March 21, 2025
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Synonymous with glamour and architectural design, Art Deco brings the elegant dynamism of the early 20th century to any space. Symbolizing a time of great change worldwide, Art Deco, short for Arts Décoratifs, is often associated with bold, geometric design and luxurious, extravagant graphics. Additionally, rich colors and decadent materials are often seen. There were many influences, from the geometric forms of Cubism, bright colors of Fauvism, the craftsmanship of Louis XVI, and the exotic influences of Asian and Egyptian art. Ultimately, the Art Deco style is a pastiche of many styles, all coming together in a desire for modernism.

It spanned from the beginning of World War I to the beginning of World War II. The style affected design, both commercial and independent, on a massive scale and continues to be seen in fashion, jewelry, and furniture today. Please enjoy this overview of a style that is as desired now as it was in it’s conception and how some of our newest pieces can bring Art Deco to your home.

History of Art Deco

Named after the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes (International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts) held in Paris in 1925, the movement grew in prominence and connection with the rise of decorative arts. These arts and artists flourished while major producers of luxury goods throughout Europe began designing modern products. This modernizing of goods made way for the Art Deco movement to expand beyond the high-end to mass produced goods as well. As it grew, the style combined exquisite craftsmanship and expensive, luxurious materials with modernistic forms. It was a design style, but it was also a life style.

Traditionalists versus Modernists
In 1925 two different competing schools coexisted within Art Deco. The traditionalists, who had founded the Society of Decorative Artists, included Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann, Jean Dunard, Antoine Bourdelle, and Paul Poiret. They combined modern forms with traditional craftsmanship and expensive materials.
On the other side were the modernists, who increasingly rejected the past and wanted a style based upon advances in new technologies. They insisted on simplicity, a lack of decoration, inexpensive materials, and mass production. The modernists founded their own organization, The French Union of Modern Artists, in 1929. Its members included architects Pierre Chareau, Francis Jourdain, Robert Mallet-Stevens, Corbusier. Also, Konstantin Melnikov, Eileen Gray, Sonia Delaunay, and the jewelers Jean Fouquet and Jean Puiforcat. They fiercely attacked the traditional art deco style, which they said was created only for the wealthy. They insisted that well-constructed buildings should be available to everyone, and that form should follow function. The beauty of an object or building resided in whether it was perfectly fit to fulfill its function. Modern industrial methods meant that furniture and buildings could be mass-produced, not made by hand.

Though Art Deco art was in high demand, the American skyscrapers marked the high-point of Art Deco architecture. As the tallest and most recognizable buildings in the world, these pinnacles of design radically changed the skyline of major cities. Most dramatically, the Chrysler building in New York City, completed in 1930, used the newest building methods. It was named the “Cathedral to Commerce.” The Chrysler building was soon followed by other well-known structures such as the Empire State building and Rockefeller Center.

Deco Mirror

Contemporary Art Deco Style

Overall, the Art Deco trend inspires high contrast and dramatic spaces, which can be seen in more color saturation, brass, chrome. Also, luxurious or unexpected materials, such as velvet, concrete, inlay, marble, lacquer, fringe, and smoked glass. Today, we’re also seeing geometric patterns and a rise in material investments, such as marble and burl wood. Unlike styles used more in private spaces that individuals cycle through and redesign as times change, Art Deco remains part of our visual landscape.

As one of the first major international style movements, the style changed the face of many major cities. It only ended with World War II and the demand for strictly functional, unadorned modernism. Art Deco furniture used only the best materials, such as exotic woods, ivory, and mother of pearl. Each piece was designed for beauty and functionality, meeting the demands of a modern world. The Art Deco patterns and geometric designs were present in the furniture as well. At Jean-Marc Fray, our Art Deco pieces have the fantastic high-quality and decorative elements of the period. From engraved mirrors, stylized dining tables, and buffets with metal decor and marquetry, these pieces are striking in their beauty and modern elegance.

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