Fiorito Interior Design: History of Furniture: Art Deco

When people say Art Deco in terms of the History of Furniture, they are often referring to a style of design that is more technically known as Streamline Moderne which I covered in a previous post here.

Streamline Moderne features the recognizably smooth, rounded shapes we have come to associate with Art Deco. Evolving in the 1930s, the style reflected the burgeoning train and ocean liner travel industry. It featured objects that looked as if they were speeding along tracks or cutting through waves, at great speed. Interiors of homes and commercial spaces reflected the interiors of luxury ocean liners as well.

But Art Deco precedes Streamline Moderne by over a decade. Its roots can be traced back to the early 1920s, but the real moment came at an event in Paris in 1925 called the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts. In French, it was l'Exposition internationale des arts décoratifs et industriels modernes, and it is that first descriptor that gave the movement its name: Arts Décoratifs became Art Deco. The term was not used immediately however but first appeared in 1966!

The start of what would become Art Deco can be traced back to a reaction to and against Art Nouveau, which I covered in a post here. In short, Art Nouveau concerned itself with sinuous, flowing designs from nature. This was originally inspired by the floral designs of English designer William Morris and his followers who developed the Arts and Crafts philosophy (previously here).

While there are entire courses and tomes about the history of Art Deco, I will try to keep it brief for the our purposes here. Since Art Deco is the bridge between Art Nouveau and Streamline Moderne, you would surmise correctly that it introduced design elements that moved away from natural curves toward geometrics and definitive shapes. It was influenced by Cubism, a movement in painting, sculpture, music, literature, and architecture. In Cubist painting and sculpture, artists took subjects and broke them up into geometric facets, showing not just one perspective but many at the same time. Advancements in new materials such as chrome plating, stainless steel, and plastics like Bakelite helped Art Deco in its goals but mostly we see luxurious materials like rare and exotic stones and marbles, bone, and exotic wood species including ebony.

When we think of Art Deco architecture, there are a few iconic examples. Two of them are located in New York City.

The Chrysler Building is a gorgeous example of Art Deco architecture with its radiating terraced arches and triangular windows at the crown, and Cubist eagles perched like gargoyles at the corners of the 61st floor.

Chrysler Building by David Shankbone

Chrysler Building by Carol M. Highsmith

Close up of the Chrysler Building crown

Stainless steel eagle gargoyles on the 61st floor of the Chrysler Building

Elevators in the lobby of the Chrysler Building by Eisa Rolle

Stunning parquetry elevator doors in the Chrysler Building

The other iconic Art Deco example is the beautiful stepped slilmness of the Rockefeller Center; construction of its 14 original Art Deco buildings began in 1931. I am sure we all recognize Paul Manship's sculpture of Prometheus that dominates the sunken plaza, and exquisite Art Deco art adorns many portals to the building: Lee Lawrie's Wisdom, A Voice From the Clouds flanked by Sound on the left and Light on the right top the main entrance to 30 Rockefeller Plaza, and the entrance at 1230 Avenue of the Americas features a staggeringly large mosaic mural (79 feet by 14 feet) called Intelligence Awakening Mankind by Barry Faulkner.

GE Building at Rockefeller Center by David Shankbone

Prometheus by Paul Manship, 1934 at Rockefeller Center

Sound by Lee Lawrie

Wisdom by Lee Lawrie

Light by Lee Lawrie

Intelligence Awakening Mankind by Barry Faulkner at 1230 Avenue of the Americas

There are many more internationally famous Art Deco buildings but let's turn our attention from the exterior to the interior. Furniture and furnishings in an Art Deco style are exactly what you would expect...more geometric shapes, Cubist silhouettes, sleek applications, and a lovely array of luxe materials.

Here is a perfect example of an Art Deco interior...it is a preserved study by the New York office of the Paris design firm Alavoine, now in the Brooklyn Museum. It is from the Weil-Worgelt apartments on Park Avenue, ca. 1928-1930

Study by Alavoine, located in the Brooklyn Museum

Over on the West Coast, the ladies Smoking Room at the Paramount Theater in Oakland is a thing of beauty...

Ladies Smoking Room, Paramount Theater, Oakland, CA

Perhaps the best-known designer of Art Deco furniture, furnishings, and interiors is the legendary Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann (1879 - 1933). He learned about interiors through his father, the owner of a successful business painting and wallpapering homes for the wealthy. After this father died, he took over the family business and began making exquisite pieces of furniture, seen below. Look at how the shapes are simple yet exotic, expertly bringing together a pared down sensibility and luxury in one object.