of Soviet art deco was the Moscow metro, as well as VSHV-VDNKh. By the way, VDNKh is currently hosting the exhibition Dressed in Luxury. Art Deco Woman.

Art Deco in the architecture of modern Moscow

There are vivid examples of modern reading of Art Deco style all over the world. For example, in Moscow, right next to VDNKh, surrounded by the endless parks of the Ostankino district, a premium-class house “Achievement” from the company “Sminex-Inteko” is being built. It is intended to become the architectural dominant of the area. “Achievement” is inspired by American art deco rather than its Soviet version. The building is decorated with bay windows, “Venetian” lancet arches and upward pyramidal spiers. Balconies with decorative metal railings and decoration with elements resembling oak branches (a graceful homage to the name of the small and cozy Oak Grove Park, next to which the house is located), emphasize the plastic silhouette, which achieves lightness due to the vertical gradient and height difference. For Moscow, this is the largest Art Deco facade in terms of area: its width reaches 250 meters, its height is 100 meters.

Interior elements continue the same style – both in the lobby and fitness room (panels reproduce Deineka’s replicas) and in the underground parking. The lobbies, with high windows and a fireplace, are decorated with brass decorative elements and gleaming metal sculptures, so beloved by Art Deco architects, nestled in niches. Both the lobby and standard floors are finished with porcelain stoneware. In the spirit of the heritage of the 1920s, even the smallest details are made, including even the numbers on the mailboxes. The design of the interior spaces is echoed by the paving of the walking boulevard with a fountain – this is another reminder of the luxurious era of the last century.

At nightfall, the luxury of Art Deco style in Achievement appears in a new dimension – the house is illuminated by the author’s architectural lighting, emphasizing the silhouette of the building, rising to the center.

Evening image of the house “Achievement”

© SMINEX-INTECO PRESS SERVICE

The facade lighting system consists of 3 thousand elements. In total, there are more than ten types of various lamps on the facade, as well as optical accessories on an individual order. For example, lightboxes have been developed specifically for embossed lancet niches – rhombuses, which are no longer in any house. Thanks to the illumination of the central part, the silhouette of the “Achievements” continues to be read in the panorama of the city against the backdrop of the parks surrounding the building.

Art Deco’s centuries of history have shaped it as a hedonistic style. Therefore, in addition to solemn architecture, the Achievement house is distinguished by a comfortable living environment: location next to picturesque parks, its own landscaped courtyard of 1.7 hectares, apartments with thoughtful layouts and the most modern comfort systems, a fitness room only for residents, developing children’s spaces, a public living room for acquaintance and joint leisure with neighbors.